Just had my second bad experience with NCPS. They informed me that somehow another roll of 35mm Tri-X I sent them managed to "touch" other film while in the processor, and half of the roll was badly damaged. Yes, they refunded the cost of that processing, but not the cost of the film, the postage or my other expenses when making those pictures. Well, that's it for them. So can anyone recommend a competent mail order lab that I can use? Very aggravating.
I have been trying different labs for b&w developing.
I did not like NCPS either, but for different reason. My FP4 negs were thin, seemed to be underdeveloped (see earlier part of this thread). It may have been due the Clayton chemistry they use.
I have been happy with Richard Photo Lab. No problems with developing, good communication, prompt.
Usually happy with The Find Lab, but last batch of negs came back pinkish, which, as I understand it, has something to do with washing time and can be remedied by putting the negs in the sun.
I do NOT recommend Praus Productions. I tried them recently because a number of people here spoke so highly of them. I had used them many years ago. Sent three rolls of 120 FP4. Came back with weird deep scratches on
both sides of all three rolls of film. The scratches went in all directions, some slanted across frame, were not like a scratch a roller or something in machine would make. They were oddly shaped -- some curved or squiggley, some straighter. Very weird. It was as if someone took an X-acto knife to the film and made the scratches by hand. As I said, on both sides of the film. Owner blamed Ilford which seems highly unlikely to me. I have had film from same batch from Ilford developed which did not have scratches.
I had bad experience with LTI some years ago (also see earlier in this thread). But they probably have remedied that problem by now (they were using a hardener when fixing FP4 which caused horrible residue on film).