5 Places You Can Still Get Disposable Cameras Developed In The US

It's no secret that digital has largely overtaken film as the dominant form of photography. Not only are digital cameras capable of remarkable things, but every major camera manufacturer has a host of models to choose from. Not to mention, there are several great DSLRs out there that won't break the bank. But film photography hasn't completely died out, as there are loads of professional and amateur photographers who adore the medium. The technology is still pretty easy to find, too, making it all the easier to get into.

While you may not have thought of them in decades, disposable cameras are indeed still around. From parties to vacations, these handy little cameras can capture the memorable as well as the mundane, typically on 35mm film. Of course, all the winding, shutter snapping, and light flashing is generally the easy part. One of the main drawbacks to film over digital photography is that you actually have to get your masterpieces developed, which is a whole other can of worms. You can develop film at home without a darkroom, but if you're not confident in your ability to do so, you're not entirely out of luck. 

As it turns out, the world hasn't completely turned its back on disposable cameras either. There are a few places you can take your disposable camera to have your photos developed.

Walgreens is something of a one-stop shop when it comes to essentials. The chain carries everything from food to hair care products to seasonal decor, but most know it as simply a pharmacy. Getting prescription medication is arguably the store's most crucial service, but it's not the only one it has to offer customers. In an increasingly digitized world, Walgreens remains committed to helping customers get their film negatives developed. That goes for folks who have a full disposable camera's worth of photos and don't know how to develop their film on their own.

Even though it may seem like a highly specialized service in the modern era, Walgreens doesn't seem to look at it as such a big deal, price-wise. According to the Walgreen's website, the standard rate for 24 exposures of 35mm film is $15.99. You can pick up the finished photos within 3 to 5 business days, along with copies stored on a CD. If you want, though, you can pop over to the Walgreen's Photo Center to have your pictures transferred over to the many physical formats offered, including drinkware, decorative wood panels, and traditional prints. The only downside to this route is that Walgreens doesn't give you your film negatives back, so if you were hoping to have them post-developing, you're out of luck.

Surprisingly, it's not uncommon for pharmaceutical chains to still feature film developing as a service. Another major name in the space is happy to develop your disposable camera snaps as well.

For anyone who has spent virtually any amount of time in either store, it's evident that Walgreens and CVS occupy a similar retail niche. Much like the previously discussed pharmacy, CVS can meet the needs of your everyday life, in addition to hosting a full pharmacy for all of your medicinal requirements. Keeping the similarities going, it turns out that CVS is also fully capable of developing your film negatives, whether they're from a disposable camera or one of the numerous film cameras still worth buying. As far as what the store is capable of in this regard, though, it very much deviates from the competition.

Per the CVS website, it can develop a host of different film formats for your convenience. Alongside standard 35mm and 110mm film, slide film, and more is disposable camera photo developing, which results in printed photos on 4-inch by 6-inch photo paper. Prints of this size start at $0.42 each for the first 99, with the price dropping to $0.32 once you pass 100. The costs get a bit higher with other formats, and having 30 negatives transferred to a DVD will cost $25.99. Transferring the same negatives to a USB drive costs $34.99. In either case, there's an additional $0.49 per extra negative. Another drawback of going with CVS does mean waiting a bit longer for your photos. 35mm film gets developed in 7 to 10 days, while other formats can take as long as 3 weeks.

In the United States and beyond, it's pretty difficult to avoid Walmart. For decades now, the grocery store chain has popped up just about everywhere, providing folks from various regions of the world with food, clothing, housewares, and more. In doing so, the company has extended its reach to offer up some convenient services. Many locations include pharmacies, Vision Centers, and mechanics, alongside a pretty robust Photo Center. There's more to this portion of the store than mere printing, though. Walmart's Photo Center is one of the few remaining options for photo development.

With your grocery shopping done and eye exam complete, you can take your disposable camera, or roll of 35mm film from a different camera, to be developed. As explained on the Photo section of Walmart's website, this processing takes approximately 6 days to complete from the date of drop-off. Once complete, the images are returned as 4-inch by 6-inch prints and a CD, though you could have them put on mugs, in a flipbook, or a photo book. It's not explicitly stated online if you'll receive your negatives when processing is done, nor is Walmart too forthcoming with pricing information on its website. It's recommended that you visit a Walmart Photo Center and speak with an associate about the process. 

This covers the biggest, farthest-reaching names in film processing today, but not the only ones. Depending on where you live, you might have another — and potentially better — option out there for your disposable camera shots.

If you take a look around your area, there's a chance you'll find a local shop dedicated to all things photography. They may focus predominantly on selling and buying cameras and related accessories, but there are still plenty out there that offer photo services.

Smaller stores can mean shorter wait times to get your processed photos. This is especially true if the store in question does the developing in-house and doesn't have to send your negatives off to another darkroom. Speaking of negatives, photo stores tend to be run by photography enthusiasts, or those who at least understand your needs. Thus, they might be willing to give your negatives back should you want them. There's a good chance the rates will be comparable to the aforementioned chains, and such places tend to offer print services, too. Of course, all of these factors vary from business to business.

If you aren't fortunate enough to live near such a business, the search isn't over yet. The Internet is another option to get your disposable camera photos developed.

Not everywhere has a specialty photo developing lab for camera users to drop off their film. However, this doesn't mean you have to go with one of the bigger chains, as the online world is full of folks who know a thing or two about film development — even with disposable cameras. For instance, starting at just $16, The Darkroom can handle a range of disposable cameras, with results delivered to you on digital, print, CD, or USB. Shutter Junkies offers similar services at between $9 and $15 depending on your desired scan size. Both sites mention that you'll get your negatives back, too.

Still, it should be noted that these businesses aren't perfect either. Though the pros are plenty, there are some cons to online film development that can't be ignored. The biggest problem with this method is the time. If you need a quick turnaround on your photos, this isn't the way to go. You have to wait for your camera or film to be delivered, wait for development to complete, and continue waiting for everything to be mailed back. While some websites offer free shipping or entire shipping kits to keep your costs down, others don't, so you also have shipping costs to consider, too.

Film photography is a fun hobby, and disposable cameras make it easy as can be. It's good to know there are still nearby options out there to have your negatives brought to life.