The best film labs in Illinois
12 shortlisted from 17 reviewed developers in Illinois — film labs, camera stores that develop and community darkrooms, each labelled for what it actually is.
How this ranking works
- Score = rating × log₁₀(review count). A 5.0 from nine people does not outrank a 4.7 from nine hundred, but one huge lab can't bury everyone either.
- 25 reviews minimum. Below that a rating is noise.
- One entry per chain. Multi-location labs get a single slot, so the list stays a list of businesses rather than of branches.
- Museums and attractions are excluded — this is a directory of places you can actually hand a roll of film to.
- Nothing is paid. No business can buy a position here, and quotes are pulled verbatim from public customer reviews.
#1 PROCAM Photo & Video Gear | Chicago - Aurora
4.6 ★★★★★ 543 reviews · Aurora, IL
One of the last great camera stores in the area. They have everything from film to digital to studio lights to audio equipment. They develop film too! Adam and the rest of the staff were extremely…
#2 Central Camera Company
4.3 ★★★★☆ 716 reviews · Chicago, IL
Such a great place to go if you're a camera nerd and even if you aren't. Film camera, especially. Everyone was so extremely nice. It was fairly busy when we went, and they still were attentive. I…
#3 Dodd Camera
4.6 ★★★★★ 435 reviews · Chicago, IL
Dodd Camera is an incredible resource for Chicago production crews. Their film, photography, and production rentals are always reliable, and the team is knowledgeable, fast, and easy to work with.…
#4 Bellows Film Lab Chicago
4.3 ★★★★☆ 305 reviews · Chicago, IL
I absolutely love the staff at Bellows! They are always honest about return times and whether or not they're backed up or not, which I really appreciate. I have seen some reviews noting the long…
#5 Brooktree Film Lab
4.9 ★★★★★ 84 reviews · Decatur, IL
I've been working with my photo developer since I first picked up photography, and he's been an invaluable resource. As a beginner, I ran into issues—blank reels, botched exposures—but he always took…
#6 The Darkroom Chicago
5 ★★★★★ 76 reviews · Worth, IL
The date night class was so fun! A great way to get introduced to film photography. The pacing of the class was perfect - community building/ice breaker, camera overview, photo shooting time, then…
#7 CSW Film Systems
4.8 ★★★★★ 86 reviews · Chicago, IL
Osan is a legend. His turnaround is crazy fast and great quality. His lab is the only in Chicago that develops on-site, I believe. He was closed for several months due to health issues but is now back…
#8 PJ's Camera & Photo Supply
4.4 ★★★★☆ 127 reviews · Glen Ellyn, IL
Recently I started doing 35mm film as part of my photography hobby, and I'm glad I found this place to process my film. They are helpful and friendly, and they usually get my film ready pretty…
#9 LATITUDE Chicago
4.7 ★★★★★ 89 reviews · Chicago, IL
In an era where photography is more popular than ever and film-photography has made a huge comeback, Latitude is absolutely a tremendous resource and gift to all Chicago area photography enthusiasts.…
#10 Alpine Camera
4.2 ★★★★☆ 122 reviews · Des Plaines, IL
Very friendly and helpful for beginners ! When I went in to find a film camera , I was told a little history about the camera and what I was purchasing. As someone who’s new into the game , I…
#11 The Print Refinery of Vernon Hills
4.8 ★★★★★ 57 reviews · Vernon Hills, IL
Click is very special to me. I come from Algonquin to do all my photo projects and I wouldn't go any where else. The standards at Click are very high. They go above and beyond for their customers.…
#12 Photograph Restoration
4.3 ★★★★☆ 88 reviews · Downers Grove, IL
I didn't see all the negative reviews until after I sent in my irreplaceable memories, so needless to say I was worried.. I sent in 32 home movies. Mark and his team were in touch with me regularly…