Film Developing in Riga

Turnaround depends on your film type:

• C-41 colour films: 1-2 business days
• Black and white films: developed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, ready the next business day
• E-6 slide films: developed on Fridays, scans sent on Mondays
• ECN-2 cinema films: developed on Mondays and Wednesdays, ready the next business day

To be developed on that day, a film must be at the lab by 11:00.

Contact us if you need rush processing.

You can get film developing in Riga at the BFS lab, Pulkveža Brieža iela 3, weekdays 10:00-19:00. We develop C-41 colour, black and white, E-6 slide and ECN-2 cinema film. You can include scanning in your package. If you live outside Riga or in another European country, you can send your film by mail.

We accept orders from all over Europe. Order developing online (links below) and choose your process, scanning and return shipping. You do not need to call first. Send your film to P. Brieža iela 3, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvia. Write your name and address, the film type, the processing you need and your contact details on the package. New customers pay in advance. If you choose scanning, the files are sent by email. You pay for return delivery and bear the delivery risks. Delivery is not included in the service price. Courier or parcel locker delivery starts from €3.00 in Latvia.

Order online and send your film by mail: C-41 colour film, black and white film, E-6 slide film, ECN-2 cinema film.

Yes. Disposable cameras usually contain 35mm (135) C-41 colour film, which we develop in the standard C-41 process. If you are not sure about the film type, please contact us.

We develop all common film types:

• C-41 colour negative films (Kodak, Fuji, Lomography)
• E-6 slides (Ektachrome, Fujichrome) - the only place in the Baltics
• ECN-2 cinema films (Vision3, CineStill) with remjet removal
• Black and white films with Kodak XTOL developer

All formats: 135, 120, 110, 127, 4x5 inch sheets.

BFS is the only place in the Baltic States with:

• Professional E-6 slide developing with ±0.1°C precision
• A full ECN-2 cinema film process with remjet backing removal
• 30+ years of experience in film processing
• Professional Noritsu and Jobo equipment
• Push/pull processing for all film types
• Hand developing for special projects

If the light is too low or too bright for the film you have with you, you can expose it at a different speed: higher (push) or lower (pull). The developing time is then extended or shortened accordingly to compensate for the exposure difference. This also helps if you forgot to change the ISO setting on the camera.

Push: the film is developed for longer to compensate for underexposure. For example, an ISO 400 film exposed as ISO 800 or 1600 lets you shoot in lower light. The result will have more contrast and grain, with deeper shadows.

Pull: the film is developed for a shorter time to compensate for overexposure. For example, an ISO 400 film exposed as ISO 100 is useful in bright light. The image will be softer, with less contrast and finer grain.

Available for all film types with limitations:

• C-41 and black and white films: up to 3 EV. Negatives have a wide exposure latitude, so larger corrections still give usable results.
• E-6 (slides): up to ±2 EV recommended. Slides are very sensitive to changes in exposure. ±3 EV is also possible on request, but the blacks turn greyish, colours shift and shadow detail is lost.
• ECN-2 (cinema films): up to 2 EV. Larger corrections noticeably increase fog and grain and also cause colour balance problems.

Push or pull over a wider range is also possible by agreement, but without a quality guarantee.

Surcharge: €2.50

Machine developing (C-41): Noritsu V30, precise temperature control, consistent results, faster processing. Ideal for standard films.

Hand developing: rotary processing (Jobo), processing tailored to each film, water wash, better control of the process. Suitable for valuable projects and experimental processing.

Hand developing of C-41 film costs €5.50 per film (automatic €3.50 + water wash €2.00). This includes hand developing and a water wash. For black and white and E-6 films, hand developing (Jobo) and the water wash carry no extra charge.

We develop all common film formats:

• 110 - small-format film for older cameras (C-41, black & white)
• 135 (35mm) - standard photo films (all types)
• 120 - medium format films (6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7, 6x9)
• 127 - older medium format (C-41, black & white)
• 4x5" (10.1x12.7cm) - large format sheet film

Note: ECN-2 cinema films only in 35mm format.

Yes. We specialise in processing films in poor condition:

• Old films: push by +1 stop for every 10 years. For black and white films, we also offer fog reduction
• Wet films: special manual processing with extra care
• Damaged films: processing tailored to the condition of your film

Additional fee €2.00. Contact us before handing in your film to discuss the possible results.

We use professional equipment:

• Noritsu V30: automatic C-41 developing with precise control
• Rotary processing (Jobo): hand developing of black and white, E-6 and ECN-2 film
• E-6 slides: by hand on Jobo equipment with ±0.1°C precision
• Bellini ECN-2 chemistry: professional cinema film processing
• Kodak XTOL: black and white film developer

No, the stated prices are only for developing. Scanning is a separate service.

We offer packages:

• Standard package: developing + scanning + contact sheet
• High quality package: developing + HQ scanning
• Maximum quality package: developing + MAX scanning

For scanning details, see our scanning section.

You can receive updates and collect your film as follows:

• If you choose scanning, we email you the files when your film is ready
• We give you an estimated completion date when you order
• We store completed orders for up to 180 days
• Delivery options in Riga and throughout Latvia

We pack your film carefully in archival materials to help preserve it.