Dwayne's Kodachrome processing -- hmmm.

Dave in Kansas · Sep 23, 2009

I've only sent a couple rolls of Kodachrome to Dwayne's in the past year or so and they came back just fine with no problems. They even called me with a question on one order and the lady was helpful and friendly on the phone.

That being said, I sent them some 120 B&W for processing and scanning that I didn't want to do myself for some reason and the scans indicted there was a lot of dust - more like fuzz or hairs on the negatives that weren't blown off before scanning, so I think they have room for improvement on their cleanliness.

I still have one roll of K200 and one roll of K64 in my freezer that I suppose will get shot and sent to them before the end of next year, but it seems to me Kodachrome has been suffering a long and slow death. I wish it was like the old days when I could drop a roll of Kodachrome off at my local K-Mart and it would get sent to a Kodak lab in Chicago or Dallas and would come back beautifully processed with lovingly care.

I'm ready to move on now and have been exploring Kodak's line of E-6 films which I can get processed locally. I'm really impressed with some of these as well as some of Fuji's transparency films. Yes, I'll miss Kodachrome since I used it for so many years, but it looks like I'll get along just fine without it. Like others, I prefer more selection instead of less.

Dave

Sirius Glass · Sep 23, 2009

Darkroom317 said:
I have never had a problem with them on my E-6 just one roll of Kodachrome and a few 120 b/w rolls. How is Samy's with their processing? I hear that they are offering $5.00 E-6 processing and I am considering switching,

I have been using Samy's for over a year with no problems. [ Of course, I can walk in and talk them directly and that might be difficult for you.]

Steve

Iwagoshi · Sep 23, 2009

I do my own E-6, and have never had a problem with Dwayne's wrt Kodachrome. For me the turn around time for Dwayne's is about 5-day, for my E-6 it's about 2 months.

railwayman3 · Sep 24, 2009

Latest K64 back this morning...15 days door-to-door and first class processing as usual.

These are the process-paid films as sold in the UK, and posted to-and-from Dwaynes via Kodak Switzerland. The boxes and mounts are Kodak branded....I don't know if all this involves any extra QC? If so, I hope that Kodak keep an eye on standards right up until the end of next year.

mrladewig · Sep 24, 2009

What will they do about it? If you shoot Kodakchrome, you've got one choice for color processing, period. Kodak isn't going to fire up the old processors just because Dwaynes isn't doing great quality.

Like the OP, I was underwhelmed by the quality of the slides returned from Dwaynes. I didn't have a particular objection, but they just didn't seem top quality to me.

railwayman3 · Sep 24, 2009

mrladewig said:
What will they do about it? If you shoot Kodakchrome, you've got one choice for color processing, period. Kodak isn't going to fire up the old processors just because Dwaynes isn't doing great quality.

Like the OP, I was underwhelmed by the quality of the slides returned from Dwaynes. I didn't have a particular objection, but they just didn't seem top quality to me.

I've no idea what they'd do!! In my experience, there isn't an issue at the moment, and I just said that I hoped Kodak would keep it that way for the next 12 months. :rolleyes:

Kodachrome certainly doesn't work for everyone, depends on preferences, equipment and working practices, subjects and color vision, and other films may be better for any one photographer. I wouldn't use it for landscapes on dull days, for example. And certainly not, obviously, for a once-in-a-lifetime trip...the thought of relying on two trips half-way round the world to a single processor for each film would be too much for my nerves! (Own processing of E-6...can't blame anyone else then. )

Ektagraphic · Sep 24, 2009

Just a year ago, Dwayne's was doing really, really, really good work with E-6 and K-14...not so much any more.

Colin Corneau · Sep 24, 2009

railwayman - I made a deliberate choice to shoot Kodachrome for this trip. It was an informed choice, knowing full well K64's future and the processing option - but one made because Kodachrome is simply like no other film.

It would be nice if the mounting were better quality, but no slides were damaged or images lost. For that I'm thankful.

I'm also absolutely ecstatic at the images that returned to me, and it is simply confirmation that I made the right choice. I shot a mountain of B&W as well, but these were very different and thus very special. I made the right choice, beyond any doubt.

Prest_400 · Sep 24, 2009

I hope they maintain a good quality. It isn't nice to have scratched KR slides. If they are dusty, well, maybe those can be cleaned, but scratched, no way.

railwayman3 said:
I've no idea what they'd do!! In my experience, there isn't an issue at the moment, and I just said that I hoped Kodak would keep it that way for the next 12 months. :rolleyes:

Kodachrome certainly doesn't work for everyone, depends on preferences, equipment and working practices, subjects and color vision, and other films may be better for any one photographer. I wouldn't use it for landscapes on dull days, for example. And certainly not, obviously, for a once-in-a-lifetime trip...the thought of relying on two trips half-way round the world to a single processor for each film would be too much for my nerves! (Own processing of E-6...can't blame anyone else then. )

I plan to bring 3 of the 4-5 rolls I may order next week to my once in a lifetime summer 2010 trip. But, of course, there are relatives there, if there weren't I wouldn't bring a film of that caliber; Kodachrome
E6 is enough for photographing stuff around, KR is overkill unless that place is special to me, or there are relatives to expose in film.
A film roll that has traveled half of the world, sounds exotic to me. I wouldn't lose my nerves, just impatience to see the slides And that little "if it gets lost..."

Colin Corneau · Sep 24, 2009

I wouldn't lose my nerves, just impatience to see the slides

Touché !

Nothing else looks like this film. I'm very glad I made the choice I did - keep in mind the subject matter, which I knew about beforehand, is well suited to this film also. It was shots of villages, streets, etc. with a lot of people photos.

Sirius Glass · Sep 24, 2009

mrladewig said:
What will they do about it? If you shoot Kodakchrome, you've got one choice for color processing, period. Kodak isn't going to fire up the old processors just because Dwaynes isn't doing great quality.

Like the OP, I was underwhelmed by the quality of the slides returned from Dwaynes. I didn't have a particular objection, but they just didn't seem top quality to me.

You could send them back with a complaint and they will promptly lose your slides for no extra charge.

Steve

railwayman3 · Sep 24, 2009

Colin Corneau said:
railwayman - I made a deliberate choice to shoot Kodachrome for this trip. It was an informed choice, knowing full well K64's future and the processing option - but one made because Kodachrome is simply like no other film.

It would be nice if the mounting were better quality, but no slides were damaged or images lost. For that I'm thankful.

I'm also absolutely ecstatic at the images that returned to me, and it is simply confirmation that I made the right choice. I shot a mountain of B&W as well, but these were very different and thus very special. I made the right choice, beyond any doubt.

That's great, pleased that all worked out well. I have a once-in-a-lifetime trip next year, and will be using some Kodachrome, but with E-6 and B&W in a second body to cover all eventualities.

I just get a bit tired when people (not you) knock Kodachrome/Dwaynes when they have, as is their choice, already moved to another film. We know Kodachrome processing is finished next year, the film is virtually sold out everywhere now, and E-6 doesn't have to be sent to Dwaynes if they're not happy with the service. :rolleyes:

Can't say I've had any problems with mounting so far, maybe just been lucky. Seems they've done the difficult part (processing) well and messed up on the easy bit at the end.

railwayman3 · Sep 24, 2009

Sirius Glass said:
You could send them back with a complaint and they will promptly lose your slides for no extra charge.

Steve

Has that happened to you?

Sirius Glass · Sep 24, 2009

railwayman3 said:
Has that happened to you?

It did with Qualex. I do not mail my films out any more.

I had some repeated QC problems with Dwayne's. I documented them here at APUG when they happened.

Steve

Steve Roberts · Sep 25, 2009

railwayman3 said:
I just get a bit tired when people (not you) knock Kodachrome/Dwaynes when they have, as is their choice, already moved to another film.

I'm probably one of the people referred to. I have never knocked Kodachrome but see no reason why I shouldn't report on my experiences with Dwayne's (or any other service or product) when the subject is up for discussion.

Steve

Sirius Glass · Sep 25, 2009

Steve Roberts said:
I'm probably one of the people referred to. I have never knocked Kodachrome but see no reason why I shouldn't report on my experiences with Dwayne's (or any other service or product) when the subject is up for discussion.

Steve

What he said. They have no quality control.

Steve

nickrapak · Sep 25, 2009

nickrapak said:
Amen to that! My last roll (of E-6) that I got back came back as a clear strip of acetate. The only reason I sent it to them was to use up the old Kodak mailers, but damned if I'm going to use them any more!

I just received a response from Dwayne's regarding my blank film. I was told that it was my fault, that I fogged the entire roll of film in the camera. Subsequent rolls came out fine, and I didn't have any issues when shooting this roll. They will not compensate me for the film, nor refund me the processing! I am thoroughly pissed off!

Dave in Kansas · Sep 25, 2009

It's a shame that happened, but don't complain too loudly or some of the people on the other side will say "See, that wouldn't have happened if you were shooting D**it*l."

Dave

Prest_400 · Sep 25, 2009

Dave in Kansas said:
It's a shame that happened, but don't complain too loudly or some of the people on the other side will say "See, that wouldn't have happened if you were shooting D**it*l."

Dave

Yes, something nice to do. Although I doubt "the digi people" visit this forum.

"It's better to shut up and be thought a fool than talk and remove all doubts"

Curious quote I heard sometime ago. :rolleyes:
Couldn't resist to write it here...

John Shriver · Sep 25, 2009

I've had absolutely no problem with the approximately 6 rolls of Kodachrome processed at Dwayne's.

MMfoto · Oct 4, 2009

nickrapak said:
I just received a response from Dwayne's regarding my blank film. I was told that it was my fault, that I fogged the entire roll of film in the camera. Subsequent rolls came out fine, and I didn't have any issues when shooting this roll. They will not compensate me for the film, nor refund me the processing! I am thoroughly pissed off!

Fogged the whole roll blank? I find that difficult to believe. Was ANY of the roll black, like the end snip, film edges, between frames, etc?

geoferrell · Oct 4, 2009

I've not used Dwayne's yet but am wondering about Kodachrome 120. Are there any labs that will process the 120 K64? I know there's a Bluefire Lab that will process it as b/w with scans and printing, but I've not found any for the dye injected color processing.

Fredrik Sandstrom · Oct 4, 2009

geoferrell said:
Are there any labs that will process the 120 K64?

No, there are no such labs. Not since 2001.

nickrapak · Oct 4, 2009

MMfoto said:
Fogged the whole roll blank? I find that difficult to believe. Was ANY of the roll black, like the end snip, film edges, between frames, etc?

No. Absolutely nothing. It looks almost as if someone processed B&W as C-41 or E-6.

Ektagraphic · Oct 4, 2009

I just got a roll of K-25 back the was absolutly perfect. No scratches and very little dust.

Dwayne's Kodachrome processing -- hmmm.

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