Where can 35mm and medium format films be developed in Ho Chi Minh City? Do the photo labs also offer films for sale?
Despite increasing digitalization and the spread of smartphones, there are still some analog photographers in Vietnam. Especially among young people, photography on film is very popular. Fortunately, the necessary “infrastructure” is also available, mainly of course in the big cities of the Asian country.
The prices for the consumables are not much cheaper than elsewhere. Especially compared to the German offer and price level. Therefore it makes sense to stock up with films before the trip. Significantly cheaper, however, especially for the service offered, is the development, especially of C-41 films.
The price for development is usually between 1.60 and 2 Euros. This is partly comparable to the pure development costs in Germany, but significantly higher than in the USA or Canada.
In addition, most laboratories include the scanning of the negatives in the price. Normally, scanners from Noritsu and Fujitsu are used for this. In other countries, one often pays a double-digit amount for this service.
Guide for photo labs in Ho Chi Minh City
In the largest city in Vietnam, there are several photo labs that offer film development. In this article I would like to limit myself to two pieces, CropLab and LLab. Both laboratories deliver reliable results and are priced in the same range.
The procedure is very similar for both. You hand in the films on site and give your contact details. Within the given time, depending on the film type somewhat differently, one gets a Google Drive with the pictures for download. After that, the negatives can be viewed on site, they are usually kept for a little more than two weeks.
CropLab
Croplab offers the development and scanning of films. The purchase of fresh film material is also possible. There are branches in the north (Hanoi), south (Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon) and in Da Lat.
The negatives are scanned with a Frontier SP-3000 or a Noritsu HS-1800. The scanners differ in the resolution and somewhat in the color characteristics. You can also choose the file format, JPEG or Tiff / BMP. The latter option is a bit more expensive.
| Film & file format | C-41 | Black and white | E-6 | Cine film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35mm / JPG | 40.000 | 70.000 | 170.000 | 60.000 |
| 35 mm / JPG (Big) | 55.000 | 85.000 | 185.000 | 75.000 |
| 35 mm / Tiff | 55.000 | 85.000 | 185.000 | 75.000 |
| 35mm / Tiff (Big) | 105.000 | 135.000 | 235.000 | 125.000 |
| 120 / JPG | 50.000 | 70.000 | 170.000 | 60.000 |
| 120 / Tiff | 65.000 | 85.000 | 185.000 | 75.000 |
Prices: Dezember 2019 / In Vietnamese Dong
Resolution 35mm Normal: 3944 x 2645 / 3130 x 2075
Resolution 35mm Big: 5444 x 3649 / 6774 x 4492
Address in Da Lat: 11/3 Trần Phú, p.4, Đà Lạt
Address in Hanoi: Số 102A3 ngõ 72 Nguyễn Chí Thanh, Đống Đa, Hà Nội / 108D3, 215 Tô Hiệu, Cầu Giấy District, Hanoi
Address in Ho Chi Minh City: 525/74 Huỳnh Văn Bánh, Ward 14, Phú Nhuận District, HCMC
LLab
The development and scanning of films is also possible at LLab. It is also possible to print images. As with CropLab, a cafe is connected. The LLab is located in district 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, therefore close to the sights of the city, such as Backpacker Street. Depending on the location you can also reach it on foot. Or you can use a Grab or a taxi.
The development time for C-41 films is up to 48 hours. For black and white films it is 72 hours. On the other hand, you have to wait up to 15 days for your E6 films.
| Film format | C-41 | Black and White | E-6 | Cine film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35mm | 40.000 | 80.000 | 250.000 | 60.000 |
| 120 | 50.000 | 80.000 | 250.000 | – |
| 110 | 80.000 | 80.000 | – | – |
| APS | 60.000 | 80.000 | – | – |
| 4 x 5 | 150.000 | 100.000 | 250.000 | – |
| 8 x 10 | 200.000 | 200.000 | 350.000 | – |
Extras, such as Push and Pull or BMP/Tiff, cost a surcharge.
Prices: As of December 2019 / Data in Vietnamese Dong / Costs for the development of sheet film per sheet
Address in Ho Chi Minh City: 365f Đường Trần Hưng Đạo, Cầu Kho, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh
Opening hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
