Developing Film at Walgreens in 2024: Should You Do It?

Should you develop film and disposable cameras at Walgreens?

It’s undoubtedly pretty convenient as it has many locations, and you can do it on a grocery trip. However, it also has some cons – for example, you won’t receive your negatives afterward.

I made this guide to help you decide if developing at Walgreens is the right choice for you. Here you’ll find the pros and cons, prices, and alternatives.

I’ve also included some FAQs at the end if you need quick answers, just like in my article on developing film at Walmart.

Let’s get right to it!

Pros and Cons of Developing Film at Walgreens

If you want to know if you should get your film delivered at Walgreens, you should know its pros and cons. Here’s a list with the highlights to help you decide.

Pros

Location. Walgreens has more or less 9000 locations across the US territory, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. While not all of them offer all the film developing services, it’s very likely for you to find one close to you that does. So the next time you ask yourself “Is there any film developing near me?” chances are, it’s a Walgreens!

One-stop shop. Walgreens is the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the US. Despite the ‘pharmacy’ category, Walgreens sells a wide variety of products. This makes it very convenient for you to drop off your film to get developed when you’re going grocery shopping.

Fast turnover times. Some photo labs offer same or next-day delivery. However, this isn’t the case of retails stores with photo services. This is because they send the film to get developed by a third-party lab.

Having said this, Walgreens photo development has the fastest turnover times of all the retail stores. They offer a 3-5 business days delivery on 35mm color film.

Best-rated retail-store film processing. According to online users, Walgreens has the best quality of prints and scans out of the main chain stores.

Price. Walgreens is not the less expensive retail shop film developer. However, it’s a very reasonable price compared to professional photo labs.

• How to develop film at home by yourself

Cons

You won’t get your negatives. This is the biggest problem with developing your film at a retail store. Walgreens won’t include the negatives when they deliver your order.

This may not be an issue for some people and may be overturned by the price and convenience, but it’s a big no-no if you’re a photography lover or professional.

The full-price list isn’t available online. If you visit Walgreens’ Film Processing & Development page, it only has the price for a 24-exposure 35mm film processing. The cost of processing other films or a 35mm film with a different number of exposures isn’t published.

Incomplete information on the website. Just like the price, other important information isn’t available online. You can see that the turnover time is 3-5 business days. However, this is only accurate for 35mm color film.

Other films and processes have up to 3 weeks delivery times. It’s also missing that not all photo kiosks process other types of film rolls. One of the FAQs says they can process 110mm and APS.

It doesn’t mention anything about disposable cameras, slide films, and black and white films, although they do process them.

No mail-in / online ordering. The drop-off service is very convenient, thanks to the many locations. However, some people may prefer to pay online and send their film rolls by post. This isn’t possible for the Walgreens Film Processing & Development services.

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How Much Does it Cost to Develop Film at Walgreens?

Walgreens charges $15.99 to develop a 24-exposure 35mm film or disposable camera with a set of 4″ prints. You can order a second set of photos if you want to.

The price includes a photo CD with digital images. However, the order doesn’t have the negatives.

This is the only price published on their website – other products and services may change. However, based on the research done at the time of this article, the 27 and 36 exposures film rolls only increased by a couple of dollars.

The prices are the same for film rolls and disposable cameras.

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How to Get Your Film Developed at Walgreens?

 

Start by finding a Walgreens with a Photo Lab Kiosk.

Fill in the ordering envelope with your contact information. Here, you can select whether you want single or double prints.

They will call or text you when your order is ready to be picked up. For 35mm color film rolls, this will be in 3 to 5 business days. Other film formats and disposable cameras have longer turnaround times.

Once they contact you, head down to Walgreens to pick it up. You’ll receive your prints and a CD with a low-resolution digital version of the pictures. You won’t get your negatives back.

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Do I Get My Negatives Back From Walgreens?

No, Walgreens doesn’t include the negatives in your order. After they process your film, they scan the frames to give you a low-resolution digital version of them and a set of 4″ prints.

In film photography, the negatives are your originals. Once they’re gone, you can’t have any higher-resolution files. This way, you can’t print your photos in a bigger format. You’ll also lose information to make edits to your images should there be a problem with the exposure.

Unfortunately, throwing away the negatives is common in retail-store film processing. Walgreens follows this policy too.

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FAQs on Walgreens Film Developing 

Does Walgreens still develop film from disposable cameras?

So, does Walgreens develop disposable cameras? Yes. Walgreens develops, scans, and prints the negatives from single-use cameras. This service may not be available at every Walgreens. So, please call the Walgreens close to your location and ask before making the trip. When one says disposable camera Walgreens is a good first choice for film development. You should also read: Where can I develop film? for some more options.

Does Walgreens Develop Film?

Yes, Walgreens develops 110 film and APS film. Some stores also offer a Walgreens disposable camera service.

How much does Walgreens cost to develop a disposable camera?

Film processing for disposable cameras at Walgreens is the same as a regular film roll. This means that developing a 24-exposure camera costs $15.99. Depending on your needs, the Walgreens disposable camera developing service might be ideal.

Can you get any film developed at Walgreens?

Walgreens develops 35mm in all their Photo Centers. Some of them also develop disposable cameras, black and white, 110, 127, and APS film.

How much does Walgreens charge to develop film?

Currently, the cost for Walgreens film development is %15.99 for a 24-exposure 35mm color film roll. Other film formats or film rolls with more exposures have different prices, which are not listed on the website. This fee includes film processing, low-resolution scans, and a set of 4″ prints.

How long does Walgreens take to develop film?

So, how long does it take to develop film at Walgreens? Walgreens has a turnaround time of 3-5 business days for 35mm color film. This is much faster than other retail chains, such as CVS and Walmart, offering film processing. Other film formats, such as black and white, APS, etc., take up to 3 weeks.

Do I get the negatives back if I develop film at Walgreens?

No. Like all chain retailers that develop film, Walgreens won’t include the negatives when they deliver your order. Some users had reported getting their negatives back from Walmart when they asked for them in advance.

However, there’s no guarantee. To get your negatives back, having your film developed at a professional photo lab is better.

Does it Matter Where to Develop Disposable Cameras and Film?

Yes, it does. Aside from the price and turnover times, choosing a photo lab has many implications. The first one is whether or not you’ll get the negatives back once they process the film.

You should also check the quality of the scans and prints and whether or not you can order them in a bigger size and higher quality.