Fujifilm 400

[Sirius Glass]

Where the hell are people paying $25 for C41 processing??????????

Is this some super-duper pro service with some guarantee of recompense for pro work if there's a mistake and full analogue prints? What am I missing? I don't think I could actually find a service that expensive.

Film is basically chemicals....since covid the price of lab chemicals has spiralled and availability has become very erratic. Kodak et al *need* to buy chemicals to make film and don't have much choice over when or what they buy.

I buy comparatively very small quantities of mostly quite common lab chemicals for school science labs. Even basic stuff like hydrochloric acid has doubled in price and now has a 3-5 month lead time rather than 2-3 days. Something like 2-4 dinitrophenylhydrazine used in advanced chemistry is currently almost unobtainable. Potassium dichromate, which has several school science uses and can be used to make reversal processing bleach is hard to get hold of right now. I can only imagine the film manufacturers are facing serious problems getting hold of the more exotic chemicals needed to manufacture colour film- several of which have few or no uses outside of the photographic industry.

Same problem BTW with magnetic tape. Try buying gamma ferric oxide which is the essential magnetic material for recording tape. Price has gone up by a factor of five and lead times are months.

One roll, 36 exposures, glossy borderless prints, two prints per negative. Add a scan or higher quality scan and it can break $50US.

 

[BradS]

Yup. one roll of 36 exposures, develop, one set of prints and a CD at low/standard/web resolution is easily $25.
What's worse though is the fact that the closest lab to me is around 60 miles one way and my preferred lab is just over 100miles one way so...I don't do much C-41 anymore.

 

[Roger Cole]

One roll, 36 exposures, glossy borderless prints, two prints per negative. Add a scan or higher quality scan and it can break $50US.

That's not "C41 processing" then. That's C41 plus scan and print.

 

[Agulliver]

Yeah...I know i am lucky in that if I am feeling energetic I can take a 25 minute walk to a lab that will do process and medium resolution scan for £4 (under $5). That will get me any length 135 roll, 120, 220, 127, 110 and even 126 C41 colour. But even so, looking around it's hard to be charged more than £12 ($14.90) for C41 processing and good scans. And remember the UK prices I am looking at include 20% VAT. The days of £1.99 D&P are long gone but it's actually not a bad market right now for C41. E6 is more difficult to find economic processing but I am just sending off my first roll in years which will be processed and sleeved for £6 - though I'll also pay postage.

$25 for processing and two prints per negative is emphatically not the same as "$25 for processing". Most of that $25 is going into the prints. May I ask what the same lab charges for just processing?

And there's always the option of processing at home.

 

[Nitroplait]

The two labs in my neighbourhood both charges €6.50 for 35mm C-41 processing but €13.00 for E6 or 120 film - finished 1-2 days later.
A bit more if you want same-day or 1 hour service.

They have a loyalty program that will cut 10-15% off those prices.

Above is including 25% VAT.

I do mostly B&W anyway and process myself, so 6.50 is agreeable with me for my 2-4 monthly color rolls, but 13.00 is a bit steep so I don't do slides and only rarely 120 color.

 

[foc]

In Ireland C41 processing and standard scans (via dropbox/email) mail order service range from €10 to €16.50.
Pre Covid, the prices were €5 to €10
If you want the negatives returned it can cost between €4 to €6.50 extra.
The Vat included is 13.5% which is the lower rate as film developing and printing is deemed a service.

 

[BradS]

Yeah...I know i am lucky in that if I am feeling energetic I can take a 25 minute walk to a lab that will do process and medium resolution scan for £4 (under $5). That will get me any length 135 roll, 120, 220, 127, 110 and even 126 C41 colour. But even so, looking around it's hard to be charged more than £12 ($14.90) for C41 processing and good scans. And remember the UK prices I am looking at include 20% VAT. The days of £1.99 D&P are long gone but it's actually not a bad market right now for C41. E6 is more difficult to find economic processing but I am just sending off my first roll in years which will be processed and sleeved for £6 - though I'll also pay postage.

$25 for processing and two prints per negative is emphatically not the same as "$25 for processing". Most of that $25 is going into the prints. May I ask what the same lab charges for just processing?

And there's always the option of processing at home.

...but if you don't have prints made, if you just get scans, what's the point of using (C-41) film? Might just as well use a digital camera then - no?

 

[Agulliver]

...but if you don't have prints made, if you just get scans, what's the point of using (C-41) film? Might just as well use a digital camera then - no?

I think you'll find the majority of film users would disagree wholeheartedly with you. As do I.

 

[Agulliver]

In Ireland C41 processing and standard scans (via dropbox/email) mail order service range from €10 to €16.50.
Pre Covid, the prices were €5 to €10
If you want the negatives returned it can cost between €4 to €6.50 extra.
The Vat included is 13.5% which is the lower rate as film developing and printing is deemed a service.

Oh I should add that my £4 lab always keeps the negatives with the intention that the owner retrieves them.

Honestly I'd consider it theft if a lab didn't have a reasonable way to get the negs back to me.

 

[koraks]

...but if you don't have prints made, if you just get scans, what's the point of using (C-41) film? Might just as well use a digital camera then - no?

If you get prints made, they're digital prints anyway, so that would make shooting C41 moot to begin with.

Some people get their C41 film developed and print optically at home.
Some people scan their C41 and view or output in whatever way they want.

If you look at it rationally, there's very little reason whatsoever to shoot film. Or to photograph at all. Or to get up in the morning.

 

[BradS]

I think you'll find the majority of film users would disagree wholeheartedly with you. As do I.

Obviously but that doesn't answer my question. Some folks think its ok for the lab to discard the negatives too...which **is** completely insane.

 

[BradS]

If you get prints made, they're digital prints anyway, so that would make shooting C41 moot to begin with.

Some people get their C41 film developed and print optically at home.
Some people scan their C41 and view or output in whatever way they want.

If you look at it rationally, there's very little reason whatsoever to shoot film. Or to photograph at all. Or to get up in the morning.

ah, but if we don't get up in the morning, it is real difficult to make coffee.

 

[koraks]

You don't have one of those machines you can program the timer on so it starts itself in the morning?

(Also, consider getting up in the afternoon - college style!)

 

[BradS]

Nah....no kitchen staff either.

 

[Roger Cole]

...but if you don't have prints made, if you just get scans, what's the point of using (C-41) film? Might just as well use a digital camera then - no?

Because you're going to make your own digital prints? Or optical prints and just use the scans like a contact sheet?

I used to get C41 developed with lowest available resolution scans. I then used the scans to choose frame to optically print RA4. I have a Jobo but it just wasn't worth doing my own C41 for the price I could have it done for instead.

 

[Huss]

Where the hell are people paying $25 for C41 processing??????????

They must be including hi rez scans w that.

 

[Agulliver]

They must be including hi rez scans w that.

Apparently that includes two sets of prints....because nobody processes film without also having two sets of prints?

In other words...nope....C41 film processing does not cost $25 anywhere that any of us is aware of.

 

[MattKing]

Kerrisdale cameras has some decent prices - I'm not sure what film they are supplying in their $17.99 film, develop and print or scan service:

 

[BradS]

Looks like $31 for a roll of 36 - develop, one set of 4x6 prints and standard scan.
Assuming that's Canadian dollars, then at the current exchange rate, its about $23 USD.
Seems like $25 is a pretty good estimate.

 

[BradS]

Here's the Swan Photo Labs price list for C-41
https://www.swanphotolabs.com/swan08/pdf/color_mailer_dp_pl35mm_form.pdf

They charge $24 plus tax and return postage to develop, print and scan 36 exposures. That's one set of 4x6 prints and a CD with standard (low res) scans.

 

[BradS]

Because you're going to make your own digital prints? Or optical prints and just use the scans like a contact sheet?

I used to get C41 developed with lowest available resolution scans. I then used the scans to choose frame to optically print RA4. I have a Jobo but it just wasn't worth doing my own C41 for the price I could have it done for instead.

Ok. Fair enough but that doesn't seem tip the economics in favor of using miniature format C-41.

 

[Huss]

Ok. Fair enough but that doesn't seem tip the economics in favor of using miniature format C-41.

Dunno, economics seem to be completely in favour of using this miniature format. For $8 dev at my local shop I get 38-39 images on 35mm film. Or 76-78 if I use my Pen FT. I like those numbers! If only I could get a 1/4 frame camera and shoot 150+ exposures per roll! Will make the seven I get out of my Brooks Plaubel Veriwide seem puny.

 

[Roger Cole]

Ok. Fair enough but that doesn't seem tip the economics in favor of using miniature format C-41.

As compared to what? And in any case, I use what I want to use and pay what it costs. It would have to cost a lot more than it does even now for economics to enter into it.