Where Can I Develop my Half Frame Film?

Half-Frame cameras have been around since the 1960’s. They became wildly popular in Japan and as Japanese camera manufacturers began to export them the appeal of the half frame picture format spread all over the globe. Whether you’re buying a vintage half frame camera or something new like the Kodak H35 or the Pentax 17, half frame cameras a fun and make shooting film way more affordable!

Where can I get my half frame film developed?

Once you’ve shot your last half frame on the roll, it’s time to get your roll developed! But sadly, getting half frame film developed isn’t as easy as a roll shot in regular 35mm film format. Photo labs have different capabilities when it comes to Half Frame format film.

Almost any lab can develop half frame film. It’s just a roll 35mm, which is the majority of what all photo labs process. But not all labs are set up to scan half frame film. If you send your film in to a lab that is unable to scan it, they will usually develop it and then just return the negatives to you unscanned, forcing you to have to find another lab that can scan your images and get them digitized for you. Many labs that process half frame film charge extra to do half frame because it can be a slow down in their usual work flow having to deal with a not common format film. To help you sort through the mess, here’s a quick overview of labs that will and won’t develop and scan your half frame film.

Shutter Junkies Photo Lab

Shutter Junkies Photo Lab will develop and scan your half frame film for only $12. You can choose to have your film scanned at a higher resolution for a few dollars more and you can add prints when you purchase processing or just order prints later. And the best thing is that Shutter Junkies does not charge extra to develop or scan half frame film!

To get started, just click here to purchase processing for a roll of 35mm film and selected your scan and print options and you’re good to go!

CVS

CVS is a popular place and very convenient for many people to just swing buy and drop their film off. Unfortunately, CVS does not process and scan half frame 35mm film. If you neglect to tell them your roll is in half frame format, they will develop it but then will send it back to you unscanned as they do not have the capability to scan half frame film.

Walgreens

Like CVS, Walgreens also does not develop and scan half frame film. If you drop your film off with them and do not tell them it is half frame, they will also develop it and then return it to you. You will then have to find another lab to get your film scanned.

The DarkRoom

The DarkRoom will develop and scan your half frame film. The base cost for developing a roll of 35mm film is $13 and you have to pay an additional $6 for processing half frame images. This brings the total to $19 per roll to get your half frame film developed at The DarkRoom. They do give you the option to choose if you would like your images scanned as individuals or in sets of two, which most labs to do not.

Walmart Photo

Walmart is another very convenient place for many photographers to drop off film. But sadly, Walmart does not process half frame film. Like CVS, and Walgreens, they will simply return your negatives to you and you will have to pay an additional fee to another lab to get your images scanned.

Reformed Film Lab

The Reformed Film Lab can develop and scan your half frame film images. Developing starts at $12 and there is no extra charge for developing and scanning half frame film, but there is an increased charge for order prints compared to ordering prints for a standard 35mm roll.

Conclusion - Where can I get my half frame film developed?

Half frame film is a fun and affordable photography format and as long as you can find the right lab to get your images developed, scanned, and printed, you won’t notice a difference between shooting regular 35mm and half frame 35mm film. Avoid big box stores like CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart as they do not scan half frame film. Also make sure and check the pricing for half frames as places like The DarkRoom charge extra to process and scan the film. There are a lot of labs out there like Shutter Junkies Photo Lab and the Reformed Film Lab that will process your images for no additional cost!

How to Get the Film Out of a Disposable Camera

A Basic Overview

After reading my previous blog post about Disposable Cameras - I’m sure the excitement and motivation completely overwhelmed you and you ran out immediately and bought a fun little disposable camera to take some photos with. You spent time with friends and family, snapped up all 27 exposures before you had even realized it and then that familiar feeling as you try to advance the film - clickity clickity clickity, nothing is catching. You’re out of film.

So what do you do next…

You have some options as far as developing your film goes. You can actually just drop the entire camera off somewhere and get it developed. The bad thing is that most of the location places that will develop your film also won’t return your negatives and we definitely don’t want that. You can always develop it yourself or your can mail the film into a trusted lab that can process the film and return you negatives to you. These are both great options but sadly, both of them require you to get the film out of the disposable camera before you do anything with it.

Here’s a quick step by step guide on how you can get the film out of your disposable camera!

An older Kodak FunSaver 35 Camera - the graphic design just screams 2001!

Getting the Film Out of Your Disposable

Step 1 - Remove the label/wrapper

The disposable camera itself is just a general plastic camera. Each company puts their own branding on the cameras in the form of an adhesive label or a loosely fitting card stock type wrapper. In most cases, you will need to remove the label to get the camera apart. Its normally easy to do and it does not matter if it gets torn or damaged. On some cameras, like the one in the photos, the label doesn’t really wrap around or interfere so it can simple be left on.

Step 2 - Locate and Pry Open the Tabs Holding the Camera Together

Pry Up on the tabs on the side. You may need a tool!

Usually these tabs are located on the sides of the camera. If you are just wanting to get the film out of the camera, all you need to do is pry on the right side (the side with the film advance) of the camera. Almost all cameras are designed to break easily, almost like a built in film door. Of course, only removing the part covering will completely break the camera, so reusing it is out of the question. Most disposable cameras will have tabs on both sides however so that you can pry up and remove the entire back. There are usually other little tabs of various types along the top and bottom that simple help to keep the back in place and light tight, these may require a little pressure/prying to get loose.

If you break the film compartment open, you can easily retrieve your film. If you’ve shot the entire roll, the film will be safely rolled up inside of the catrtidge.

Step 3 - Remove the Film

I don’t need to say much here. It literally just falls out. Really simple. Its self-contained in the little 35mm film cartridge, just like any other 35mm film.

Step 4 - Remove the Battery

Once the camera is opened up, you can get the battery out and reuse it!

Most of these cameras have a flash and are powered by a AA or AAA battery. For the 27 exposures you used, you barely drained any energy from this battery. Take it out and use it somewhere else! You know you never have a battery around when the TV remote dies!

On a side note, if you did not remove the entire back from the camera, you will not be able to access the battery.

Step 5 - What Do I Do with the Camera?

You have a few options. If you can separate the components its possible to recycle some of them. I actually put my disposable cameras back together, leave the battery in them and let my kids have them. They love to pretend they are taking pictures just like their dad! Its a super cheap but fun toy. You can also just throw it away. They are made to be disposable after all.

Don’t Let Your Disposable Camera Film Sit Around!

A lot of people shoot their 27 exposures and then put their cameras down because getting the film developed is a bit of process and they never come back to them. I have people come up to me all the time and ask about what they should do with the box of disposable cameras they have. Image quality does degrade over time, especially if your disposable cameras end up in the attic. Get those photos developed and start enjoying them! We do offer film processing for mail in and drop off film. If you have a bunch of old disposables that need to be developed, give us a call or send us a message and we can negotiate a bulk rate for getting them all developed and scanned! Click the button below to order film processing and lets get those images out of that plastic disposable and onto your phone or Facebook or printed on paper, anywhere that they can be enjoyed!

Want to see a video of how to do this?

Check out this very short how to video that will show you exactly how to get film out of a disposable camera!

Announcing Our New Online Film and Vintage Camera Store!

We cannot get enough of shooting photographs on film. It is truly a magical experience and requires so much more presence in the process. But if there’s one thing that’s been a huge headache when it comes to shooting film, its getting the supplies and equipment you need out here in rural east Texas. After years of ordering film online and waiting a few weeks to get it, or looking for a camera only to have to buy it from someone who wasn’t even sure if it worked, we’ve had enough and we wanted to find a solution that would help us as well as our community of growing film photographers here east of DFW.

Beginning Friday, April 24th, we will begin to offer select film stocks available for local pick-up or delivery through mail. Our selection of film will be limited at first but we will be growing our selection as quickly as we can develop the supply chain. Initially, we will be offering Kodak films but hope to grow to stock some more obscure and interesting film stocks. We are also expanding our developing services so that you can drop of your film and get it back the next day.

We are also offering vintage film cameras, that have been thoroughly inspected and tested to ensure everything is working properly. You can purchase your next film camera with confidence knowing that it will work properly instead of hoping what you bought on Facebook Marketplace works. We will be offering a wide range of cameras, from point and shoots to DSLR’s in 35 mm, medium format, and Polaroid formats. The selection will of course depend on availability, so check our online store often to see what we have in stock!

We are putting the final touches on our online store and website today and everything should be live tomorrow (Friday, April 24th).