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Thu, 12/15/2022
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Where to Get Film Developed? Best Online Photo Labs for Quality
When digital photography completely engulfed the industry, there was a time when film stocks were a rare commodity. Finding the right film stock was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. Of late, however, there has been a renewed interest in film. So much so that manufacturers like Kodak, Fujifilm, and Cinestill find it challenging to match the growing demand.
Now, before you could ask that all-important question – does that mean that film is going through a resurgence? Let me add that there is a multitude of reasons behind this.
Call it an influx of passionate film enthusiasts, a renewed love affair with film, or an interest to go back to what many photographers prefer is the purer form of photography; the film is going through a resurgence. This discussion will examine some of the more popular film development services available. We’ll look at both mail-in and traditional in-store pick-up services. We’ll compare their prices and quality to establish the best film development services.
Film development is just a part of the whole process. The ultimate step is to scan the developed film to ensure that the final images showcase the perfect tonal balance, proper exposure, and detail. Scanning film is an art and science and requires years of experience and the best quality equipment. You can get a negative flatbed scanner and get it done at home, but labs generally have more expensive (and better quality) scanners, which sets them apart from home scanners.
But don’t forget the human factor as well. The person operating the machines and the software at the lab also affects the quality of the images you get back from the lab. We’ll put all these to the test and figure out which are the best film development services in the business.
Mpix
if you search for film processing printing services on the internet, one name will routinely feature on the top results, and that’s Mpix. Although Mpix has made its name one of the best online digital printing services, it also has a flourishing film processing section that caters to 35mm and medium format color film. They also cater to many disposable cameras, including 8, 12, 24, 27, and 36 exposures.
You can choose between standard scans up to 5 x 7 inches or large scans 12 x 18 inches. At prices starting at $11.95, this is a bit cheaper, but you won’t have any issues with quality. The price for disposable cameras starts at $13.95. developing the film roll and scanning charges includes. Once the film has been developed and scanned, it’s mailed back to the customer.
Numerical grade – 4.5/5
Tuttle Cameras
Started by Harvey and Dick Tuttle; the first store of Tuttle Cameras was started by the duo on 2nd Street in Belmont Shore in 1946. They started a second store on Atlantic Ave in Bixby Knolls in 1947. The business has a long-standing reputation as one of the finest photo labs. But apart from that, they also have a full-service camera and photographic supplies division that takes up the lion’s share of the storefront. They have over 70 years of experience in film processing and development.
You can either drop your film at the store, use the after-hours drop box, or even send your film in the mail. They also offer a scanning service for your film. All you’ve to do is pick your level of scanning quality and opt for the return option you prefer, and in a few days, your high-quality scans will be ready. They offer a reasonable pricing model. They offer 35mm film, 120, 620, and 126 color and black and white stock developing at $8.25. Standard scans start at $9.
Numerical grade – 4.4/5
Northeast Photographic
One of the premier photographic labs in the USA and the finest in Maine, Northeast Photographic is a full-service photo-chemical film lab. They offer a range of processing and scanning services for various film stocks. These include 35mm, 11×14, in C41, E6, and B&W. the entire task of chemical processing and digital scanning is done in-house. They offer a range of pricing options depending on the film stock you need processed and any further work to be done. C41 roll film process only, for example, costs only $3.
On the other hand, color-negative simple scans for a 35mm film roll is $12. Color negative simple scans for 120 medium format film costs $12. This is a small shop with a limited workforce. However, they take utmost care for every roll of film that they receive.
Numerical grade – 4.4/5
Indie Film Lab
One of the main USPs of Indie Film Lab is the high-quality scanning services they provide. Indie Lab has been operating since 2011 and offers film development and scanning services. They use Frontier and Noritsu scanners to scan color negative film, B&W film, E-6, and various pre-cut films of different formats. They have a straightforward ordering process. Opt for the send film option on their website, follow the ordering process, print the order form, and send everything to their lab based in Alabama.
They have a reasonable charge associated with their services. A color process and scan cost only $11 for the 35mm film roll. This is for the uncorrected large option. If you want the Large option, you will have to pay $19. For the Extra Large option, you will need to pay $25.
Numerical grade – 4.1/5
Picturehouse + the Smalldarkroom
This lab started its operation some 25 years ago as the union of an analog darkroom and a digital post-production studio. Ever since, they have been offering film development, processing, and creative retouching services across the art, publishing, beauty, and communications industries. They consider themselves master printers, colorists, film geeks, archivists, and producers and offer their services to professionals and amateurs.
They offer very reasonable pricing that starts with a roll of 35mm C-41 film processing (development only) at just $8. For a development and scanning job, the lab charges $18 for a roll of 35mm film for 10MB files. Depending on the resolution of the scanned files, the charges are higher.
Numerical grade – 4.2/5
Process One
Process One is a reputed film development and processing lab based in Overland Park, Kansas. One of the country’s most famous film development services, they offer both in-person dropping off of film and mail orders. They develop all kinds of film, including 35mm, APS, 120, and 220 films. They develop, print, and scan all kinds of films, including C41, E6, and black & white, with the utmost care and professionalism. You can, optionally, order prints online or have your film scanned by them for high-quality digital files. If you’re sending your files to them, all you’ve to do is download the order form, fill it up and send it along with your film rolls to their address.
They can also scan all your film, no matter the size, and convert it into premium digital files. They scan 35mm, 120/220, medium format, APS, and 4×5 film with high resolution and plenty of detail. All negatives are always returned. Make sure that when you send in your film rolls, you mention the return address so that the developed film can be returned to you. A 35mm film roll takes 7 to 9 days to process.
Numerical grade – 4.0/5
The Findlab
The Findlab has a very economically priced auto scan service that uses the technician’s feeding and automatic scanning without any color profile or custom color corrections. This is aimed at photographers who are happy with the quick and ready result-oriented process of auto scan and at photographers who are very confident with the results they have achieved in the camera and require minimal inputs by the lab.
If you don’t want scanning services, you can go for a develop-only order that will cost you just $8 for a roll of film onwards. But for $10, you can add an Auto Scan order (using the Noritsu film scanner) where your roll of film can be developed and auto-scanned. There are a bunch of other scanning services that you can opt for. Depending on your requirement, you can opt for the standard scan option, the premium scans, or even standard B&W scans.
Numerical grade – 4.3/5
Richard Film Lab
Richard Film Lab‘s premium processing lab offers more than 50 years of experience as a scanning and printing service. It will be an understatement to say that the company is obsessed with quality. They offer their services to professionals and amateurs and have tailor-made solutions for each segment of users. This Santa Clarita-based photo development, scanning, and printing service offer a range of photo services. They use sophisticated Dip and Dunk technology, ensuring that the final deliverables are the best in the business.
The chemical processes used in the labs are checked daily. Richard ensures that the quality of the output is of the highest caliber by putting routine daily checks for temperature, PH, and color balance in place. De-ionized water is used during the lab’s processes, and a professional ink and chemical replenishment system is also in place that ensures that the processes are always working smoothly. The lab charges $14 for developing and scanning a 35mm film and 120 films.
Numerical grade – 4.4/5
Photovision
Photovision is one of the premium film development, scanning, and processing labs to which you can send your film rolls. Their pricing is a bit on the higher side too. You can opt for a standard 35mm option which includes processing your 35mm film roll, scanning, and printing. But if you consider that they offer prints along with development and scanning, the price suddenly feels reasonable.
As the name suggests, the everyday option is best for everyday snaps. The Signature service option includes development, scanning, and choosing between Noritsu and Frontier scanners. You can also choose between regular and large-sized scans; the whole process is tailor-made for professionals. The signature process and scanning cost $19.
Numerical grade – 4.2/5
Reformed Film Lab
Reformed Film Lab‘s simple motto is to ensure that every roll of film that comes through their door should be handled with the utmost care and processed in the best way possible. They have experience with a wide variety of film stock, which ensures that they’re able to handle every film in the best way possible. They’re ready to take on experimental work such as experimental film processing. The process color, B&W, and slide film and their charges start from a reasonable $12 roll of color film to $18 for an E-6 slide film.
Numerical grade – 4.1/5
Negative Lab
Based in Los Angeles, Negative Lab is a service that caters to professional and amateur photographers. They offer film development and scanning services. They offer a scan turnaround of 5 to 7 days and reasonable pricing for scanning and developing during busy seasons that can easily spill into eight business days. If you need only a developing service and no scanning, you can opt for that for a good free of $10.
Additionally, if you want only scanning services that cost only $5 per roll for a professional scanning or developing job, that’s a very reasonable price. All negatives accompanying the order form and a return address are automatically returned. However, if the mail does not contain any proper return address, paper order form, or web confirmation, then the negatives are subjected to disposal.
Numerical grade – 4.3/5
Citizens Photo
Citizens Photo is an established film development lab operating since 1946 in Oregon. They accept mail-in orders and cater to both domestic and international orders. Citizens Photo specializes in large-format printing with sizes up to 44 inches. They work with a range of film stocks, including but not limited to E4 slide films, C22 color negatives, and others.
They work with all Fujifilm chemicals and paper. One highlight of their work routine is that they would test their chemicals every Friday. This ensures that the chemicals are always fresh and balanced as possible. For a develop-only order, they have a turnaround of only 24 hours. For rush orders, they have a three-hour turnaround which costs extra.
Numerical grade – 4.3/5
State Film Lab
State Film Lab offers development services for various film types, including 35mm, 120mm, and 220mm, and sheet film in color and black and white. They also offer the development of E-6 slide films in 35mm and 120 films. If you have a bunch of film rolls that need to be developed quickly and scanned, you can opt for the basic Develop and scan service that will cost you $20.
For $12 more, you can also get a digital contact sheet of approximately 11500 x 9200 pixels (100 MB). If you need a physical version of the contact sheet, you can opt for an 8 x 10-inch print for an extra $15. All scanned files are available for download via a link in JPEG format. However, you could optionally choose the Tiff format for an extra $5.
Numerical grade – 4.4/5
Darkroom Film Development
Darkroom Film Development offers film development and scanning for as little as $12, putting them at par with other inexpensive offerings on this list. Darkroom Film Development is a 45-year-old film development lab that offers a range of development, printing, and scanning services. They accept 35mm, 120, 220, 620, and disposable camera film. They also accept sheet film and 110, 126, and Advantix films for development scanning and printing.
You can send your film using their postage-paid mailer. Upon receipt of the developed film, it will be developed and then scanned or printed based on your preferences. A free digital web gallery access will be provided to download the digital files.
Numerical grade – 4.4/5
Darkslide Film Lab
Darkslide Film Lab is the only full-service woman-owned and operated boutique film lab on this list. The lab offers services in Bridgeport, Connecticut, including developing color and black & white films, scanning, and traditional darkroom printing photos. This small team of two girls started this film development and processing business out of their mutual love for film as a medium of image-making.
They accept a range of films, including disposable cameras, 35mm film, 120 films, 4×5 sheet film, C-41 color film, slide film, and black & white film. The only thing we don’t like about Darkslide Film Lab is the extended turnaround time for videos. This is typically about 2 to 3 weeks, and it can be longer still when the busy season is upon them. Quality, however, is top-notch as the entire process is handmade and not machine operated. A 35mm film roll costs $15 to develop and scan. A standard C-41 35mm roll of film and 120 film costs $5 for processing only orders. From the second roll onwards, the price comes down to $4.5.
Numerical grade – 4.1/5
The definitive guide to choosing a film development lab
Hopefully, the above list gives you enough options to choose from, and pick the lab closest to you that offers you the best value for money. We recommend you make a trial run for a roll of film containing non-essential images and send that to the lab you’ve shortlisted before sending your more essential rolls. Once you’re happy with the quality of the work, you can then send your other rolls for development. We’ll soon make a definitive guide on this topic so that you know what to look for when choosing a film development lab.
Click the following link to learn why shooting film will increase your digital photography skills.
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15 Best YouTube Video Downloader Apps for Android (Free and Paid)
Are you looking for the best YouTube video downloader apps to download YouTube videos to your android phone? If yes, you have come to the right place.
In this guide, I will share the 15 best android apps that you can use for downloading YouTube videos based on my experience. Some of these apps are free, and others are paid.
Each of these apps has its advantages and disadvantages. I will share that too. It will help you to decide which app is best for your particular use case.
1. SnapTube
Rating : 9.5/10
SnapTube is a free Android app that you can use to download Youtube videos. Apart from YouTube videos, you can also use the same app for downloading videos from other popular platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
I am a big fan of the SnapTube app. One of the main reasons why I liked this app is the ability to choose different quality settings for the video download. Another thing that I liked about this app is its user interface. You can see multiple columns. So, the videos can be seen in different categories like shorts, new, and popular videos. Thus, you can easily browse through this app and find your videos for downloading. You can also use the search bar to search and find the videos.
The only downside of the app for me is its ads. These ads can be irritating if you have a slow internet connection. If you have high-speed internet, these ads won’t be much of a problem. All the downloaded videos will be stored inside the phone’s memory. You can easily access it through your phone or by connecting your smartphone to a computer.
2. Tube Video Downloader Master
Rating : 9.5/10
The Tube Video Downloader Master is another android app that supports downloading YouTube videos. Apart from YouTube videos, you can also use it for downloading videos from other platforms like Facebook, Vimeo, TikTok, Twitter, etc.
They offer both free and paid versions. You can download videos from 144p to 1080p resolution in the free version. If you want to download 2k or 4k videos, you need to pay for them. For me, the 1080p resolution is good enough. Many other apps offer only 480p resolution videos in their free version. When you compare it with the other apps, this app is really good.
You can enter the URL and download the video. The other option is to browse the videos through this app directly. I really like this feature. There are ads in this app. But it is not that annoying. You can eliminate the ads by purchasing their premium version.
This app comes with a user-friendly interface. I love this user interface. Another feature I liked about this app is that it can download the audio or caption alone from the videos. Also, they support multiple bitrates for the audio. Currently, I use this app for downloading videos from YouTube. The free version is good enough to do the job.
3. YesTube
Rating : 9/10
YesTube is another good app for downloading videos from YouTube. It is a free app. The one thing that I love about this app is that it supports downloading videos from many other sites, not YouTube alone. Also, YesTube allows you to download videos in different resolutions. You can even download 4k videos, which is quite impressive.
Another feature of this app I liked is its multiple file format support. You can download the videos in different formats using this app. It includes MP3, MP4, AVI, M4V, MOV, M4A, and many more.
This app also comes with another exciting feature. This app will automatically remember all the videos that you have watched on YouTube. So, you can open this app and download those videos easily. It is one of the main reasons why I liked this app. It helps to save search time.
The password-protected folder is another good feature of this app. All the downloaded videos will be stored inside a folder. You will need a password to open this folder to access the videos. Thus, you don’t have to worry about strangers accessing your videos.
What I did not like about this app was the lag when you choose multiple videos for download.
4. iTubego
Rating : 9/10
If video quality is your top priority, I recommend using the iTubeGo app. It is available as a free and paid app. I have found that many apps degrade the downloaded video quality. But the videos downloaded using iTubego come with the same quality we have set for the download. There is no downgrading of video quality in this app.
Another feature I liked the most is that this app can download all types of videos from YouTube. There are the some videos with download restrictions on YouTube. You can download such videos also using this app. I have tried downloading such videos, and it works.
The app also allows users to convert the video format. You can also use this app on TikTok for downloading videos. When I tried downloading a full HD video, it took a lot of time. The file size was also really big. So, you can go for a medium resolution if you want to save your data and storage space.
5. YT3 YouTube Downloader
Rating : 9/10
If you are looking for an Android app that can download YouTube videos at very high speed, I recommend using the YT3 YouTube Downloader app. I use this app for downloading very large YouTube videos. This app allows you to download videos in MP3 and MP4 formats.
I really loved the simple design of this app. Anyone can instantly start using this app after downloading and installing it. The app supports a video quality range of 144p to Full HD.
The app also allows you to watch the video before downloading it. This feature will ensure that you are downloading the right video. You can save the downloaded video in the phone’s memory or the memory card.
There are two things that I did not like about this app. The first thing is that this app does not support downloading videos from other platforms. The second thing is that they only support two formats, MP3 and MP4. If you want the video to be in any other format, you need to use another converter software.
6. All Tube Video Downloader
Rating : 9/10
You can also use the All Tube Video Downloader app to download videos from YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc. This app will allow you to download videos from 144p to 1080p resolution. You can also download the audio separately.
The download speed was pretty good when I tested this app. There were no noticeable lag. You can either enter the URL directly or browse the videos. Click on the download button that appears on the screen. You will get the option to select the format and quality.
I am pretty impressed with their user interface. The quality of the downloaded video is also good. This app will be a good choice if you are not looking for a resolution above 1080pp. There are ads in the free version. But I did not see them popping up very frequently.
7. Videoder
Rating : 8/10
Videoder is another app you can consider for downloading YouTube videos into your android phone. I love the user interface of this app. Anyone can use it easily. It is a free YouTube video downloader app.
The app allows you to download the videos in Full HD too. I also like the inbuilt video player in this app. It will help to view the video before downloading it. But there is one feature in this app that has really impressed me. The app can download the audio and video separately. For certain videos, you will be interested only in getting the music of the video. This feature will help you get the music alone.
The app also supports the simultaneous downloading of multiple videos. I found this feature to be more effective only with a high-speed internet connection. The user can select the video format before downloading.
8. VidMAte
Rating : 8/10
You can also use the VidMate app to download videos from YouTube. It is a free app. This app comes with an inbuilt video player. It will allow you to preview the video before downloading. I like this feature.
Another feature that I liked about this app is the quick download option. You can choose this option if you want to download the video quickly. The only downside of this feature is the quality of the video will not be great. I observed some distortion in the video quality when I tested this feature.
The VidMate app allows the user to select the video quality. You can go for 4k video resolution also. Sometimes when you download videos, you may get a slightly lower resolution. It usually happens when you try to download videos in 4k resolution.
9. InsTube
Rating : 8/10
If video quality and download speed are your top 2 priorities for the YouTube video downloader app, then I highly recommend using the InsTube app. You can get this app for free.
Another useful feature of this app is the built in converter. It will allow you to convert the video to any desired format. It is a good feature to have for a video downloader app. You can use this app to download high-resolution 4K videos.
You will also love the password protection feature in the InsTube app. All the downloaded videos will be stored in a password-protected folder.
One thing I found missing in this app is the ability to download multiple videos simultaneously. You can only download one video at a time. I really wish they could implement this feature. Also, I tested this app with Wi-Fi and a smartphone with 4G internet. The download speed is better when you use Wi-Fi.
10. Dentex
Rating : 8/10
Another free android app that you can consider using is Dentex. The feature that has impressed me is that there are no ads in this app, and the app is free too.
I also liked the simple user interface of the Dentex app. You need to pick the video first. Once you make the selection, you will be automatically moved to the Format Tab. You can choose your video resolution here. You can also see the size of the video next to the resolution. I found this feature really useful. You will come to know the exact size of the video before downloading it. Once you start the download process, you can see the status in the dashboard.
One feature I liked about this app is its ability to extract audio alone from YouTube videos. So, this app would be a good choice if you are just looking for audio. I also found the filters in the search option to be very useful. It helped me to narrow down the search results.
11. NewPipe
Rating : 7.5/10
NewPipe is another free android app that you can use to download YouTube videos. This app allows the user to set the video quality and the format for downloading videos.
I really liked their user interface. You just need to search for the video and click the Download button to download the video. It is a straightforward and easy-to-use app. I also liked that they offer an builtin player with the app. So you can view the videos after downloading them.
When I tried downloading videos of large sizes, I observed some lag. I hope they can improve this with a new update. Also, this app does not track your history. Thus, all the search activities will remain confidential.
There are no frequent ads in this app, which is great considering the fact that it is a free app.
12. KeepVid
Rating : 7.5/10
KeepVid is another useful android app for downloading YouTube videos. You can get free and paid versions of this app.
You will find this app very useful if you have a high-speed internet connection. When I tested it, I found the download speed was really good with a high-speed Wi-Fi connection. It is possible to download large videos in a few minutes with this app.
This app support around 27 sites apart from YouTube. I found the ads in the free version of this app to be really annoying. The app allows the user to set the video download quality. The integrated player in the app will enable you to play the video inside the app.
13. TubeMate
Rating : 7.5/10
You can also consider using the free app, TubeMate to download YouTube videos. I really loved their simple user interface. The builtin browser in the app allows the user to download the videos easily.
The user can select the file format and video quality before downloading the video. It is possible to download the content in MP3 format. But you will have to install an extra app, video to MP3 converter, for the conversion.
One thing that I did not like about the TubeMate app was the annoying advertisements. There are too many ads in this app.
14. YMusic
Rating : 7/10
YMusic is another app that you can use to download YouTube videos. It comes with some cool features too. It is a free app. One cool feature of this app is that it will allow you to play videos in the background.
I also liked their feature of showing trending and popular videos. So, you don’t have to go back to the YouTube app to get these videos. It is a very useful feature. Another exciting feature of this app is the sleep timer. It allows the user to set the timer while playing any video. I like this feature.
The thing that I did not like about this app is that it only supports one file format, which is MP4. But you can get m4a and MP3 audio file links through this app. Another disadvantage of using this app is that you cannot see the video and only hear the audio. You can see the video only when you download it fully.
15. ArkTube
Rating : 7/10
If you are interested in a YouTube video downloader app that is completely free from annoying ads, ArkTube is for you. I really liked its simple user interface. There are both free and paid versions of the ArkTube app.
Another feature that I like about this app is that it is lightweight. So it will not consume too much space in your phone. If you are using the free version, you can download videos up to 480p resolution. If you are interested in downloading videos in higher resolutions, you need to purchase the donations app from Google play.
Another feature of this app that has impressed me is that you can download videos from your entire playlist on YouTube using this app.
Conclusion
I hope you found this list useful and time saving. When it comes to video downloader apps, you should pick one based on the features you need. For example, do highest quality video downloads justify paying for an app, or do you need an app that saves your watch history or favorite videos?
Consider reading this article on useful photography lessons to learn from YouTube.
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