Where can I get black-and-white film developed and scanned if local labs only process color?
Asked 11/26/2012
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I’ve started shooting an older Canon film SLR and want digital files rather than prints. Local options seem to only handle color film, and many consumer labs have stopped offering film services altogether. I’m mainly interested in getting usable, high-quality scans so I can finish editing in Lightroom. If I can’t find a black-and-white lab nearby, what are my practical alternatives?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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Use a chromogenic B&W film; that is, a B&W film that can be developed using the same C-41 process as ordinary colour films. That way, any shop that can develop colour films can also develop your B&W film. Ilford makes such a film called XP2 Super, but other manufacturers make it as well.
An alternative is quite simply to shoot colour film and then convert to B&W in post processing. Not the choice of the purist, but it can give good results.
Beware, though, that neither method will quite match the look of an old school, grainy B&W film, but that might not be what you are after anyway.
Originally by user13737. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user13737
13y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
If local labs only process color, the simplest workaround is to use chromogenic black-and-white film, which is developed with the standard C-41 color process. That means any lab that still develops color negative film can usually process it as well. Ilford XP2 Super is a well-known example.
Another practical option is to shoot color film and convert the scans to black and white during editing. Since you’re mainly after scans for Lightroom rather than darkroom prints, this can work well.
The tradeoff is look: chromogenic B&W or color-converted-to-B&W won’t perfectly match the classic appearance of traditional silver-based black-and-white film, especially in grain and tonality. But if convenience and scan-based workflow matter most, they’re good solutions when true B&W processing isn’t available locally.
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