Everything we do,under one roof in Cardiff
A film lab, a printing and restoration studio, a video and cine transfer service, and an independent camera shop in Morgan Arcade.
- 1Film & scanningFormats, processes, scan sizes
- 2Video & tape transferVHS, cine, Mini DV to USB
- 3Shop & infoCameras, our story, FAQs
- years in Cardiff
- 40+years in Cardiff
- service areas
- 6service areas
- film formats
- 7film formats
- Cardiff lab
- In-houseCardiff lab
Start here
What have you got in your hand?
Pick the closest one and we will show you exactly what happens next.
Bring it in and we will develop it
35mm, 120, 110, APS or a bulk-loaded roll. Colour, black & white or slide, all processed in our Cardiff lab, never sent away.
- 1Drop the roll at the counter in Morgan Arcade
- 2We create the order with you and confirm scan options
- 3You get an email while it is being scanned, and again when it is ready
- 4Download from your private gallery, order prints if you want them
- Processes
- C-41 · B&W · E-6
- You get
- Scans, gallery, sleeved negatives back
- Booking
- No online booking, we create the order in store
Everything we do
The full service directory
Pick a category to see the service and jump straight to the detail page.
Every film format we process in our Cardiff lab.
35mm film developing
C-41 colour, black & white and E-6 slide, from 24 and 36 exposure rolls to bulk-loaded film.
35mm developing in Cardiff →120 medium format
6x4.5 through 6x9 developed and sleeved, with scanning that keeps the extra detail.
120 developing in Cardiff →Black & white
Traditional monochrome processing for Ilford, Tri-X, Fomapan and friends.
B&W developing →E-6 slide film
Colour reversal processing for Velvia, Provia and Ektachrome, returned mounted or sleeved.
E-6 slide processing →Disposable cameras
Single-use cameras of any brand opened, developed and scanned safely.
Disposable camera guide →110, APS & the unusual
Pocket cartridges, forgotten APS finds and odd formats. Bring it in and we will tell you what is possible.
Ask about your format →How it works
From drop-off to gallery
- 01
Drop your film at the Cardiff shop
- 02
We create the order in store and confirm options
- 03
Film is developed, scanned and checked
- 04
Your private gallery is published
- 05
Download, share or order prints
Film & scanning
Developing, formats and scan quality
Not sure which format you have, or which scan size to pick? Start with the format explorer, then compare our two scan levels.
Film 101
Formats and processes, explained
Choose what you shoot on the left, then see which chemistry it goes through and what that will look like.
35mm
The everyday classicThe format most of us started on. 24 or 36 exposures, endless film stocks, and the workhorse of the film revival.
Actual negative size, drawn to scale
Baseline: 1x a 35mm frame
35mm reference
35mm · 36 x 24 mm
Bigger negative means more detail to scan and bigger prints without losing sharpness. Click another format to see the difference.
Typical frames
36
Negative size
36 x 24 mm
Good for
Street, travel, everyday shooting and point-and-shoots.
Processes available for 35mm
Colour negative
The standard process for Kodak Gold, Portra, Ultramax, Fujifilm and most colour negative films. Reliable, rich colour and fine grain.
Warm, forgiving colour with plenty of latitude. The safest film to learn on.
Ultra high-res scanning
Built for XPan, large prints and serious archiving
Our standard scans are perfect for sharing online and small prints. For photographers who need more, our ultra high resolution scanning option pulls the maximum detail from every frame, ideal for panoramic cameras like the Hasselblad XPan, big enlargements and long-term archives.
Files are delivered through your private gallery alongside web-ready JPEGs, so you always have both speed and quality to hand.
Compare scanning tiers →Web ready
Fast sharing & small prints
Ultra high res
XPan, archiving & large prints
Both are included as options on every develop + scan order.
Slide & negative scanning
Already got film? We can scan it
You do not need to be developing a fresh roll. Bring old slides, negatives or prints into the Cardiff shop and we will digitise them so they are safe, shareable and printable again.
What have you found?
Mounted transparencies
Slides
Boxes and carousels of 35mm slides in card or plastic mounts, usually from the 60s through the 90s. We scan them as they are, no need to take them out of the mounts.
We handle
- 35mm mounted slides, card or plastic
- Carousels, magazines and slide boxes
- 120 transparencies in mounts or sleeves
Standard scan
Sharing, social and small prints
Web-ready JPEGs delivered to your private gallery, ready to download.
Ultra high resolution
Big prints, panoramics and archiving
Maximum detail pulled from each frame, ideal for XPan, exhibition prints and long-term archives.
Large batches are quoted in store so we can check condition and count first.
Looking for prints?
Prints, enlargements and photo restoration
Print from your scans, your own files or artwork, and have faded or damaged photographs repaired by hand. It all lives on its own page.
Video & tape transfer
Old tapes and cine film onto a USB stick
If you are not sure what type of tape you have, the tape spotter underneath will help you identify it before you come in.
New at Camera Centre UK
Video transfer: old tapes and cine film to USB or disc
Those tapes in the loft are on borrowed time. Tape sheds, machines disappear and cine film goes brittle. We convert your old footage to a modern file you can watch, copy and back up, all handled through our Cardiff store.
We currently convert VHS, VHS-C, Betamax, Betacam, Hi-8, Super 8, cine film, Mini DV and Mini Disc.
USB (recommended)
The most widely accepted and most future proof option. Plugs into any modern laptop or TV, easy to copy, easy to back up to a cloud drive, and nothing to scratch.
Disc (still available)
Happy to supply your transfer on disc if that suits you better, just bear in mind fewer and fewer computers still have a drive.
What have you got?
1977 onwards
VHS
The big black tapes from the family cupboard. Weddings, christenings, holidays and off-air recordings.
Tapes stored in lofts and garages can shed, so we check condition before transfer.
Transfers are quoted in store or by phone once we have seen the tapes, as price depends on format, length and condition.
Tape spotter
Not sure what you have found in the loft?
Pick the closest match and compare the shape, size and giveaway details. If you are still not sure, just bring it in and we will identify it for you.
Roughly to scale · 187 x 103 x 25 mm
VHS
Video cassette
- Big black cassette, about the size of a paperback book
- Flip-up flap along the front edge covering the tape
- Two large spools visible through the window on top
Usually a handwritten sticker on the spine: 'Wedding 1994'.
Shop & info
The shop in Morgan Arcade, and everything else
Film, cameras and advice over the counter, plus our story and the questions we get asked most.
Come and see us
Our camera store in Morgan Arcade
Camera Centre UK sits inside Cardiff's Grade II listed Morgan Arcade, a Victorian glass-roofed arcade a few minutes from Cardiff Central. Behind the window full of cameras is a working film lab, a used cabinet worth a browse, and staff who shoot film themselves.
It has been the same shop for over 40 years: independent, staffed by people who know the gear, and open to anyone from first roll to full darkroom.
New & used cameras
Every second-hand body and lens is fully tested by our team and sold with a warranty.
Film in every format
35mm, 120, instant and disposables, plus batteries, straps, cases and darkroom kit.
Drop your film here
The lab counter is in the shop. Hand your rolls over and we create the order with you.
Advice, freely given
Ask anything: loading a camera, choosing a stock, metering, or what that odd cartridge is.
- Address
- 14-16 Morgan Arcade, Cardiff CF10 1AF
- Opening hours
- Mon to Sat, 9:30 to 17:30
- Phone
- 029 2039 4182
- Getting here
- Pedestrianised arcade, central car parks nearby
Keeping analogue alive
Four decades of film in Cardiff
Camera Centre UK has been an independent Cardiff photography shop for over 40 years. In that time we have sold hundreds of thousands of rolls in every format going (35mm, 120, 110, APS, disposables and instant) through the boom, through the quiet years, and now through a revival we genuinely love being part of.
Film is not a trend for us, it is what the shop was built on. Every roll that comes through the lab helps keep an analogue community alive in Wales: a place to buy film, get it developed properly, ask daft questions without feeling silly, and share the results with other shooters.
- Independent and Cardiff-based since the 1980s
- Hundreds of thousands of rolls sold, every format
- Developing handled by people who shoot film themselves
- Beginners genuinely welcome, no gatekeeping
Common service questions
Ready to get started?
Drop your film in, or post it to us
Drop your rolls off at our Cardiff shop, or use our postal service and send them in from anywhere in the UK. Either way we confirm the options, process your film and publish your scans to a private online gallery.