THE MINILAB
Introducing The Minilab - the home of film developing and photo printing at Skears Photographic, located on the Wellingborough Road, Northampton.
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We're your friendly & local camera shop, specialising in anything analogue. We've been in the trade since 1990, so like to think we know a thing or two! Pop in for a browse, to buy new & used equipment, get your camera repaired, buy film and much more!
Visit www.skearsphoto.com for more info!
DEVELOPING SINCE 1990
Starting out in 1990 as a camera repair workshop in Bailiff Street, Northampton, we soon found a demand for both new and used photographic equipment. So we began to venture into the world of photographic sales.
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As demand increased, we found ourselves requiring bigger premises and in 2002 we moved to our current location on the Wellingborough Road. This allowed us to hire more repair technicians and also increase the photographic services on offer, such as onsite developing and printing,
ID photographs, video transfers, photo editing, sensor cleaning and photo gifts... to name just a few.
Looking to buy film in Northampton?
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We stock a wide range of all your favourite films, including Kodak, Fujifilm, Lomography and all B&W film from Ilford.
We've also got a range of disposable cameras and re-useable 'disposable' cameras in store too, so pop down and have a browse.
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Looking to buy a film camera?
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We have a wide range of used film cameras available to purchase online or in-store. If you're not quite sure what you are after, pop in for a friendly chat and we can certainly find something that will fit your budget and requirements. All cameras are fully serviced by our in-house technicians and warrantied in case of any problems.
You can view our current stock at:
THE MINILAB
Whilst the lab has been busy developing and printing since 2002, The Minilab website was set up and launched
in 2022 in conjunction with the lab growing. Investments have been made to make it easier to send in your films, new equipment purchased to keep up with growing trends in the industry and investments in technology to ensure
we can continue to run in the future.
We've never been busier and it's great to see the film community continuing to grow, especially with the emergence of so many talented young photographers in our local area. Whether that being the first film shot on a disposable camera at a party, our local college and university students learning the trade, or the regular pro's utilising our services. We love to see you sharing your work, so make sure you tag us @theminilab.co.uk
on socials and we'll share the love
THE PROCESS
Our C41 colour processor has been our trusty workhorse for the past 15 years and is still operating perfectly to this day. Allowing us to process 2 colour films (35mm or 120) at a time, it's fully automated and fully reliable.
The chemical temperatures are kept accurate to 0.2 degrees, plus timing and chemical replenishment is accurately measured to ensure perfect consistency.
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All water used in the lab is filtered through a 4 stage reverse osmosis water filter and only Kodak & Tetenal chemicals are used in both our C41 processor and chemical wet lab.
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B&W films are hand processed in our dark room, using Ilford chemistry. As timings for B&W films are all individual, we can happily push/ pull the development - just let us know!
SCANNING & PRINTING
We currently use Noritsu and Imagus lab scanners. Beautiful high quality scans at a range of different resolutions, perfect for uploading to socials, or making stunning large format prints.
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35mm JPEG / TIFF Scans
3024 x 2005 // 6048 x 4011 pixels
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120 JPEG / TIFF Scans
2988 x 2290 // 2988 x 2988 // 2988 x 3741
2988 x 4145 // 2988 x 4581 // 2988 x 6000 pixels
Looking for high quality printing?
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Our prints are produced using the latest technology in digital lab printing. We print on Fujifilm professional photographic papers, delivering beautiful results consistently. You can't beat a true photographic print, so why not set your images free and order prints with your digital scans! Available in Gloss or Lustre. Larger sizes available on request - right upto 12"x48"!
HOW TO SEND IN FILM
Post in your film and we'll send your images straight back to you via WeTransfer, or post back your prints. Select to send back your negatives, or we'll securely destroy them after 6 months. Images are stored safely online for 4 weeks, so plenty of time for you to download them.
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Post your film to:
The Minilab
Skears Photographic
203 Wellingborough Road,
Northampton
NN1 4ED
* IMPORTANT * Please ensure you include your order number in your parcel, so we can match your delivery up with your purchase when it arrives.
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Don't forget to check your postage- best to pop them to the post office to ensure you pay the right amount, or pay online and drop off at a Parcel Dropoff.
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We strongly recommend using a small box or 'jiffy' style envelope as a minimum to post them in. Please don't use a paper envelope, as we hate having to tell customers their film has been lost!
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If you're local to Northampton, you can always pop into our shop and drop them off. Either pay online and give us your order number, or pay in store if you'd prefer.
OUR BIT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
It's true. Labs aren't great the environment :(
However, we put in place stringent measures to ensure we can be as responsible as possible.
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Chemical waste is processed through a silver recovery system, which then gets collected by a local company.
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Packaging is re-used or recycled to maximise its life time. This means that you may receive your film/ prints in previously used packaging - but don't worry we'll make sure they are safely parcelled up.
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Disposable cameras are stored and then sent off to be recycled, once batteries have been removed. Batteries are sent off separately to be recycled and disposed of correctly.
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Film pots and canisters are stored ready to be re-used. Any that can't be given a new lease of life, are sent to appropriate local recycling companies to work their magic.
BUY ONE, GET ONE TREE!
New for 2022, and with the launch of our new website, we're planting a tree for every order placed! Yup, that's right, for every order you place on the website, you automatically plant a tree with our friends at Ecologi! How cool is that! Buy one, you get one tree ;-)
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As you've read above, labs aren't great for the environment. We can't solve climate change on our own, but we can try and offset our lab usage just a little bit more, by automatically planting a tree with every order placed on the website. We've partnered with Ecologi who plant trees, supporting reforestation and carbon offsetting ventures around the world. You can read more about their exciting projects here and even view our own little forest, which you've helped plant!
FAQ's
We understand it can be a bit confusing if you've never shot film before! That's why we are trying to make it as easy as possible to order from us. Check out common questions below, or feel free to give us a call or drop us an email anytime! We are always happy to help.