Current state of US Walgreens/Rite-Aid color processing? Particularly 120 size?

B&Wpositive · Jan 20, 2020

It's 2020 now. Does anyone have information about the current availability (and usability) of film processing through Rite-Aid/Walgreens? It's been over a year since I looked into it, and about 10 years since I used it.

Last time I used it in the mid-2000s, they sent 120 to Dwayne's and it was processed and the negatives were returned for a cost-effective price.

Does anyone know if these services are still available/usable, and what the pricing and turnaround is like if so? Anyone actually use the service lately?

Thanks.

voceumana · Jan 20, 2020

Dwayne's is still in business. See: https://www.dwaynesphoto.com/

Their price list is available on-line, and seems pretty reasonable to me. They will return negatives if return postage is paid.

removed account4 · Jan 20, 2020

i wouldn't send anything through walgreens or rite aid. who knows the frequency or if they still send to dwaynes
.. i'd go directly to happy d's like voceumana suggested, or find a minilab...
there is the last local ( within 50 miles ) mini lab down the road from me that does mail order stuff ( or used to )... she's really good
not sure where you are located, or if kerry still takes stuff via mail, but in case you want to contact her its >> http://www.kerryswarwickphoto.com
good luck !

jim appleyard · Jan 20, 2020

I looked into Walgreens and their lab does not return negatives. IDK why this is, but I declined, I want my negs! IDK if Walgreens still uses Dwayne's or not.

brianmquinn · Jan 22, 2020

I use Dwayne's for 35mm color developing and scans all the time. The work is really good and their price is the best you will find. I have not sent them 120 negatives however.

joelbolden · Feb 3, 2020

I looked a Dwaynes, and their prices are comparable to TheDarkroom , which I've used for several years for my 35mm. They also do 120 and other films

logan2z · Feb 3, 2020

I can't understand how any film processing service wouldn't return negatives. That's the only output of the process that really matters IMO. I guess I have a hard time understanding why one would shoot film only to scan them to digital files, but apparently there are lots of people following such a hybrid process.

Wallendo · Feb 3, 2020

logan2z said:
I can't understand how any film processing service wouldn't return negatives. That's the only output of the process that really matters IMO. I guess I have a hard time understanding why one would shoot film only to scan them to digital files, but apparently there are lots of people following such a hybrid process.

Usually the services that don't return negative are using Fuji as their development service. The Fuji model is to sent the film to Fuji where it is developed and scanned. The scans are then sent on the internet back to the local store where they are printed and CD's burned. Fuji physically sends nothing back and destroys the negatives. It is a cost-effective business model, just not one in which I choose to participate.

BradS · Feb 3, 2020

logan2z said:
I can't understand how any film processing service wouldn't return negatives. That's the only output of the process that really matters IMO. I guess I have a hard time understanding why one would shoot film only to scan them to digital files.....

Agree! That anybody would think it’s ok to not return the negatives seems absolutely insane to me. It’s like paying to be robbed.

GRHazelton · Feb 3, 2020

WalMart also follows that debased business model. You receive prints and a CD with digital files; your negatives are destroyed. Saves on postage or courier services, since the digital files are sent to the local store, where the CD is burned and the prints made. Of course if you had YOUR negatives you could select the best and have a really good scan done. I spoke with a WalMart "associate" who'd been working their photo department for many years, she was appalled. I couldn't bring myself to ask the youngsters in the department what they thought....they'd probably say "Film? Nobody shoots film anymore!"

MattKing · Feb 3, 2020

I have no problem with the "we do not return negatives" procedure, as long as it is made extremely clear to customers, and they actively accept it.
There are lots of people out there who don't value negatives - something I have trouble understanding - and for them having scans and prints quickly is more important than having a physical archive.

abruzzi · Feb 3, 2020

A few years back I read something from Fuji (I believe) that suggested that one of the primary buyers for disposable cameras (at the time) was for sending kids off to camp, or similar vacations. Parents didn’t want to give the kid a phone for other reasons, but they wanted photos. For people like that—film users by circumstance, not by some devotion to film—I’d think negatives are irrelevant.

mshchem · Feb 4, 2020

A lot of film shooters don't care about negatives. As long as people are satisfied with digital files, fine.

It's no different than any other product or service, know what you are buying.

AgX · Feb 4, 2020

Wallendo said:
Usually the services that don't return negative are using Fuji as their development service. The Fuji model is to sent the film to Fuji where it is developed and scanned. The scans are then sent on the internet back to the local store where they are printed and CD's burned. Fuji physically sends nothing back and destroys the negatives. It is a cost-effective business model, just not one in which I choose to participate.

But it are just the industrial labs that can do prints cheaper at their huge lines. A effect which of coursr must be related to the necessary shipping costs (leaving aside data transfer costs.)

To me it seems that no negatives-return is a sole US issue. Am I right?

Wallendo · Feb 4, 2020

AgX said:
But it are just the industrial labs that can do prints cheaper at their huge lines. A effect which of coursr must be related to the necessary shipping costs (leaving aside data transfer costs.)

To me it seems that no negatives-return is a sole US issue. Am I right?

It is a Fuji-specific issue as far as I know (Fuji does Wal-Mart's processing in the US). All the prints are made in the local stores using the equipment they currently use to make prints from digital files. Fuji gets paid for processing and scanning, the local Wal-Mart or Walgreens gets paid for making the prints and CD's.
All the mail in labs I use return the negatives. Since they have to mail the prints anyway, it makes no sense not to return them.

removed account4 · Feb 4, 2020

mshchem said:
A lot of film shooters don't care about negatives. As long as people are satisfied with digital files, fine.

It's no different than any other product or service, know what you are buying.

the problem with the files that walgreens or walmart or rite aid or sams club or cvs or whoever else sends to fujilabs .. is that
the file sizes are like 72dpi and optimized for like an 8x10 image.. if they gave the customers big beefy digital files great, but they don't...
so you get stuck with no negatives to scan them yourself, and files only big enough to post on facebook

mshchem · Feb 4, 2020

This is why I process my own film and print optically.

Sirius Glass · Feb 4, 2020

jim appleyard said:
I looked into Walgreens and their lab does not return negatives. IDK why this is, but I declined, I want my negs! IDK if Walgreens still uses Dwayne's or not.

logan2z said:
I can't understand how any film processing service wouldn't return negatives. That's the only output of the process that really matters IMO. I guess I have a hard time understanding why one would shoot film only to scan them to digital files, but apparently there are lots of people following such a hybrid process.

Wallendo said:
Usually the services that don't return negative are using Fuji as their development service. The Fuji model is to sent the film to Fuji where it is developed and scanned. The scans are then sent on the internet back to the local store where they are printed and CD's burned. Fuji physically sends nothing back and destroys the negatives. It is a cost-effective business model, just not one in which I choose to participate.

BradS said:
Agree! That anybody would think it’s ok to not return the negatives seems absolutely insane to me. It’s like paying to be robbed.

GRHazelton said:
WalMart also follows that debased business model. You receive prints and a CD with digital files; your negatives are destroyed. Saves on postage or courier services, since the digital files are sent to the local store, where the CD is burned and the prints made. Of course if you had YOUR negatives you could select the best and have a really good scan done. I spoke with a WalMart "associate" who'd been working their photo department for many years, she was appalled. I couldn't bring myself to ask the youngsters in the department what they thought....they'd probably say "Film? Nobody shoots film anymore!"

It helps increase WalMart's profit at film users expense. I responded by boycotting WalMart completely ever since they changed their policy.

BradS · Feb 4, 2020

Sirius Glass said:
It helps increase WalMart's profit at film users expense. I responded by boycotting WalMart completely ever since they changed their policy.

I avoid Wallymart, wallygreens and rite-aide as much as possible...each for its own reason. Walgreens, because it is a dump, RiteAide because it’s too damned expensive and I avoid Walmart because all they have is cheap Chinese made crap.

Current state of US Walgreens/Rite-Aid color processing? Particularly 120 size?

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