Written by Katya Rowny

With the emergence of digital cameras, film development quickly became a dying art. Where it used to be fairly easy to get film developed at your local grocery store, nowadays, most film photographers send their rolls to a film lab, which processes, scans, and uploads your photos.

Film labs have become more than just a place to get your film developed–they’re also community hubs. There are several excellent film labs around the country, but my top three for both development and community involvement are Indie Film Lab, theFINDlab, and Brooktree Film Lab.

Thankfully, we have several excellent options, but deciding which film lab to use can feel challenging. In this article I will do the research for you on three different film labs that I’ve personally used and why. Ultimately, choosing a film lab is a personal preference depending on your likes and dislikes when it comes to your scans, and I hope this article will help guide you!

1. Indie Film Lab

When we lived on the East Coast my go-to lab was Indie Film lab in Alabama. Initially, I went with them because the owner was in a band I listened to in middle school, but after having them develop and scan dozens of rolls over the years, I fell in love with their reliability and quality.

They are based in Montgomery, Alabama, and are known for their exceptional quality and attention to detail. Founded in 2011, they serve photographers worldwide through both mail-in and local drop-off services.

Their website is easy to navigate and the lab order process is user friendly, although I have accidentally had my negatives shipped to me when I didn’t mean to, causing a price increase of my order. Double check the “sleeve & return” option before you pay!

You will receive a confirmation email when the order arrives at the lab and then the waiting game begins. After a week or so, you should receive an email from Pic-Time with your scans!

They offer a variety of developing and scanning options along with their printing company, Indie Print Co., which offers different products with your images.

The lab processes color (C-41), black-and-white, and slide (E-6) film in formats ranging from 35mm to large format, using professional-grade Noritsu and Frontier scanners for high-resolution results.

While it offers services like custom scan sizes and a Film Drop program (which combines wholesale film sales with lab credit), the lab is known for longer turnaround times—especially during peak season from June to November—and higher pricing compared to other labs.

They also recently launched their online community, Long Live Film. The community is an online hub for analog photographers, offering a space to connect, learn, and grow together. Members benefit from wholesale film pricing, hands-on education about shooting and scanning, direct access to the Indie Film Lab team, and a supportive environment for sharing work and receiving feedback.

The community hosts live workshops, critiques, and creative projects, fostering a collaborative atmosphere for photographers at all skill levels. The platform aims to preserve the art of analog photography and make it more accessible and fulfilling for enthusiasts worldwide.

2. theFINDlab

After moving to the Pacific Northwest, I tried a few different labs but settled on theFINDlab which is based in Orem, Utah. I chose them because they offer a variety of different services and are well known in the film community.

Besides being a professional film lab, they offer camera repairs, sell film, have a community darkroom and rentable studio space. They have three different drop-off locations in Utah, one in Provo and the other two in Salt Lake City, and lastly you can always mail your rolls in.

Born from the Film Is Not Dead (FIND) workshops, it has evolved into a public-facing lab offering services to all film shooters. They pride themselves on film education, personalized feedback, and hybrid editing in collaboration with Mastin Labs, aiming to help photographers shoot more film, more often.

theFINDlab provides tiered scanning services—Auto, Standard, Premium/Custom—with varying degrees of color correction, turnaround times (2–5 business days), and pricing for 35 mm, medium, large format, and E-6 slide film. I’ve had close to 20 orders from theFINDlab utilizing a variety of film formats, including E-6, and I’ve been happy with all of them.

theFINDlab’s Custom Scans service offers fully tailored color film processing and scanning starting at $19 per roll. Designed for photographers who want high-quality scans that reflect their unique style, the service includes film development, per-frame corrections, automatic rotation, and light editing in Lightroom based on your preferences.

Turnaround time is typically 3–4 business days, with same-day to 3-day rush options available for an additional fee. You can choose your preferred scanner (Noritsu, Frontier, or both), scan size (Regular, Large, or Ultra), and adjust tones, exposure, and contrast.

Additional options include push/pull processing, Select-A-Tech, border and sprocket scans, and tech feedback. Surcharges apply for formats like 220, 110, or half-frame, and you can opt for proof prints and different negative return methods. Custom Scans are ideal for photographers seeking consistency, control, and personalized results from their lab.

3. Brooktree Film Lab

Brooktree Film Lab, located in Oreana, Illinois, is a boutique mail-in (and in-person) film processing and scanning studio committed to fast, high-quality analog services.

Run by passionate photographer Robert, the lab handles all popular formats—35 mm, medium format, large format, and even specialty sizes like 110, APS, and panoramic—using professional Fuji Frontier SP3000 and Noritsu HS-1800 scanners. Customers can choose between Web (≈6 MP), Large (≈13 MP), or Extra-Large (≈30 MP) scans, with fast turnaround typically within 2–3 business days.

Brooktree also offers reward points, ECN-2 motion-picture processing, a Film of the Month Club, and options for uncut negatives or held-negatives storage—all designed to cater to film enthusiasts of every level.

The subscription for Film of the Month Club is $28/month, and they send you a surprise roll of 35mm or 120 film each month. You get 30 days to shoot it and return it in a prepaid mailer, and they handle development and XL-resolution scanning at no extra cost. Members also receive access to a private Facebook group and a chance to have their images featured on Brooktree’s Instagram page.

Even though Brooktree Film lab is halfway across the country, I appreciate the customer service and quality of the scans. I also love that they offer ECN-2 development and E-6; for me it’s a one stop shop!

Final Thoughts

When it comes to choosing a film lab, remember: you’re not just choosing a place to get your film developed and scanned, you’re also joining a community that believes in the perseverance of film.

Until you find a lab you love, don’t be afraid to try different ones. And if you’re still on the hunt for a lab, what qualities are you looking for? Share in the comments and let’s connect!

Thank you so much, Katya! Katya is a regular contributor for Shoot It With Film, and you can check out her other articles here, such as the Ilford Sporti Vintage Medium Format Film Camera Review and the Chinon Bellami Point and Shoot Film Camera Review.

You can also find more of Katya’s work on her website and Instagram.

Leave your questions about film developing below in the comments, and let us know your favorite film lab!

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Katya Rowny

Katya Rowny is a travel photographer and a regular contributor for Shoot It With Film. Find her other articles here, such as Olympus XA2 Point & Shoot Film Camera Review and Elektra 100 Film Review.

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