FilmNeverDie.com

FilmNeverDie.com www.FilmNeverDie.com
to strengthen the sense of community among film photographers. FilmNeverDie is n So come in and say g'day!

Film Never Die is the shared vision of a small group of photographers living in Melbourne. We are Gary, Wei Wei, Eric, Andrew & Sebastian, along with people that jumped on board, We love shooting in a variety of analog formats and want to share this passion with you. We began with an online store, and our business have grown to include a gallery and brick-and-mortar shop in Parkville, Melbourne. W

e are proud to stock a huge range of film and camera products. These are available on our online store and at our Parkville location, where we have new stock becoming available each day. We are also available for consultation about the operation of your older camera, free of charge.

The FND team shot Kodak Gold 200 across various trips over time. Two formats, different subjects, different moments. Her...
28/05/2026

The FND team shot Kodak Gold 200 across various trips over time. Two formats, different subjects, different moments. Here’s what came back. 🎞
 
Gold 200 is the film most people start with. Warm, forgiving, widely available, and affordable. But most people only ever shoot it in 35mm. Kodak launched the 120 medium format in 2022, and it’s worth understanding what actually changes between the two.
 
In 35mm, Gold 200 is neutral and honest. The warmth is there but it doesn’t shout. Colours render true in natural light without pulling dramatically in any direction. The grain is present and characterful. Exactly what you’d expect from a consumer stock, and part of what makes it feel like film.
 
In medium format 120 film, the same emulsion reads differently. The larger negative smooths the grain considerably, the tones become richer, and the blues in particular come through more saturated than in 35mm. It sits closer to Portra 400 in feel than you’d expect from a consumer stock at this price. If medium format is your thing and Portra 400 is stretching the budget, Gold 200 in medium format is a really strong alternative.
 
Both in stock at The Lab now. Link in bio.
 
Shot by .ashoor, .shoots , and .gary.wong across various trips. Developed and scanned in-house.

In case you missed it, Shoot & Share is still running. 🎞️➕🎞️ Download the FND app. Show us the homepage with your name. ...
26/05/2026

In case you missed it, Shoot & Share is still running. 
🎞️➕🎞️
 
Download the FND app. Show us the homepage with your name. First dev + scan is on us.
 
Post about this. Tag . Show us your post. Second dev + scan is taken care of too.
 
All film types. One per customer. Until 30 June. App download link in bio.

*Available on iOS and macOS only*
 

Spotted: FND. Episode 01.  Introducing a new series from FND. Every two weeks, we‘re featuring a location across Naarm/M...
23/05/2026

Spotted: FND. Episode 01. 
 
Introducing a new series from FND. Every two weeks, we‘re featuring a location across Naarm/Melbourne where you can find one of our Vendys, a dropbox, or both. Some are at cafes. There’s one at a vintage clothing store. Some are right here at The Lab. The idea is simple. Film photography should fit your life, not the other way around. Wherever you are, we want to make it easy to grab a roll or drop one off.
 
Episode 01 starts at home, 6 Watertank Way, the FND hub.
 
Yes, we develop film. C-41, B&W, E-6, and ECN-2. But we also stock a wide range of film and cameras, hire out scanners if you want to try scanning your own rolls, and sell film cameras, such as our very own Nana Camera. Not sure where to start with cameras? Come in and have a chat with us, test out some cameras. We‘re here for every part of your film photography journey.
 
We’re proud of how far this space has come. There‘s a Polaroid wall that grows every time we run an event at The Lab. The space has changed a few times over the years, and it will continue to evolve with us.
 
The Vendy and dropbox outside are available 24/7. Can’t make it when we’re open? Drop your roll in the box, and we‘ll develop it on the next business day. Need to grab a fresh roll at an unusual hour? The Vendy is fully stocked and always on.
 
Next up, Episode 02 at Stupid Vintage. Stay close. 🎞

22/05/2026

Goodbye Blue Moon Wong 🌙

Whelped 17 December 2014
Racing name: TWO SEASONS

102 starts
22 wins
19 runners-up
12 thirds

From full-time racing athlete to professional couch potato.

We adopted Blue Moon after his retirement from racing in 2020, and over the next 6 years he became part of the FilmNeverDie family, our photowalks, coffee runs, vending machine collections, and everyday life at the shop.

I still remember how he would freeze on walks sometimes — almost unable to believe a dog could walk slowly with nowhere to race to.

He was also the page boy for Julian and Chloe’s wedding.

Recently, after developing osteosarcoma, Blue Moon passed away peacefully.

To everyone who met him, patted him, brought treats, took photos with him, or simply spent time with him at the shop — thank you. You helped give a retired racing dog a beautiful second life outside the track.

It’s not always easy adopting retired racing dogs, but we are very glad we did it.

Thank you Blue Moon.

You were loved far beyond the racetrack.

To remember Blue Moon, next Saturday 30 May, we’ll be giving away free Polaroid photos at the shop for anyone who comes in with their pet ❤️

Read the full story on our blog.

Gary

Jasim .ashoor shot a roll of Kodak Portra 160 in Japan. Streets, landscapes, people. One roll across all of it. Here’s w...
21/05/2026

Jasim .ashoor shot a roll of Kodak Portra 160 in Japan. Streets, landscapes, people. One roll across all of it. Here’s what came back. 🎞

Nobody talks about Kodak Portra 160 enough. Most people reach for Portra 400 without thinking about it, and the reason is almost always ISO. But if the light is there, 160 earns its place in every situation 400 gets credit for.

The grain is the finest in the Portra lineup. Subtle enough that you have to look for it, present enough that it still feels like film rather than a scan of nothing. The colour palette sits in the pastel and muted range. Not trying to make a scene more than it is, not pulling warm or cool for its own sake. What comes back feels like the day rather than an interpretation of it.

The exposure latitude is what makes it genuinely versatile despite the low ISO. Jasim was shooting in Japan where light moves constantly. Shade to harsh sun inside a single frame. Portra 160 held both ends without choosing one over the other. Around seven stops of dynamic range at ISO 160 is a quiet achievement that doesn’t get talked about enough.

It also tends to sit slightly below Portra 400 in price. Which makes the oversight even harder to explain.

In stock at The Lab now. Link in bio.

Shot on the Voigtländer Bessa R2M · 35mm f/2 · Developed and scanned in-house.

Our lab tech lights up every time someone walks in with something unexpected. Most of what comes through The Lab is 35mm...
17/05/2026

Our lab tech lights up every time someone walks in with something unexpected.

Most of what comes through The Lab is 35mm and 120, and we love every roll of it. But every now and then someone pulls out a 126 cartridge from an old Instamatic, or a roll of APS film from a 90s compact, or a 110 cartridge from something small and forgotten. That’s when things get interesting.

These formats are rare. Most labs won’t touch them. We light up when they come in.

If you’ve got a camera or a roll sitting in a drawer and you have no idea what it is, bring it to us. We’ll figure it out together. Chances are we can develop and scan it for you.

Swipe through to see some of the more unusual formats we work with.

Photos by
📸 Olympus OM-10 with a flash
🎞️ FND Iro 400

.gary.wong took a roll of Phoenix II out on a day in the woods with family and friends. Sunny skies, cold air, the kind...
14/05/2026

.gary.wong took a roll of Phoenix II out on a day in the woods with family and friends. Sunny skies, cold air, the kind of day that feels like a last hurrah before winter settles in. 🎞
 
Phoenix II is Harman’s second-generation colour film. DX coded to ISO 200, although Harman recommends shooting it between ISO 100 and 200 for best results. Gary shot this roll at ISO 200. More normal contrast and colour balance than the original, finer grain, and a wider exposure latitude. Where the original Phoenix ran warm with bold yellows and oranges, Phoenix II pulls cooler. Blues and greens that feel more considered and controlled.
 
It’s still grainy. Less so than the original, but the grain is part of the character. And it still halates. That soft glow around the highlights, bleeding into the brighter parts of the frame. On a sunny day in the woods, it caught the light coming through the trees in a way that felt less like a flaw and more like the film seeing the world differently.
 
We paired this roll with the Lomography MC-A. That matters because Phoenix II is experimental, and the results shift depending on the camera, the light, and the lens in front of it. What you get back on a Nikon won’t look the same as what you get back on an MC-A.
 
Harman Phoenix II is available in 35mm and 120, both in stock at The Lab now. Link in bio.
 
Shot by Gary on the MC-A. Developed and scanned in-house.
 

There’s something about learning with your hands.  Two workshops coming up at The Lab in May and June. One for anyone cu...
12/05/2026

There’s something about learning with your hands. 
 
Two workshops coming up at The Lab in May and June. One for anyone curious about alternative photography, and one for anyone who wants to take the whole process into their own hands.
 
The Cyanotype class is two hours on a Wednesday evening. No experience needed. You’ll walk away with prints you made yourself using one of the oldest photographic processes still in use today. 
 
The Black and White Developing class is a Sunday morning. You shoot a roll, develop it yourself from start to finish, and see what came back, all in the same session. Small group, everything supplied. The kind of morning that changes how you think about film.
 
Spots are limited. Link in bio to book.
 

Shoot & Share is here, and it comes with two free dev + scans. 🎞🎞️ We’ve been thinking about how to reward the community...
10/05/2026

Shoot & Share is here, and it comes with two free dev + scans. 🎞🎞️
 
We’ve been thinking about how to reward the community for a while now. Not just the people who are new to the app, but everyone. So here’s what we’ve cooked up at The Lab.
 
Download the FND app on iOS or macOS, and create an account. Come into The Lab, open it, and show us your name on the main page when you drop off your roll. That dev + scan is on us.
 
Then look for the card at our counter. Photograph it. Post it on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok and tag . Show us your post and your next dev + scan is on us too.
 
That’s it. Two rolls. Two free dev + scans. Just for being here and being part of this.
 
No second roll ready yet? We’ll issue you a voucher. Good for three months, so you’ve got time to shoot one.
All film types qualify. C-41, B&W, E-6, ECN-2. One per customer. Running until 30 June.
 
App download link in bio. See you at The Lab. 🎞
 

We took a roll of Kodak Pro Image 100 to Flagstaff Gardens on a cloudy day. No direct sun, no ideal conditions. Just the...
06/05/2026

We took a roll of Kodak Pro Image 100 to Flagstaff Gardens on a cloudy day. No direct sun, no ideal conditions. Just the gardens and whatever light was available. 🎞
 
Pro Image 100 has been around since 1997. Kodak originally developed it for professional photographers working in Latin America and Asia, markets with predominantly warmer, darker skin tones, as a more affordable alternative to Portra. That heritage matters more than people realise. Where Ektar can push skin tones red, Pro Image stays accurate and flattering across a wider range of complexions. Film photography has a long history of not serving darker skin tones well but Pro Image is one of the films that went the other way.
 
On an overcast day in Melbourne, it held its warmth. The greens at Flagstaff came back layered and punchy with different tones across the trees and plants, all reading clearly without washing out.
 
We also took it indoors with the MC-A. Slow shutter speed, Jasim as the subject, a train moving through the background. The MC-A’s compact lens gave the frames a softness that suits the motion. Jasim sharp in the foreground, the train dissolving behind him. Pro Image kept the shadows open where other films at this price point would have blocked up.
 
ISO 100, high colour saturation, accurate colour, and good underexposure latitude. A film that asks for light but doesn’t fall apart when you don’t give it enough.
 
Scanned on our Fuji. In stock at The Lab now, link in bio.
 
Shot on the MC-A.

What film should we do next? 🤔
 

Address

6 Watertank Way
Melbourne, VIC
3000

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm

Telephone

+61408862649

Website

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