Cross-processing - labs that do it without additional charge?

After a buying spree in the last 6 months I'm now the proud owner of a whole bunch of expired slide film, mostly 120 but a handful of 35mm as well.

I'd like to experiment with cross-processing some of it in C-41. The local specialty lab (where I believe all the local 120 film ends up) charges an extra fee just for cross-processing (above the regular film processing rate) - not sure why exactly, as in posts I've read here and elsewhere it has no effect on the chemistry, and shouldn't be any more effort than processing normally. For 35mm, I've asked several minilabs locally, and the universal response seems to be they won't process any film that doesn't say "C-41" explicitly on the canister.

So, I'm wondering which labs, preferably in Canada or at least North America, will do cross-processing with 35mm and 120 as a mail-order service without additional fees. (I have checked Elevator's site, it doesn't mention anything about cross-processing, just that film is processed on a "full-run" basis, so I'm not sure if that in fact means they'll do anything for the "full-run" price, cross-processed or not.)

Thanks!

PM Bob Carnie or contact Elevator directly. They have been doing mine and the price is no more than normal. Here in Vancouver Dead Link Removedadds nothing to the price, but all others here do. It seems to be something uniquely Canadian and not justifiable, at least not by the reasons that I have been given.

If anyone in australia wants a lab which will cross process film and not charge extra my lab (The Lighthouse lab) doesn't charge extra for it.
I'de like to know why other labs do charge extra for it? it seems silly to me?

~Steve
The Lighthouse Lab

DAFO Éclair in Montréal will not charge you overprice for x-processing. A roll of slide film in C-41 is 7$. 514-286-9151 121, rue de la Commune Ouest, Montréal,QC, H2Y 2C7

Stephen Frizza said:

I'de like to know why other labs do charge extra for it? it seems silly to me?

~Steve
The Lighthouse Lab

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The cynic in me says they do it because their customers let them and they can make an extras 1 or 2 per roll. I've been told...

1. "it ruins the chems" When asked I was told by the manager that they don't flush the system or even run test strips before and after -- and didn't see the hole in their logic (ABC Photo)
2. "We have to run it separately to protect our other customers' film" The clerk knew that the film wouldn't ruin the chems, but it was something they have always done. I spoke with a woman who was either the manager or owner, I offered to give them my film in multiples of a full rack and they told me it didn't matter as the next rack might be a customers. This made no sense to me either, but I thought it was better than ABC. (G King)

Both these labs are a short walk, about 5 blocks from one and maybe 9 blocks from the other, but I've decided to use The Lab, a 20 min Bus ride, for client work on principle, Elevator for personal work and my bathroom for b/w.

We do cross processing for no extra charge and no extra time. It does not harm the chemistry, especially when you have a big ol' Refrema 607. If you decide to send anything to us, put it to my attention (Matt) and mention APUG for a discount. Here is the link if you are interested:

http://www.newlab.com/traditional-services/e-6_processing.html

We do only full runs as suggested, Elevator has always run one shot, clean runs on the jobos non replenished workflow,
For Black and White, if one really wants to investigate a lab , just ask them the run times for different films. If they are a Jobo Lab *Elevator* you will find each film dev combination that you would do at home and it is always done that way.
If they are a dip and dunk, or Batch Process lab, you will find one dev, and a few different times that really do not maximize the films potential.*Most run at a elevated tempeture with around a 3min dev... Kodak, Ilford Agfa all recommend over 5 min at 68degrees.
I have been competing with these kinds of labs here in Toronto for over 20years and whenever I get film from these labs it is obvious.. *dirty, very low shadow detail*
In fact lately I refuse to print the images without a disclaimer on dust and crap and less than good shadow.
It is really obvious for lith printing as the critical stage is pulling a print when the blacks come in.


Unfortunately these days the film side is much less.
To pay our technicians we are forced to only do full runs, even if that means one roll we will still charge the full pop.
This means that we are not ganging up films from different clients to make a run and pissing off someone who needs to wait for enough film of a certain time/temp chemistry to come in with.
We are finding more and more that people are coming in with five different rolls of lets say 35mm B&W.. tmax,trix,delta, with different push pull times.
When this happens we are working for free as each run is separate and it is driving our technician nuts waiting for the runs to fill up.

We do not do dip and dunk, or basket process, We do not replenish any part of our process, therefore the need to charge for full runs.

We have no problem running cross process in C41 as John mentions.

I can say for certain that we will always run our film this way, *I take a lot of images as does every staff member here* .

Most of our clients who are exposing film bring in full runs to maximise their cash flow.
This has been one result of the digital revolution that I have seen personally in our companys product line.

Thanks, Bob. When I got some shot I'll be sending them your way.

A suggestion with the 35mm slide film. If you want to put slide film through standard negative processes my suggestion is Tesco / Asda and I'm guessing on your side of the pond Walmart.

The staff are usually too incompitant to know your cross processing, especially if you mark C41 over the E6 markings on the film. Either that or they couldn't care less.

Either way, you get your cross processing done for penuts. Although you'll just get funny looks if you hand them rollfilm.

Wishy said:

A suggestion with the 35mm slide film. If you want to put slide film through standard negative processes my suggestion is Tesco / Asda and I'm guessing on your side of the pond Walmart.

The staff are usually too incompitant to know your cross processing, especially if you mark C41 over the E6 markings on the film. Either that or they couldn't care less.

Either way, you get your cross processing done for penuts. Although you'll just get funny looks if you hand them rollfilm.

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Thanks, but I've previously asked at Walmart, and their policy locally at least is that they will only process film that has "C-41" printed somewhere right on the canister. I've brought them some Chinese B&W c-41 in the past, and they actually took a careful look at the canister, and I had to point out the "C-41" marking to them before they would process it. If it didn't have C-41 on it somewhere already, that wouldn't work However, Walmart has scratched several of my films already, so I really don't like going there.

Costco might be a different story - although officially they only do standard C-41-labeled canisters, I asked at my local store about bulk-loaded C-41 films, and they said they were fine with that - the techs there have a clue by the sound of it - but I'm not sure about films that specifically say "E-6" - I'd have to ask.

I'm aware neither have any clue about 120 film - in fact I believe both no longer process APS film on site, only 35mm.

Bob,

WHat is the size of a full run?

DOn't get it done here. That is one BIG markup.
http://www.colormark.com/processing_E6.html

I should have written that I have never gotten anything but fantastic work from the people in my link. They are some top notch folks and are attached to Photomark. The bestest photo place in Phoenix. I was a bit sad to see their price increase for cross processing.

mark said:

DOn't get it done here. That is one BIG markup.
http://www.colormark.com/processing_E6.html

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What's a snip test?

Someone tell me please

G

I have secretly wondered that myself.

mark said:

I have secretly wondered that myself.

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Everything you ever wanted to know about photography but never dared to ask

G

Snip test is where a small portion of the roll is cut and processed to see if and how the the full run's develepment needs to be adjusted.

jd callow said:

Snip test is where a small portion of the roll is cut and processed to see if and how the the full run's develepment needs to be adjusted.

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Thanks JD.

G

Hi Mark
either
6 rolls 35mm, 4 rolls 120, 4 rolls of 220, 10 sheets 4x5, 5 sheets 8x10,

snip test.. mostly used on a dip and dunk E6 Line, could be either tail or front clip, short medium or long in length.
Not too practical in a rotary process and we do not do clip/snip tests.

mark said:

Bob,

WHat is the size of a full run?

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Snip Test/ Clip Tests

though standard issue when working in transparacy E6 workflow, one must remember that that small clip is being dunked into very large volumes of chemistry and do not have an effect on the chems. The balance or call run is then done at the drop or pull that the photographer likes and has no adverse effects upon the chemistry since the volumes in each tank are so large and on good machines with good control plots the replenishment is then maximized for consistant results.

But if you take lets say a clip of a roll of film and do your test in a small hand tank or small jobo tank, look at the clip and make a decision then follow with a full run, you may be in for a great shock. since the volumes of chems are 1 litre or less the full run absorbs and exhausts the chemistry much more dramatically and you may find the second run of full film not looking anything like the clip test.

I would be very careful with this type of testing in small tanks as there could be open cans of whoopass waiting for you.

For completeness, I'll add that the term "snip test" (or "clip test") is also used to refer to testing individual chemical components, and particularly fixer, for B&W or C-41, not just E-6. The idea is to take a snip of film (usually part of the leader), dunk it, and see if the solution still works. For B&W fixer, the conventional advice is to fix for twice the time it takes to clear a leader in this sort of fix test. (Some people say three times as long for T-grain films.) I've also seen a snip test like this advised as a way to determine if developer is still good.

send it to newlab, as was mentioned earlier in this thread. top quality work done there. i always get a 1 stop push when cross processing which is a buck extra.