One Hour Labs Fading Fast

This Bloomberg article documents the drastic loss of One Hour labs across the USA. From a height of over 3,900 labs to now only 190 such labs. The article is worth reading, as it includes graphs of the decline of One Hour labs and the pattern of camera sales over the last 60+ years. The One Hour lab sprang into existence once the minilab machines became popular. Instead of dropping off film and having it sent to a central lab for processing, customers could drop off film directly at a lab that turns around the job while they wait. In shopping malls or larger stores, customers could do their shopping then pick up the developed film when they leave.

With the decline of consumer use of film, the One Hour lab no longer has the influx of film to support the business. Pro labs were hit earlier in the cycle as pros moved away from film. Those that are still around, might be able to survive on the fine art photography or other businesses that pro labs may specialize in. Some of the pro labs may specialize in high end scanning, a service that consumer labs are unwilling to provide - consumers only ever got a scan suitable for a 4x6 print. Some minilabs could do higher resolution scans, but the function took so long most operators would not bother. Today, there may still be shops such as pharmacies that will send away film to a central lab. Turn around times may be a week or two, though.

Alternatives to colour print film, such as B&W or E6 slides, can be processed just as easily at pro labs as print film, giving a wider choice of materials. B&W is simple enough to process at home, negating a need for an outside lab in the first place. Shops likeB&H Photo, The Photo Formulary and others carry materials to process B&W film. There are even kits for E6 slide film and C41 colour print film to process colour film at home.

While it is sad to see a convenient and quick service for processing film go out of business, the film enthusiast of today still has plenty of choice in pro labs or do-it-yourself processing to make a go of it. There may even be a shop nearby that will do the job if one is willing to wait a week or two.