Underdog Film Lab

It pains me to make this review, as I've been using Underdog for almost 5 years now. For over a year now, however, their scanning quality has gone down substantially. Please see the attached scans. Many of my scans come back with digital artifacts, horizontal lines, vertical lines, and/or copious amounts of dust. Imperfections and dust are to be expected with film, but this is to the point where it is distracting—and even ruins the photos. Additionally: some of the exposures are not cropped properly, and I often times see black bars on the edges of the scan (and sometimes even the previous exposure). This has happened between multiple 35mm cameras, from completely different manufacturers (Canon, Olympus and Nikon—fully manual and automatic). I don't know if there is something wrong with one of their Noritsu HS-1800 scanners, but It is extremely frustrating to have to email Underdog—every time I send film in—to rescan one or more rolls of film. Sometimes, there is damage on the positive/ negative itself. Like with a roll of Velvia a few months ago. The first few exposures had a horizontal line across them, even after Underdog scanned the roll twice. None of my other rolls (shot on the same camera) had damage on the first few exposures. One of my friends just got his roll of film back a few days ago—and it had so many scuffs on the roll, that my friend considered most of the photos to be ruined (I'll ask them for pictures, and attach them when I have them). A different professional film photographer friend stopped using Underdog a year or two ago, when a roll arrived back scraped up (I'll also ask for pictures, and attach them when I have them). Otherwise, I do appreciate how quickly and courteous Underdogs customer service is. I also haven't had any scanner-related issues with my medium format photos, strangely enough. When everything went well, the scans are the best I have ever seen, out of any lab I have ever used... But that—unfortunately—hasn't been the case for me, for the past year. It's honestly a shame. For the time being: I'm going to either start scanning my positives/negatives at home, or find a different lab. I hope that the scanning issues are resolved; and whatever is causing damage to my friends and I's rolls, is fixed.

Gosh, these guys are quick sometimes! I have other film developing options in SF but mail my film to Underdog (or drop it off at their partner shops) since I heard good things about their quality, they were more affordable/better value (though they did increase prices a few bucks recently it seems), I can pick up the negatives from downtown SF for free, and they’ve had surprisingly speedy turnaround so far! Love that the lowest scan quality is already a decent size, not small, and that the TIF is same price and JPG. I’m a film newb still so I can’t give a pro critique of the dev and scans, but it’s all looked great to me so far! Look forward to developing more film.

My go-to spot for developing my film! This is great spot with knowledgeable staff and usually fast turn around times. Even though I have moved out of Oakland, I still come back here to have my photos developed.

The only place I go to for my film development one stop shop with sales of film and photography equipment does amazing scans of all different formats super cool team of people working it.

staff is always super friendly and helpful! the turn around time is also fast! here’s a few photos from my last roll

Good in store stock (film, darkroom supplies). The base level scans are slower, lower quality, and more expensive compared to a place up the street. They do however have an even more expensive scan option that's higher quality.

Recently switched to getting my film developed here after having issues at a couple other film labs in the area (scratches, dust, lost rolls). The dev quality at Underdog is great! No scratches/dust/spots, film isn't as curly which makes scanning at home easier, fast turnaround, and friendly staff. Would recommend.

I've just recently gotten back into shooting film and Underdog has been a huge inspiration. The staff is amazing and provides great advice. They've gently steered me away from stupid stuff i've wanted to try and given me tons of suggestions to improve my photos. They're an indispensable institution in the community and I'm a loyal customer.

I really enjoyed bringing my film into underdog, but they suddenly raised their prices from $8/roll to $10/roll and now I can't afford to go much. Their pricing for film is on the high side as well. The people are really nice and generally knowledgeable. Their color development is great and their b&w is pretty good. I think I get better results self developing b&w, but it is a small difference. Check out the zine section, lots of cool local stuff!

I'm trying this new thing where I write poems in my reviews. It'll probably last for all of a month, but here's my haiku for Underdog: Film reels spin and squeak, Underdog's magic technique-- Oops, that's your last streak! I've had a few rolls developed by Underdog, and I'm happy with their development, quality of scans, turnaround time, and communication. Their prices are commensurate with any other lab I've used, and I'd much rather support a local lab than ship my film out across the country.

I love this film lab! I received to best customer service, quality of prints and digital copies. They also have a cool store inside with photo books, zines, Ilford/Kodak supplies, film and some clothing. Overall price was worth it, and I will come back more and more.

I use their service through Glass Key photo's store as I'm located far away. Just moved here from LA so I've been looking for a good film lab! Great turnaround on the dev + scans, only issue is multiple of my scans had some hairs/ dust on them which was a bummer considering the price. Still getting used to SF prices but I understand tariffs are no joke. Support them!

Service was great, they were nice people. The reason why I gave the 2-star rating is because, the service was all there is to it. The pictures came out looking weird and they charge you extra for cropping and cutting your digital pictures, whereas with the other film labs I've been, they do it for free. Its pretty expensive here. LOL. Also, this might be the slowest develop process I've ever experienced, the other film labs would send the google drive of the photos on the same day. I usually give 3-4 rolls but with Underdog, I've been waiting 3 days and I only had them process one roll.............. There's actually a film lab within walking distance to where they are situated, and I would 100% just go to that one instead.

Stopped by to get my first roll of film developed!! Michael was very patient with me and I appreciate how knowledgeable he was! He provided me with all the options - I had even more options since my camera took half frames. Something comforting is he let me know that if the film was all blank (in case I accidentally exposed it to light), they would automatically refund me. The turnaround time was also pretty quick and my pictures showed up great!

I like this place, mostly because they actually stock the Fuji Instax Square film that I am currently using. (Looking Glass seems to always be out of it.) They also sell a bunch of other film, plus some books/zines. I have not used their processing services, so I can't speak to those. Neighborhood is in one of those odd transitional not-yet-gentrified states, but street parking was easy.

The workers are super helpful. My film is always developed super quickly, usually receive my scans in less than 2 days!

I really wanted to like this lab; everything around the process is a great experience. Great service from staff who are excited to 'talk shop,' fast turnaround, and low prices. It's also convenient that you can drop off and pick up at Glass Key in SF. I understand why they have such a good reputation. Unfortunately, the quality of processing leaves a lot to be desired. My first roll I dropped off with them had some sort of artifacts from the sprocket holes on the image. In most of them it gets lost in the details, but in a couple it kind of ruins what were going to be good shots. In the example here (telephone pole), I have increased the contrast a bit to highlight the issue. When I asked about it, they said it looks like there was a brief, dim light leak in the dark room, and the film cast a shadow on itself. They said they'd comp a roll for me, so I was willing to accept that this was a fluke and decided to give them a second chance. However, with my second roll there are horizontal scan lines across pretty much the entire strip. I know this happened in scanning because I made a scan of my own using a digital camera. Obviously my scan leaves a lot to be desired, but it does show that the lines aren't on the negative (Airplane photo: lab scan on left, my scan on right). On top of this my negatives were returned to me uncut even though I asked for them cut and sleeved. Since this was a comped roll maybe they didn't want to include cutting for free since that isn't where they messed up before; that would have been super reasonable, but I wish they'd have said that when I dropped the roll off. I picked this roll up at Glass Key so I wasn't at the lab, so I just took it as is. Overall, quality is not emphasized here, but pretty much everything else is. If I was shooting professionally, I'd be extremely upset about the results. As it is, I'm just a little sad this place didn't work out for me because otherwise, it had all the marks of a great lab.

It's so hard to print quality photos these days; Underdog is a sprouting wand in a barren wasteland. Thank you for existing, Underdog!

Underdog has been an essential component to me reviving my love of shooting film. Their service has been exceptional, their film selection (and suggestions on them) has been fun to play with, and their turnaround time feels pretty fast. I had an old Nikon N80 I was gifted from a friend and hadn't shot with it for years. It wasn't until I got my first roll developed here that I got addicted and ever since I come in probably once every other month with new rolls to develop. They're tremendous stewards of this 35mm film renaissance in Oakland.

FILM LAB IN EAST BAY I developed my first roll of 120 film here this week. It was a very simple, quick and easy process. Step 1. Go to their website and place your order on how you want your film developed, processed, prints, sleeved, digital copiesm etc. Step 2. Drop off film, contactless. You enter the store and place your film in a ziplock with your order number and contact info. Step 3. Wait for email when they start processing it. Step 4. Email confirmation when the digital copies are ready for you to view in a Dropbox and when to pick up your roll of film. I dropped my film off Monday just before closing and received my digital prints in my email on Wednesday at Lunch. It was Quick!!! I called in multiple times to ask questions on how to use their website and every worker was amazing!!!!! They all took the time to make sure I understood everything. I also bought a few rolls of new film to shoot with. Excited to come back here again.

Solid helpful and creative people who will make sure you get what you want. Their scans are wonderful too as well. Shout out to Michael who is willing to have a conversation about learning the art too!

It is astonishing that local people think their quality is great! For the negatives :The base of film is really red, which means that their processing is not only bad but completely wrong! For the slide films: The film is quite dark, means the first develop medicine fails. Conclusion: they use expensive professional machines but make horrible results. It means there is no quality control（Kodak or Fuji control strips), which is necessary for the big machines, since the machine use medicines for many times. Though the service is good and makes me happy, but the result is terrible! The good reputation only means that people in Bay Area is unlucky, they never went to a lab with is okay.

I can't say anything other than I love that this place exist !! Their film processing is always consistent and done with great care / quality. Also one of thew few places you can buy FRESH and REFRIGERATED film for the same prices (if not less than) you see online. They also have a major selection of film types (35, 120, color positive, polaroid, instax, etc) in different ISOs that are always available (truly not sure where else you can find this selection elsewhere in the east bay?) Also the staff are also incredibly nice and thoughtful, never felt like they were rude or pretentious about anything, always willing to help or explain processes new to me. Truly 10/10 every time!

Covid update: they are taking drop offs at the physical location as well as mails with rolls, if you are interested in getting your films developed. They are also doing a discounted price per roll: $5 per roll - but this might last only till end of May. Kind and friendly staff, timely and professional service. An Oakland gem! Thank you for working during this time and adapting to covid cirx

I forgot to pack Super 8 film for a trip to Mendocino and everywhere I called in Oakland/Berkeley didn't sell it and couldn't direct me anywhere that did. After a deep search Underdog popped up and they said they had plenty to choose from. The person working the desk wasn't thrilled to be there or friendly at all really but I guess that's kind of the thing these days so whatever. The shop itself was easy to find, plenty of parking, and they were indeed well stocked. Will I ho back? In a pinch probably. My biggest complaint is that the receipt wasn't itemized? It was just the total amount. Not great for tax purposes or just knowing how much things cost. Strange place, solid products.

Over the past year, I have started exploring film photography; specifically in medium and large formats. Underdog has been my go-to place for film, processing, and scanning. The staff is incredibly friendly, and has been super willing to answer my newbie questions and to provide advice. They have a great supply of film (including 120 and 4x5 sheet). Turn around times are also very fast. In short: Great stock, fast service, and amazing staff who are friendly and knowledgable.

I'm so please I found Underdog Film Lab! The staff is incredibly helpful. I'm working with 35mm film and struggling with Lightroom and scans, and the folks there were on point. They were very patient with my questions and took the time to make sure I understood their explanations. The scans were first rate and, combined with the service and help, made for a great experience. Dropped another batch of film with them today and I'm confident they'll do a great job with it. Kudo's!

The quality and efficiency of service here is amazing! I've never found a film lab in CA where the turnaround for photos was under a week (and returned good quality photos at a competitive price.) While I don't expect to get photos back so quickly, I'm pleasantly surprised to have them coming back within 4 days. This place continues to amaze me and I'll be using them for the foreseeable future!!

Reasonable prices for film, development, and scanning. Friendly over the phone and in person when answering my beginner questions.

People seem to like this place but I don't really, I just come here because it's the closest film shop to my house. I was a photoworks girl in sf but had to stop due to covid but honestly I might just have to take the trek out there. Hmmm where do I start? Do they get the job done? Sure kinda. My prints come on pretty flimsy paper but I love that they email you scans of your work where Photoworks doesn't offer that (or didn't) that was great for the pandemic. Out of my experience with film labs here, this place has some work to do in terms of quality of work. My BF came into the shop looking for me (I was at the plant store across the street first ALL LOVE OVER THERE CHECK THEM OUT) and he told me the guy at the counter was rude to him when he asked if he had seen me come in. When I finally get in the building w my BF in tow, There we're two people working at the counter, one helping a customer a head of me. No hellos or eye contact from either worker. Now that the customer before me has been helped worker one looks at me and immediately shuffles to the back, still no hello. Worker 2 doesn't even look at me, just staring at her computer maybe she was still working on the previous customers order whatever I get that but no "I'll be w you in a second??" Nothing. Now let me get petty here, every time I've come in the staff is extremely unpleasant and I don't get it lmao. I understand that when you're smack dab in the middle of formerly one of the blackest parts of Oakland, as a gentrifier from Torrance, CA you HAVE to play the disgruntled, inconvenienced, and aloof art failure BUT I'm not into that at all. I asked one of the women if she's ever worked with TIFF files (because that's something i have no experience with) and if she liked them she gave me the deadliest look and was like "well it doesn't really matter, scans of your photos in JPEG or TIF are the same price and the photo quality is exactly the same" that wasn't my question LOL, I'm trying to facilitate a conversation with another assumed artist (and sales associate) about their opinion of a photo formatting in a very effing empty photo store. This leads me to believe that she doesn't know anything about TIF files lol. Also I'm paying 30 bucks a roll to develop with y'all, I should cuss y'all out for that alone. She also messed up my order and caught an attitude with me about it when it needed to be corrected. She asked for my account information and I gave it to her, and I told her that I wanted the same services I had last time (assumption on my part), when she went to ring me up it was way less than I thought and come to find out she didn't add my prints to the order. Didn't even confirm with me if I wanted prints or not let alone if my order was correct (I paid 200 bucks for photo services btw) There were a few more issues I have with this place but after I pick up my photos this week (if they survive before the biz reads this review) I'm not coming back here. I tried it, I used it out of necessity, I wasn't fully impressed and now I want to personally fight every employee there :) anyways Underdog staff if you're reading this feel free hand over all my work damage free and y'all can LOL at how derivative my photos are and how uncool my Yelp review is. edit: my photos came back in one piece. watermarks and weird blue lines from processing were all over the majority of my prints and scans leading me to believe that the equipment is dirty or my film was not handled correctly during processing. def not coming back here again.

I've been using this lab since I resumed film photography again. Their partnership with Glass Key makes it super easy for people in the city to drop off film and pickup scans. Service is timely and quality of the work is excellent. I would highly recommend this lab.

I am deeply disappointed with my experience. First, as others have noted, the staff's attitude is awful. Second, the end product is subpar. I've been shooting 400 ISO HP5 and Portra film for years. I've either developed the film myself or more recently used Photoworks in SF. I've always handled scanning myself because I don't mind and it saves me a few bucks. My film has always come out great. After moving to the East Bay I decided to give this place a try. My mistake was dropping off a dozen rolls of film instead of just one as a test sample. All of my film came back developed but with severe noise. All of my 400 ISO film looks like what you'd expect to see from nighttime shooting with 3200 ISO film. It's insane. It is going to take a significant amount of post processing to make this film usable. Which is a shame because I hate digitally enhancing film. But I'm left with no choice. Whoever developed my film clearly didn't know what they were doing.

My first film to be developed in over 25 years. I was very happy with their service, their negatives and their speed. I have got my lab!

Very cool little film lab. I got my film developed there a little while ago and they were fast, reasonably priced, and sent you the picture files online, which I really like. I was also able to get some new film while I was there and they had a pretty good selection. Highly recommended, will go again.

My go to for all my film developing needs! Great service, great people, easy parking, and its right next to a plant store. I couldn't ask for more.

I've tried several other film labs in SF and the East Bay and Underdog is best: great prices, timely work and the highest quality work I've seen. Dirk and Jessie are veterans of film labs in SF and struck out on their own, finding a home in West Oakland. They're super-patient with all of my many questions and say they develop & scan from 110 to 8 x 10, so yes to 110, 35mm, medium format and large format. Update: They're sheltering-in-place now but you can send film to one of the owners and they work out processing and scanning. It's a little slower but an awesome diversion while we're staying at home (I'm taking lots of pictures out the window)! Highly recommended!!

Great lab option here in the bay. I'm a seasoned pro photographer of over twenty years that switched to Underdog after nearly a decade with Richard Photo Lab in SoCal... they're that good. Great quality, awesome people and attractive rates. Do it!

Amateurs developing for amateurs, if you don't know what your film should come out as and you're ok with scratches on your film, go for it. absolutely not worth the small cost difference with the plethora of experienced film labs nearby. The "you get what you pay for" idiom is enforced at underdog film labs. They destroyed at least 3 rolls that I brought them (slightly unusual processing of SFX... they just had to read the manual, that's what professionals do) They also left cleaning marks over some other film I brought them. I contacted support before leaving this review and got no response... unapologetically subpar.

I was super impressed with my results with Underdog. I highly recommend going here. They also have film in stock if needed. Some really cool stuff in the fridge!

Best quality and great service, I always get my negatives back quickly and I've never had any issues with scratches or stains on my film. If you need to process film, this is the best place in the East bay.

I really like this place. Great quality, good prices, and quick turn around. It is just a nice feeling to know that you really trust your lab and know that they do great work.

This is my go to film lab. Tried a Berkeley lab for a bit but not only is that one more expensive but they messed up a few rolls so I lost confidence. Underdog is always spot on. They take a couple of days to develop my rolls and I scan my own 35mm film at home. Also they had film in stock most of the time.

Great service! I had a few questions prior to sending my film in and their team was very helpful over the phone. When creating an order form online I chose the option to pick up my film, however I just received an email with my scans and couldn't be happier! Overall I'm very happy with the fast and kind service! I'm moving out of the area and plan to continue using this lab later on :)

Mousy girl working the front is unfriendly and unhelpful. A welcoming attitude would be appreciated from gentrifiers in West Oakland.