Very disappointing and disorganized. I got my film photos emailed, then seven months later they called me to see if I wanted my negatives. I gave them my card info to pay for the shipping costs, and once it ships I see that they charged me twice! I called to ask about this extra charge and they were not understanding whatsoever and made me feel like a liar. I was very satisfied with my order, 7 months ago, but after this I definitely won't be returning. I did not like the way I was treated when I called. Don't recommend. read more

LOL, I just got told by the front desk person here that optical resolution doesn't exist in the context of film scanning. She could quote pixel dimensions (which is fine, and also a perfectly reasonable way to talk about the resulting resolution of a scan), but not DPI, and was *adamant* that no such concept existed. My question was simple: what's the highest resolution you can grab from a 35mm slide and what's the cost? Getting a coherent answer was like pulling teeth. The Dunning-Kruger was *strong* with the front desk person I spoke with, so I'd be worried about their communication to whoever is running the machines (and having to engage in really stupid arguments like the above if the order wasn't handled properly). They're also scanning on a Noritsu, which IIRC has terrible, terrible DMAX (dynamic range). Meh. read more

I've been in this business for more than 40 years. I even worked at Bennett's Photo Service in Hayward. I have to say that the most important aspect of a lab of this sort, would be the customer service. Without its communication link, all is lost. Everyone will determine how their personal experience was based on how well the counter person understood and completed the intake of a particular job. Running a lab has become so much more complicated than it has ever been. There are many more moving parts. Not just keeping the chemistry fresh for film but now maintaining the extravagantly expensive and quickly obsolete digital printers. With that being said, the backbone to every small business is how you treat your customer. I had a terrible experience in that realm. I have been using the Lab for about a year. I think the techs are enormously skilled and are go-to knowledgeable. I have been told that the owner is very connected, locally to the Photographic Art community in the Bay Area. Looking Glass, a fine and wonderful camera mart ships its drop off film developing work to Photolab. In a couple of instances, there was miscommunication with a large print order. I mean a large fine art print. The outcome was good. Getting to that outcome was labor intensive. There seems to be a high and mighty attitude with some of the counter people. I don't blame them, I think it comes from on up higher in the food chain. I think each customer should be treated with care and respect. I did not experience that. I was working with a Customer Service person, when another person came into the shop. They stopped what they were doing with me and without a word began helping this other person. I had enough time to think about what was happening. (like being at the deli counter and while they were slicing your cheese, they stopped and started doing something for this other customer). I thought well, maybe they were here earlier and forgot something. However, all that was needed was a word from either the customer or the counter person and it would have been fine. I became invisible while their transaction proceeded. Then as that customer was leaving I made a snarky comment. Nothing rude, just clever, the way I am... ( "have fun at your Yoga class") That person returned and started calling me an a-hole and f*ck-tard. Then stormed out. When I called to make an order over the phone. The owner told me that she advised the tech not to respond to my order. That is within her right to withhold service to anyone. In this shrinking field, I thought it was a bad choice on her part. read more

I got some film developed here and the staff was friendly and helpful and the photos came out great. A friend recommended this place as it is their favorite out of several they have gone to in the Bay Area. read more

These folks are awesome! I don't live close to Berkeley so it was out of convenience where I was hanging out in town and decided to stop by and drop off a single roll of 35 mm film thinking that maybe they'd develop that day. But it was okay that they said they didn't do it since I wasn't in a rush. Instead, they told me that they could dissolve and process it and ship it out to me so I thought that was so convenient! They even gave me the choice to be called once they were ready to get my payment, so I didn't have to pay up front just in case all the 24 photos didn't come out (I'm an beginner film photographer so I didn't expect that all of them would come out). With the holidays approaching, though, i didn't expect them to get back to me within the week, but two days later they called saying they were ready to ship it out. I was so thrilled. They told me it would arrive by Saturday but I got it literally one day later. So happy with the service and the work! read more

Photolab is the spot to get your film developed! I've been going here for a year. The quality and service do not disappoint! I love the option to have your film scanned and emailed to you. Totally helps for those of us that don't quite own a film scanner and are without a CDROM drive. :) Highly recommend this spot! read more

Great place for all your photo development needs. Let me first start by saying, I wasn't completely convinced of this. End result...they were able to smooth out a few hiccups I had with scanning my 35mm film photos onto an SD card. The quality of their work is best I've seen, and the owner, graciously corrected my order. This business, although busy, is well managed and you can trust them with your photographic needs. read more

Photography has become less about money and magic and luck and more about the choices I make. So the store where I buy tools is helping move beyond tools. read more

For photographers who still shoot film, Photolab is Mecca! Wonderfully knowledgeable and courteous staff, full digital support and a partner in the local eco-system supporting photographers. For certain, a go-to resource. Thanks for being there Photolab! read more

I used digital print services through the Photolab two days before Christmas, I was nervous to take the risk on poor quality photos so late in the game but I was pleasantly rewarded by my choice with this business. I received a notification two hours after I submitted my purchase that my prints were completed. I picked them up today and the quality is so beautiful! Truly enhanced some of my photos that were taken through low quality cameras. Very inpressed. Thank you, I will definitely order from Photolab again! read more

** during covid 2021! i love this place!! they are so so quick with developing film. i gave them one roll and they sent me the digital pics back within 24 hours! and they mailed it to me super nicely packed with the negatives as well. so much better (and more affordable) than getting film developed at a local walgreens/ cvs/ etc. also, they are very covid cautious which i appreciated. 10/10 recommend!! read more

This place was really a go-to for a long time. However two things have changed: quality control has gotten really bad. Negatives are handled really roughly. It's now typical to find scratches or other marks from handling, ruining any further use of the negatives. When I pointed this out, via Looking Glass (where I drop off), the photo lab folks acknowledged the issue but didn't seem take it very seriously. Also turn around times have gotten really long. I recently got a roll of black and white back several weeks after it was dropped off (while other rolls came back earlier, leading me to believe it was misplaced for a while). I'm now searching for a suitable mail-order option, which is really unfortunate as I'd rather support local. read more

The Photolab staff were quite helpful; they answered my questions and suggested professional edits of my photos. I had brought in Instax wide photographs back in mid May for reproduction to send back to friends in Japan. Not only did they reproduce it, but they retained the proportions and the reproductions were of excellent quality. The color/shadows/lighting was on par with the originals. It was a little expensive, around $60 (yikes), for about several copies of three Instax wide photographs. But again, the service and quality of the job was amazing. I plan on going back and do recommend this place for anyone looking to have professional services done with their photographs/film. read more

I had to get an enlargement in a hurry for a birthday present because on online enlargement service had sent an unsatisfactory product. They did it in a few hours. It looks beautiful and the finish was very nice. It was a big drive for me but I will do it again. read more

Ordered prints for same day pick up and they were ready in about an hour. I was stuck in traffic and so worried they would close before I got there and I walked in right at 6 and was helped I was so relieved! But anyway the quality was great, quick service, friendly staff! read more

Don't order online. Their website sucks. There was an "error" with my order and they still charged my credit card. Called and spent 45 mins going back and forth with live customer service and online chat. They couldn't find my order. I told them to cancel the order and refund me. Twelve days later they still haven't refunded my credit card. I would give them a negative if I could. read more

Great place to get your film developed in Berkeley. Prices are fair, and their scan quality is pretty good. Employees are nice and helpful and answered any questions that I had for them. Don't forget to check in to use their discount for a develop and basic scan. read more

I have been going here on and off for many years. They are local to us, far closer than any other lab. We are an adult store in Berkeley and I use to take my gay adult work there, but while they will do it, their whole attitude and approach seems negative, so I send take that elsewhere. Its hard to tell if they are anti-gay or anti-adult. Probably both. Recently I had need of making a greeting card of a surfer and it had to be done quickly. Since they are close and this was non-adult, I thought I would try Photolab again. To say the work was terrible, would be an understatement. There was a misunderstanding as to the number of cards being printed and the 3 that I got were on cheap paper that didn't look or feel like a card. The card was to be 5x7, it was 4x6. They charged $37 for design. They designed nothing and only printed it on cheap card stock. This card is to be sent to a major Hollywood producer and it is an embarrassment. It look like a kid did it on his home computer. I paid $67 for three greeting cards that are so unacceptable, I will not send them as intended. When I complained, they did not want to hear it, and said only that's what happens with a rush job. STAY AWAY FROM PHOTOLAB FOR EVERYTHING THAT IS NOT A-1 CONVENTIONAL. I will answer all emails regarding this terrible experience. See us at www.cr3.com Bob Kurtz read more

This review is only for the particular service I had done at Photolab. I had a roll of 135mm film developed at photolab and scanned to a cd. I had this done at photolab because I wanted better than average quality and wanted the scan to be 2000 x 3000 pixel resolution so that I could choose parts of a photo and zoom/crop the chosen part to create the desired final photo to save. In most photo development and scanning websites/literature 2000 x 3000 pixel resolution equals a 4 to 6 Megabyte JPEG *compressed* file. To photolab a 4.5 Megabyte scanned file is the uncompressed file size. The result then is that my 4.5 Megabyte scanned files are actually 1.8 Megabyte, 1000 x 1500 pixel files (about 1/2 the resolution I wanted). A 1000 x 1500 pixel resolution file is similar to what can be purchased at Target, Walgreens, Walmart, etc (at about 1/3 of the photolab price). I explained my scanning needs clearly when I turned in my film, so I am disappointed that photolab's definition of 4.5 Megabyte scanning was not explained to me at that time. Bottom line: it may be OK to have film developed at photolab, but there are less expensive places to have it scanned to 2000 x 3000 resolution files. Also, they do not seem to give a receipt when you turn in your film for development, I had to ask for one (and would not have had a leg to stand on without it if my film would have been lost or misplaced). Six day turnaround time for dip and dunk processing is quite slow. read more

Customer service was surly. I can't comment on the prices because I haven't used other print labs - I needed prints made from old negatives. But they definitely didn't care about my custom and made it clear. read more

The folks at Photolab rock! I'm a professional photographer so quality and quick turn around is vital to my business. They are always helpful, call me if they run into snags, and work with me to figure out creative solutions for turning odd format film into ones and zeros. read more

I uploaded digital photos to their website. Less than 24 hours laters they had been printed and were ready for pick up at their store. The print quality is great. read more

I searched, found Photolab, and am very glad I did. Located on 5th Street in West Berkeley, this low-key, still somewhat industrial area has a little gem hidden. Over a year ago, I began looking for a place where I could get photos developed on site and back within a few days, versus shipping them off somewhere and waiting a week or more to obtain the developed prints. I have taken numerous rolls of undeveloped film to them, and each time I've been totally satisfied! The service is friendly and fast. It usually takes a couple of days for them to develop film, which isn't long at all. The prices are reasonable for film development, as it's basically now obsolete as of 2016. I always have my prints put on a disk, so I can upload them to my computer..obviously :). They also give the option of cutting the negatives or not. Side note: I haven't used any of their other photo services, so I can't speak on those prices. Other services they provide: photo printing, scanning, photo restoration, traditional dark room development of b&w photos, etc. Overall, I'm very content with Photolab and their film developing service. Definitely check them out if you're interested in supporting a friendly, local photo center! read more

I've been going to PhotoLab for years and they're great. They're still doing traditional b/w which is great and also printing digitally as well as color now so it's really great. I've always received excellent customer service and advise. read more

Of all the labs I've gone to around the Bay Area, none of them compare to Photolab. If you shoot with B&W or color film (or w/ digital) and you value the end-result of the processing work, seriously, this IS the place. read more

Cheapest 120 Portra in the bay area. $4.87. That's enough for me to come back alone, but Photolab always does a fine job for all my developing needs. They do take a while just for plain c41... sometimes a whole day or two, but id rather wait than drive to sf. Staff is friendly too. read more

Great place and down to earth sales people. I purchased items from them over the past 20 plus years .

This is by far the best place I have found in the Bay Area to get development done. I shoot 4x5 with both black & white negatives and color slides. The B&W negatives can be turned around extremely quickly (2 hours or so if they are not too busy) and with excellent results. I've also had 120 film developed there which looks great. For color 4x5 slides they have to send them to Newlab (120 and 35mm are developed in house I think) which means it takes a little longer, but it saves me from having to go to SF. It's also great to have people who know what they are doing and will talk to you about how to get the best results. Many of the places I have been in SF are quite terse with beginners, but there's no hint of elitism here. The other plus is they have their own car park :-) read more

Brought a HUGE photo scanning project to these guys (1400+ photos). Not only did they finish ahead of schedule, but the photo quality and organization is superb. Jenny was especially helpful, explaining everything and updating me along the way. Highly recommend!!!! read more

Photo lab is the greatest ya heard ! Costumer service is A++ never a long wait and I always get my photos back before the due date.

Photolab did a great job digitizing a very colorful painting with silver highlights, which can be troubling to capture. Very satisfied with the final result and would recommend to any artist looking to have their paintings photographed. read more

Normal lab with average quality scans. If you just wanna see what's there on your film - it's the right place to go to. Wish the quality was better, since it's in my city and their location is pretty close to me. read more

What a wonderful surprise in Customer Service. I phoned with a job request. They advised me how to mail it to them. I did. They called to confirm receipt and gave a estimation of time to complete. They phoned to adivse it was complete and back in the mail to me. Job came in on time perfectly. Great communication. Will def use them again! read more

Fucking nightmare. 7$ per each page u have printed. Extremely rude people. Save your money and don't bother talking to these awful people. My favorite quote is "you won't find anyone to print a page for under seven dollars around here". Thanks but I think I will try kinkos or literally any other business read more

Just wanted to publicly thank the folks at PhotoLab for helping me get my Holiday cards done on time. I came in Saturday, about a week before Christmas, dissatisfied with cards we had ordered online. The team worked with patiently with me to set up a template online (and it was a busy day in the store!) and my cards were ready for pickup Tuesday. They look great and cost less than the online order. The online platform is a little clunky but really great in store experience. Thanks Photolab!!! Happy Holidays read more

I've only had film developed and scanned here, so I can only comment on that experience. Communication with the staff has always been 100% clear. They always meet the expectations they set, my film is always ready when they say it will be. I find it interesting that the only 2 negative reviews here were on rush jobs. Most people in the service industry know that when a client is in a hurry, the possibility of them being satisfied is much lower. I've never gone in to Photolab needing something done "yesterday" and i have always been satisfied with their service. I have even brought in some unique shots to be scanned (multi-frame panoramas) and they handled them professionally and warned that they may cost a little more. To date, I have been 100% satisfied with what they do for me, so there's no reason to look anywhere else. read more

Mark at Photolab really helped me out. I brought in a roll of film taken on a Diana Mini Lomo camera that can be tricky to scan (full of half frames, square shots, overlapping images, barely visible areas) and he helped me get all of my images scanned perfectly. He was great with communication over the phone and made sure they turned out exactly as I had hoped. I will definitely go back to Photolab to have my film developed and scanned because I know they will take the extra time and care to make sure it is done correctly and quickly. Thank you so much! I am really very happy with the result! read more

Very helpful staff in a well lit space and spectacular service. However I had to step out to post this review because AT&T does not get signal inside.. read more

Really great people who know what they're doing. Friendly to chat to, and it's great to have a place to develop film in the neighborhood

This is the best, most efficient and kindest crew and photo lab... They develop in a day any kind of film, and print in high exhibition quality. They have been the upmost helpful and skilled during the making of my books and exhibitions. And they are fun people, very creative - and they love dogs... read more