I've brought six rolls of film through B&C Photo in Elmira over roughly the past six to eight weeks…read more(maybe a little less), and it's been a great experience every time. Turnaround time does vary. My most recent two rolls, dropped off on September 23rd, were ready by 2 p.m. the next day, while an earlier batch took about five days. It seems to come down to how busy they are, but even on the slower end it still beats the week or so I'm used to waiting at other labs.
Pricing was $6.99 per roll plus tax for developing, which is a great deal considering other places have charged me $14 a roll for the same service. A couple of payment notes: they take debit and credit, but not Apple Pay or Android Pay, so plan to bring an actual card or cash. Card payments also cost a little more than cash. Two rolls came to about $15 in cash versus a little over $17 on a debit card. It's a small difference, and plenty of small businesses charge something similar to cover card processing fees, so it's no surprise, just good to plan for.
The gentleman working there (I'm guessing he's the owner) has been friendly, mild-mannered, and clearly knows film photography inside and out every time I've been in. Communication has been great across every visit, and I've overheard him being just as patient and helpful with other customers. Everything is priced à la carte, so you only pay for what you actually want done, whether that's just developing or the full scan-and-print treatment. He'll even cut your negatives for you, though you don't have to have him do it. My scanner works with six-frame strips while his only handles four at a time, so I just have him develop the full roll and cut it myself once I get home. He still slides the developed roll into a protective sleeve, a nice touch.
The shop itself is worth a visit on its own. It's full of vintage and used gear: old film cameras, Polaroids, older DSLRs, point-and-shoots, plus flashes, optics, binoculars, and viewfinders, most of it for sale. No hunting gear, just genuinely interesting camera stuff. Between the pricing, the quality, and the service, I'll be bringing my film here for the foreseeable future.
