Where to Develop Film in Miami in 2023.
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Riding the recent resurgence of film photography, the number of labs that develop film in Miami has doubled since this article was first published.
Newcomers share this list with photo shops that have been in business for almost a century. And while the majority of labs are located within city limits, there are also some great choices nearby in the Miami area.
No matter what type or size of film you prefer to shoot, it should be no problem to find developing without going too far. Check out the full list, which includes the exact services offered at each lab and a map of their locations.
PITMAN PHOTO SUPPLY
Coming up on 100 years in business, Pitman Photo Supply is a long-standing photoshop that carries a huge inventory of gear for any type of photographer. Established in 1928, it’s nice to see that they have never stopped offering film processing services.
While the two most common film formats, 35mm and 120, are developed at Pitman Photo, they also handle less common 110 and APS film. Their developing services are available for both C-41 color and black and white.
Film photographers may be interested in their great selection of film stocks, at-home developing supplies, and used equipment section that sometimes stocks great film cameras and vintage lenses.
Other notable services include equipment rentals, camera cleaning, and repairs.
DARKROOM AND DIGITAL IMAGING PHOTO LAB
While automated developing machines you see at a lot of photo labs are convenient, we love to see labs that still do things by hand, like Darkroom and Digital Imaging
All C-41 film is developed dip and dunk and black white is developed by hand. 35mm, 120, and 4×5 film are all processed.
One of the best things about photo labs that develop by hand is that they usually offer analog prints of your photos, Darkroom and Digital Imaging included. Especially if you prefer shooting black and white film, there is nothing like seeing the final image on a darkroom print.
PALM FILM LAB
New to the scene and centrally located, Palm Film Lab is a haven for film photographers in Miami.
C-41 color, black and white, and E-6 slide film are all developed in house, whether its 35mm or 120.
Aside from their film processing services, Palm Film Lab stocks fresh film and used cameras of all sizes and prices. In the short time since opening, they’ve managed to receive quite the positive reception with nothing but glowing reviews from excited new customers.
BELLOWS FILM LAB
Bellows is a new photo lab that has already opened two locations – Miami and Chicago. Both stores offer the same extensive list of services for film photographers.
Most importantly, any and all types of film are accepted in person or by mail. 35mm, medium, and large format can all be developed whether color, B&W, or E-6 slide film. You can also drop off less common formats like 110, APS, and ECN-2.
If you’re local to Miami (or in town visiting), the quick turnaround times may be a big draw to Bellows Film Lab.
One hour develop and scan is usually available for an extra fee. Many people won’t even consider this option as standard turn around time for any type of film is just 24 hours. And particularly patient photographers can save even more with a small discount for a 72 hour turnaround.
Where to Develop Film Near Miami
In a time when film photo labs have continued to go out of business, sometimes developing your film requires a bit of a trip. If you live in the area, you may still want to check out some more places to develop film near Miami.
If you live in the Miami area but outside of the city, you may still have somewhere to develop film near you. Check out the remaining options below.
THACKERS FILM LAB
30 miles outside of Miami in Fort Lauderdale, Thackers Film Lab is a spot worth checking out if you’re an analog photographer.
The lab develops 35mm and 120 and can process color film, black and white, and even E-6 slide film.
While you’re dropping off your finished roll(s) of film at Thackers, you’ll be able to restock your with a wide variety of fresh stocks available. It’s also worth checking out their used section, where they sell many types of pre-owned film cameras.
DALE LABORATORIES
Dale Laboratories, a full-service photo lab specializing in all types of printing, operates about 20 miles outside of Miami. While the majority of their services are printing related, they still offer film processing.
Black and white, as well as C-41 color and E-6 slide film, can all be developed by Dale Laboratories. Both 35mm and 120.
Turnaround is usually speedy (for black and white or color film) – just one hour for developing and 90 minutes if you want to include hi-res scans.
Map of Where to Develop Film in Miami
Anywhere Else?
Do you know anywhere else to get film developed in the Miami area? If so, let us know in the comments!
Hi!
Palm Film Lab in Miami just opened not too long ago!
Thanks for the tip! Added to the list.
Went to Darkroom & Digital for the first time recently and they kept sending me the wrong scan files and when I picked up my negatives they were rolled and squished inside an envelope, they are now wavy and far from smooth! They were not able to make digital contact sheets either or scan with the negative frames.
I tried the new Bellows lab in Wynwood, what a mess! They didn’t send me my scans, when I called they couldn’t find my order, I went in person and they told me the negatives were missing! They finally found them but they hadn’t been scanned. They refunded me but even after promising to scan them that day, they didn’t. And when I finally got an email from them, they only sent the contact sheet files. Not a professional lab by any means, I won’t be going back to either labs.
Hi! Thanks for sharing your experiences, and sorry to hear that they were both so mediocre.
Palm Film Lab opened recently in Miami and they seem to be getting great reviews so far. I reached out to see if they do contact sheets/scans with the negative borders, and they said that they aren’t capable at the moment, but they are actively working to make it possible.
Off the top of my head, I know that Bushwick Community Darkroom offers scans with borders and 8×10 contact sheets. (Each costs an extra $10, so even a single roll is getting up to around $40 which is…hard to swallow). You can send them your film from anywhere.
I also remember seeing that Northeast Photographic also started offering scans with borders, but I don’t think they do contact sheets, and they can only scan the borders with a certain scanner, which then limits the size of scans you’re able to get.
Both options are seeming to become pretty tough to find. And the labs that I’ve asked about it all said the same thing: nobody was ordering contact sheets anymore, so they eventually just stopped offering the option (if they even did, to begin with), and they just don’t have an efficient way to scan with the borders.
I also love the look of the borders, especially on medium format, and I’ve been trying to find a good solution to efficiently accomplish this, without spending a fortune.
When I needed a particular shot scanned with the negative borders, I’ve had good luck going to high-end printing labs, which are usually capable of scanning just about anything at any resolution you need. Not really a good option if you need every shot scanned like that and/or need to scan a lot of rolls, though.
I owned one of those ~$250 flatbed scanners for a year or two and never found a particularly good workflow to scan with the borders. The negative holders cover the borders. Some people make DIY holders to accommodate the borders, and there are probably some options you can buy, but it seemed extremely slow and tedious; I wasn’t ever that pleased with the results from the scanner in general, either.
Lately, I’ve been looking into scanning negatives with a DSLR camera, and that seems like it’s going to be the easiest and cheapest way to accomplish scans with the borders. Still a lot of work, but I just can’t get over how much it costs at any of the few labs that still even offer the service!
Bellows Film Lab Miami 😍 $8 E-6 Slide Film Processing same day (if dropped early AM) scans optional, mounting not possible. Directly in the Wynwood area. https://www.bellowsfilmlab.com/ 2051 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33127 +13054564006
Thanks, Brad! Added it to the list!