Resources
A quick-reference list of outside resources for things the books don’t try to replace: finding a manual for an old camera, getting film developed, and sourcing a camera in the first place. This page will grow over time, since a website is a lot easier to keep current than a printed book.
Camera Manuals
- Butkus.org: the largest free archive of film camera, flash, and light-meter instruction manuals on the internet. Over 6,500 PDFs covering decades of orphaned and well-known cameras alike, maintained single-handedly by Michael Butkus since 1997. It’s the first place to check if you can’t find the manual for your camera. The site runs on a suggested small donation rather than being purely free.
Where to Find a Film Camera
- Peddler’s malls
- Antique stores
- Goodwill and other thrift stores
- Estate sales
- Flea markets
Condition is a coin flip at all five of these, but real gems turn up right alongside the duds.
Film Labs and Processing
- The Darkroom: one of the highest-volume consumer mail-in labs in the country. Develop, scan, and online gallery upload typically take 2 to 4 business days after they receive your film. A solid default choice for a first mail-in lab.
- Richard Photo Lab: widely considered a gold-standard professional lab, especially among wedding and portrait photographers. Higher price point, Noritsu scans, about a 3 business day turnaround.
- Indie Film Lab: a strong reputation in the enthusiast and professional community for scan quality and attention to detail. Turnaround runs 5 to 7 business days off-peak, slower than the other two.
Film developing runs roughly $12 to $25 per roll depending on the lab and turnaround speed, with most mail-in labs falling in the 3 to 7 business day range.