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Camera store 3.6 ★★★★☆ 19
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Film lab
Bellows Film Lab Chicago
1359 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Friendly, warm, helpful staff at this store specializing in developing, scanning and printing photos from film cameras.
What this shop offers
Every line below is evidence-backed — pulled from what customers wrote in their reviews of Bellows Film Lab Chicago, or from the shop's own website. Call ahead if a specific job matters.
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Develops film 9 mentions
“friendly quick service and turn around times, new to this lab but have had maybe ten rolls dev and scanned with them in past month or so and been happy with the results.”
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Scanning & digitizing 3 mentions
“The staff still went out of their way to quickly provide me with my scanned files and negatives.”
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listed on their own site
What photographers highlight
The themes that come up again and again in reviews of Bellows Film Lab Chicago.
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Fast turnaround 3 mentions
“I've appreciated their quick turnarounds, consistent scanning work, and incredibly helpful staff!”
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Deep used selection 2 mentions
“They offer a great selection of film rolls and have an impressively fast turnaround for scanning.”
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Film in stock 2 mentions
“I have been taking film to Bellows basically since they opened and have only had great experiences.”
Film developing at Bellows Film Lab Chicago
What we could verify about how film is handled here. Blank lines mean the shop hasn't published it — not that the answer is no.
| Developed in-house | Not stated on their site |
|---|---|
| Scanners | Not stated on their site |
| Turnaround | Same-day developing mentioned |
| Negatives returned | Not stated on their site |
| Cheapest developing price found | $15.3 a roll |
Brands mentioned at Bellows Film Lab Chicago
Photographic brands named on the shop's own site or in customer reviews. Stock moves — call before making a trip for a specific body or lens.
What customers say
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 return times and high prices, but, as a long-time Wicker Park resident and film shooter, I can say this is all entirely…
I’m from Canada, and this was my very first trip to Chicago. My experience with Bellows Film Lab was truly outstanding. The front desk staff were incredibly friendly and efficient.
I cannot recommend Bellows enough! I came with some expired, Seattle Film with very little hopes of being able to get it developed, let alone any images showing up. Very few places develop Seattle Film anymore, so it was already exciting that Bellows had developed some before.
I brought in a couple disposable cameras that I had gifted to a client for a housewarming event. The staff answered lots of questions for me over the phone because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get them developed. They assured me it would take less than 24 hours to get my photos back!
Hours & location
Opening hours
| Monday | 10 AM–7 PM |
| Tuesday | 10 AM–7 PM |
| Wednesday | 10 AM–7 PM |
| Thursday | 10 AM–7 PM |
| Friday | 10 AM–7 PM |
| Saturday | 10 AM–7 PM |
| Sunday | 10 AM–7 PM |
Getting there
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