Are you using local or mailorder labs?

rayonline_nz · Oct 26, 2017

Just curious about this, which ones do you use. We cannot get color chemistry in NZ and USA places won't ship here. Maybe if we flew overseas and buy and flew back, haha and if they are allowed. I remembered in the Kodachrome days when Dwaynes was the last lab people around the world were shipping it to Kansas. But for now, anyone also that ships film overseas to be processed? Curious to know. Prob related to more slide film right.

Cheers.

guangong · Oct 27, 2017

As for color, I shoot only color reversal. The quality of service I was experiencing from labs I was using in NYC became disappointing (there must be good ones but I don’t feel like experimenting and searching), so I started using the lab my daughter uses in Hollywood, FLorida. Work very good. In today’s world the internet and mail are very convenient.
How about a lab in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan or US west coast?
If color print, why not try to process yourself.

jim10219 · Oct 27, 2017

I use a local lab for color 135 and 120 film, but have to ship out all of my other color films. The local lab is cheaper so long as I don't have them scan, make prints, or burn a CD. They charge too much for low quality scans. They also can't do any push, pull, or cross processing, but they do C-41 pretty well, and can have it done in a few hours. They have to send out for E-6, but it's still cheaper to go that route than to go online. They usually leave dust on all of my negatives/slides, but they're pretty good about not scratching them (most of the time). So as long as you don't mind a bit of cleaning before printing/scanning them yourself, that's usually the best way to go.

I use thedarkroom.com for the other stuff like large format sheet film, 110, and anything else out of the ordinary. They handle it well enough, though I've had some issues with quality control from them. First off, they always use these clips that poke holes in far corners of my sheet film. It's not in the image, so it wouldn't matter, except it makes wet scanning the negatives more difficult because the raised area around those holes invites air bubbles. They also have sent me back some negatives that weren't thoroughly washed. Lastly, I can't be certain, but they seem to have scratched a few of my negatives. Or maybe I did. It's hard to say. In any case, they do a decent job most of the time, and they're pretty cheap for sheet film and odd processing requests.

Neither lab is atrocious. Neither is stellar. And to be honest, they probably do about a good of job as I do on my B&W film, so I don't get too upset over the dust or occasional scratch. If I were a full-time professional photographer, I'm sure I'd be a lot more picky, but for now, the system works well enough.

ignatiu5 · Oct 27, 2017

I have used a couple of mail order companies for C-41 and E-6 in 120/220 and 35mm develop and scan. With thedarkroom.com and indefilmlab.com, they've been okay, but I've been somewhat underwhelmed with quality control. With one, I received one frame of Velvia 120 cropped in the scanning. Square negatives, perfectly spaced (borrowed Hasselblad), just mis-cropped in the scanning. I also had one set of negatives go missing for a year and a half. No explanation, no apology; they just showed up at my door one day. I already had the scans and I don't print color negs, so honestly I had forgotten.

As such, I've been lucky to find a local shop to do the very infrequent color film that I shoot: http://www.indiephotolab.com. They do have a mail order system; not sure if they ship to NZ.

Svenedin · Oct 27, 2017

guangong said:
If color print, why not try to process yourself.

Because the OP has stated he cannot get colour chemistry in New Zealand.

Jacob Weiss · Oct 27, 2017

Local lab for c-41 processing, Richard Photo Lab

cramej · Oct 27, 2017

I use a mail order lab because the local (only) pro lab can't seem to get with the times and charge appropriately. C41 120 process only is $9.25 and E6 is $13.25 and if you want prints, it's $4.75 + $1 each print so 1 roll (6x4.5) would cost you $19.75 to get it processed and 4x6 prints.

It is an unbelievable $33 on top of processing to get 1 roll of 120 scanned at 8x(8,10,12) size with no price break for processing - so $46.25 per roll if you want process and mediocre scans. I would go broke shooting more than a few rolls a month.

Drum scans are still $2.20 per MB. Just to compare, Metal&Paper (formerly West Coast Imaging) has 400MB scans for $50. At the local place, it would cost you $880 for the same file size! Plus $5 for the CD of course.

rayonline_nz · Oct 27, 2017

guangong said:
How about a lab in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan or US west coast?
If color print, why not try to process yourself.

We cannot get color film chemistry in NZ, have asked. Arista, Tetenal etc (B&H, Freestyle).. won't ship to NZ, Germany would but 3 monthly sea (?) freight all up was over 100 Euro's some years ago I emailed them.

Australia is generally a tad less, but more or less the same as USA prices and they don't do 35mm mounting. Japan I am not sure, Hong Kong few labs that does it but I am not sure if they are geared up to international customers. West Coast USA is pretty much the same as elsewhere in the USA so I just go on what the others have used. I could look at a lab when I go to Japan or HKG I guess and carry my film over to be processed maybe .... but again this is more like once a year or 2 year thing.

C41 is still OK here, still cheaper here than send overseas, I don't shoot much of it though. They're prob about $6-7US a roll developed here.

Question:
If film processing is not available in your country and you cannot get the chemistry would you ship it overseas or stop shooting it? Been thinking if I should stick to C41 and B/W. Generally speaking slide film is the least that people shoot right.

Edit:
At the moment I use AGX and it's $8 for 120 format and $12 for 135 mounted (E6), return post is $35US and post there is about $20US.

Svenedin · Oct 27, 2017

rayonline_nz said:
We cannot get color film chemistry in NZ, have asked. Arista, Tetenal etc (B&H, Freestyle).. won't ship to NZ, Germany would but 3 monthly sea (?) freight all up was over 100 Euro's some years ago I emailed them.
Question:
If film processing is not available in your country and you cannot get the chemistry would you ship it overseas or stop shooting it?

I'd ship it overseas if the postage was reasonable. If it became too expensive I would stop shooting it and look for an alternative. As skills or processes become unavailable locally we have to look further afield. One of my OM4-Ti cameras developed a fault but two (known Olympus) repairers in the UK said there was nothing they could do. I shipped it to a specialist in Germany who has successfully fixed it.

rayonline_nz · Oct 27, 2017

cramej said:
At the local place, it would cost you $880 for the same file size! Plus $5 for the CD of course.

Something for me to grin about drum scan is available 700 miles away. Drum scanning prob cost $100-150US here. If I were to get drum or hybrid Imacon scans I might need to take my film, wait 1 or 2yrs and get them done when I am overseas or send them with my undeveloped rolls and get a USA lab to do them.

cb1 · Oct 27, 2017

I do B&W in my bathroom. I send color out to The Darkroom. I'm happy with the results.

CMoore · Oct 28, 2017

Not sure if i am reading your OP correctly.....do you WANT the chemicals to Develop/Print color.?
I am sure one of us from Europe or the usa would be happy to ship the stuff.
Any reason we could not do that for you guys.?

AgX · Oct 28, 2017

"Are you using local or mailorder labs?"

There is a third option:
bring-in/take-home at a local chain-drugstore or camera shop that would send it out to an industrial finisher.

(In general there are no local labs left in Germany.)

guangong · Oct 28, 2017

rayonline_nz said:
We cannot get color film chemistry in NZ, have asked. Arista, Tetenal etc (B&H, Freestyle).. won't ship to NZ, Germany would but 3 monthly sea (?) freight all up was over 100 Euro's some years ago I emailed them.

Australia is generally a tad less, but more or less the same as USA prices and they don't do 35mm mounting. Japan I am not sure, Hong Kong few labs that does it but I am not sure if they are geared up to international customers. West Coast USA is pretty much the same as elsewhere in the USA so I just go on what the others have used. I could look at a lab when I go to Japan or HKG I guess and carry my film over to be processed maybe .... but again this is more like once a year or 2 year thing.

C41 is still OK here, still cheaper here than send overseas, I don't shoot much of it though. They're prob about $6-7US a roll developed here.

Question:
If film processing is not available in your country and you cannot get the chemistry would you ship it overseas or stop shooting it? Been thinking if I should stick to C41 and B/W. Generally speaking slide film is the least that people shoot right.

Edit:
At the moment I use AGX and it's $8 for 120 format and $12 for 135 mounted (E6), return post is $35US and post there is about $20US.

Rayonline, the whole being of HK is overseas business. I can ask a relative who does a lot of photography who he uses for film processing. Very fussy and exacting person, so whoever he uses would be the best in HK.

rayonline_nz · Oct 29, 2017

guangong said:
Rayonline, the whole being of HK is overseas business. I can ask a relative who does a lot of photography who he uses for film processing. Very fussy and exacting person, so whoever he uses would be the best in HK.

My parents are from HKG but I don't go back very often. I know Color Six does it and some small establishments like FilmMe etc. In the pass I have gotten stuff from Man Shing or Wing Shing in Mongkok and that is where many photography travellers go to as well but yeah their websites don't exactly have a online ordering per se the last I checked.

rayonline_nz · Oct 29, 2017

CMoore said:
Not sure if i am reading your OP correctly.....do you WANT the chemicals to Develop/Print color.?
I am sure one of us from Europe or the usa would be happy to ship the stuff.
Any reason we could not do that for you guys.?

I am not looking at processing my own color film. I don't shoot it that often, I shoot it now and then then a big stall period. With color chemistry there is the delivery to here and they don't exactly last 3 or 6 months after mixed. I do develop b/w film myself though with the smallest powder packets by Ilford that makes 1L of concentrated developer.

I was interested in if many people ship their films away to be developed and given this is a film section and with the international members if anyone actually ship their film overseas like I do.

Neal · Oct 29, 2017

I use CSW Film Systems in Chicago for the vast majority of color.

foc · Oct 29, 2017

rayonline_nz said:
I am not looking at processing my own color film. I don't shoot it that often, I shoot it now and then then a big stall period. With color chemistry there is the delivery to here and they don't exactly last 3 or 6 months after mixed. I do develop b/w film myself though with the smallest powder packets by Ilford that makes 1L of concentrated developer.

I was interested in if many people ship their films away to be developed and given this is a film section and with the international members if anyone actually ship their film overseas like I do.

I own a lab on the north west coast of Ireland, (out in the sticks, the boondocks, on the periphery of Europe, next stop St John's Newfoundland, Canada.)

We operate an online 35mm film mail order service and we receive films from all over Europe, with regular repeat customers.

So yes there are people sending their films for processing overseas. Being in the EU helps, as our customers usually pay a set postage rate for all EU countries.

The reason we started the mail order service 4 years ago was we wanted to keep our C41 processor running but local demand had dropped to where it was becoming uneconomical to do so. The decision had to be made, get rid of film processing or get more film customers. We went with the latter and slowly built up the film processing business , even though my Fuji rep laughed at the idea at the time. He's not laughing now.

gr82bart · Oct 29, 2017

Currently, for all my film development, local: Freestyle or Sammy's; both in Los Angeles. My printing is done by Bob Carrie (Toronto) or Duggal ( New York City).

Svenedin · Oct 29, 2017

I can drop off my films at my local camera shop (10 minute's walk away) and get them back within a week. They are not processed in the shop but sent to a central lab. This is an old fashioned shop selling mainly second-hand film camera equipment. Alternatively, I can use a postal service which is actually cheaper so that's what I generally do (Dead Link Removed). It is more rewarding to drop films off at the shop because it usually ends up with long chats with the knowledgeable owner and various playings around with interesting old cameras (he is a Leica dealer but I've never really aspired to owning one being happy with my Olympus OM equipment).

CMoore · Oct 29, 2017

foc said:
I own a lab on the north west coast of Ireland, (out in the sticks, the boondocks, on the periphery of Europe, next stop St John's Newfoundland, Canada.)

We operate an online 35mm film mail order service and we receive films from all over Europe, with regular repeat customers.

So yes there are people sending their films for processing overseas. Being in the EU helps, as our customers usually pay a set postage rate for all EU countries.

The reason we started the mail order service 4 years ago was we wanted to keep our C41 processor running but local demand had dropped to where it was becoming uneconomical to do so. The decision had to be made, get rid of film processing or get more film customers. We went with the latter and slowly built up the film processing business , even though my Fuji rep laughed at the idea at the time. He's not laughing now.

Wow...!!
Good for you guys and Congratulations.

Sirius Glass · Oct 29, 2017

When I do not have enough rolls to use all the color development kit or I have valuable vacation photos that I wants prints in a hurry I take them locally to Samy's Camera.

Are you using local or mailorder labs?

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