There are plenty of film processing companies in Melbourne, and it can be tough to decide which is the best. Here are a few suggestions.
Hillvale Photo
The film photography scene in Melbourne has gone through a big revamp over the last five years. This includes the emergence of some of the city’s newer film processing places. Among them is Hillvale Photo.
The independent photo lab was founded by Andy Johnson and Jason Hamilton, two graphic designers studying at RMIT. Their friendship grew out of an interest in photography. During this time, they both worked normal 9-to-5 jobs.
A few years after meeting, they saved an old Agfa C-41 colour negative film processing machine. They began collecting equipment and working on the business, which was based out of a garage in Brunswick. Eventually, Hillvale opened its doors, offering professional-quality film developing services.
Today, the business operates through several dropbox locations in Melbourne. These convenient locations accept film and send it straight to the lab. It’s a system that’s proved effective for the Hillvale crew.
Customers can submit their film via postal mail or in-store. The lab provides a three to seven day turnaround for colour film. In addition to this, they offer scanning services.
As for their pricing, Hillvale offers a Hillvale Project Grant to select projects in need of help. The lab also sponsors the annual Melbourne Independent Photography Festival.
Founded by Jason Hamilton and Andy Johnson, Hillvale Photo has come a long way since its beginnings. The lab offers professional-quality film developing, scanning, and printing. It has even collaborated with Bloom Publishing, a youth-oriented publishing company.
Peninsula Camera
If you’re a film aficionado, you’ll have no trouble finding a good photo lab. Luckily, the city is home to several that have been around for years.
The first of these places is Walkens, or more accurately, the House of Film. This one-stop shop offers a wide variety of film and photography supplies, as well as developing services.
Another is the Ikigai Photo Lab. They offer black and white and colour processing, as well as prints with the developing. These guys will have your film back to you in less than a day. For those interested in the digital side of photography, they also have their own online store, and have some great deals on Polaroid cameras.
It’s also worth considering the Melbourne Camera Club. Their store features a number of interesting antique film cameras. There is also a nice selection of miscellaneous analogue gear on hand for those looking for an alternative to the digital camera. Besides, the club has its own darkroom, and runs a few photo orientated workshops for the novice.
Finally, there’s the Peninsula Camera. They have a very large selection of refurbished and used cameras. Plus, their postal service is handy! In addition to processing and selling cameras, they also offer repair and printing services. You can get your 120 or 35mm film developed in under an hour.
Whether you’re into film, digital, or both, Melbourne has plenty of places to check out.
Walkens House of Film
If you are into film photography, then you’ll be glad to know that there are several places in Melbourne to develop film. One place that you should definitely check out is Walkens House of Film. It offers film developing services for both black and white and colour film.
The company also stocks a wide variety of camera equipment, including disposable cameras, Super 8 cameras, and Polaroid. They even carry a selection of vintage film-related apparel. You can purchase all of these items online, or at their brick-and-mortar store in Fitzroy.
Walkens can develop both colour and black and white film. Their service times are three to seven days for colour film. However, they do not develop E-6 slide film.
Another place to consider for developing film is the Hillvale Camera Shop. They offer black and white and colour processing for 35mm, medium, and APS film.
If you’re interested in a more hands-on experience, you might want to visit the Artist Film Workshop. This workshop offers screening space, as well as film development and printing.
You can also get your film developed at a number of different labs, including the Peninsula Camera, which is open for business from about eight in the morning until two in the afternoon. There are also a number of drop off locations throughout Melbourne.
If you are looking to buy used or fresh rolls of film, you’ll find that many stores in Australia and around the world sell them. Some of these are located in the suburbs, but others are based in larger cities.
