Go cheap they said, it will be just fine they said.

F/1.4 · Jul 29, 2012

To illustrate a point that I've seen to be a reoccurring theme here:

Same film.
From the same pro pack.
On the same 120 back.
Shot the same way.
On the same day.
Sent to two different places to have developed and scanned.

This is why you don't send film to Wal Mart, or a joint like Rite Aid, Walgreens or CVS:

Fuji 400H though the Contax 645 from last month.

Klainmeister · Jul 29, 2012

People pay money on their iPhones for that effect

ColdEye · Jul 29, 2012

If you have the money to spend $20 per 35mm roll, then why not? So far I am happy with my cheap Walgreens scans.

SkipA · Jul 30, 2012

I've only used Walgreens a couple of times for test rolls. They came out fine. I used to use Costco for C-41 all the time. Good job, no problem. I've used Walmart send-out service for 120 E6. No problem. Perhaps I've been lucky, I don't know.

Leighgion · Jul 30, 2012

Costco's always done fine for me.

Kodak Portra 800, developed and scanned by Costco.

The Art of Coffee by Leighgion, on Flickr

benjiboy · Jul 30, 2012

I can't understand why people spend thousands of $ on pro level photographic equipment and agonise about the quality of it, take enormous care and trouble taking the shots on professional film, and then send their work to to the cheapest and nastiest mini lab they can find.

Felinik · Jul 30, 2012

Klainmeister said:
People pay money on their iPhones for that effect

Instagram for Film!!!

thegman · Jul 30, 2012

I've had good results paying £1.99 a roll, and crap results paying £9.00 a roll. Cheap does not ensure bad, and expensive does not ensure good.

Now I've mostly settled on one lab, which is mid-price, the scans are low res, but the developing is good and very fast.

bdial · Jul 30, 2012

It depends on the specific lab, whether it's in a Rite Aid, respected camera shop, or wherever. If the people running it pay attention and operate things correctly, then your film will be fine. Unfortunately, it's hard to know if your only choice is giving them a roll of film and waiting for the results.

Rick A · Jul 30, 2012

I drop my color film at Rite Aid but use the send out service(Fuji). Last time I allowed them to process in-house, they botched the crap outta my film. Most common problem is the operator doesn't allow the machine to come up to temp, resulting in a similar appearance to the OP's second pic.

jeddy-3 · Jul 30, 2012

bdial said:
It depends on the specific lab, whether it's in a Rite Aid, respected camera shop, or wherever. If the people running it pay attention and operate things correctly, then your film will be fine. Unfortunately, it's hard to know if your only choice is giving them a roll of film and waiting for the results.

I can't agree more. I have a pro-lab and a CVS within a mile of each other. The "pro-lab" (they say they are a pro lab, but won't push/pull color film and don't process E6) costs twice as much and is at least twice as long to get my processed C41 back. When asked about the age of chemicals, the CVS clerk told me that "the Kodak guy comes and does that stuff on some schedule". I was happy with this reply. I was skeptical but first brought them a test roll before anything I cared about, and got beautiful results. The clerk also told me that their particular machine is outdated, and that at other CVS stores in big cities they have new machines that process the film much faster, use less chemicals, and are extremely efficient. He even demonstrated his process to me and seemed pleased that someone actually appreciated his (simple/boring) task. I felt comfortable not with his limited knowledge but the fact that he did express a small interest...at least he cares, if only a little. Apathy is quality's biggest threat, in almost every situation.

Find a cheap place with people that care and you'll probably always get good results. Stick with them, develop a customer-relationship with the people that work there. I'm sorry you got burned, but it's not the norm (in my limited experience).

Bill Burk · Jul 30, 2012

F/1.4 said:
To illustrate a point...

Now there you have the conclusive proof... The lab makes photographers look good.

Did you tell them "no corrections"?

RPC · Jul 30, 2012

F/1.4 said:
This is why you don't send film to Wal Mart, or a joint like Rite Aid, Walgreens or CVS:

It is why I don't send it anywhere but do it myself.

tron_ · Jul 30, 2012

This is why I develop/scan myself

Although lately I just leave the 35mm up to the local CVS. I ask for the negatives uncut and just scan them at home. The lady who runs the lab there is a photo enthuasiast herself so I trust her

removed account4 · Jul 30, 2012

F/1.4 said:
To illustrate a point that I've seen to be a reoccurring theme here:

Same film.
From the same pro pack.
On the same 120 back.
Shot the same way.
On the same day.
Sent to two different places to have developed and scanned.

This is why you don't send film to Wal Mart, or a joint like Rite Aid, Walgreens or CVS:

Fuji 400H though the Contax 645 from last month.

that's a 2 minute fix, at least you can fix it ..

back in the 1990s i lived in boston.
i shot a lot of c41 and e6 and used to take it
to a prolab i began to trust with my film.
i trusted them with my personal work and
figured i trusted them enough to give them
some of my bread+butter ... i never did that again
the e6 came back cooked.

i am sure if i gave it to cvs or whatever, it would have been fine.
and saved me the excessive$ it cost to have a pro lab process and the headache of
re-shooting the job. " sorry i have to re-shoot this, my lab ruined my film '

just because it is a pro lab or expensive does not mean they can't mess things up just as bad as a cvs/walgreens &c.
and in the end, they will just give you a roll of film, shrug their shoulders and say 'sorry" ...
at least these days there is a now conventional way to save botched processing, 20years ago we were hosed.

tron_ · Jul 30, 2012

jnanian, forgive me for being an idiot, but how can one fix that so quickly?

CGW · Jul 30, 2012

Quality with any degree of consistency was largely dependent on volume among budget big box labs. Once 35mm film sales tanked, quality started slipping and the labs vanished. Costcos around Toronto dropped all film service 3 years ago. This left Frontier labs in a large grocery chain that are now on the verge of ending all film service for lack of customers. Crappy results like the OP's have killed 35mm for me--why bother with junk C-41 dev/print service? Now it's 120 developed at a quality pro lab.

removed account4 · Jul 30, 2012

tron_ said:
jnanian, forgive me for being an idiot, but how can one fix that so quickly?

i can't go into it here, but it isn't that hard make a photograph look OK ... ( using modern tools ... )
if you are relying on making a print look exactly like it would have if the film was stored correctly, exposed correctly
processed correctly and printed correctly ... you are probably SOL ...
it is all about making something out of nothing ...

F/1.4 · Aug 1, 2012

This was also a good one LOL:

nicholai · Aug 1, 2012

Hahaha. light leaks? No. Wouldnt think so. at all.

pgtips · Aug 27, 2012

I've always taken my film to the Co-op pharmacy to get it done, its cheap and though they make no claims to be a pro-lab if you write stuff in the 'Other Instructions' box of the form it generally gets done only thing is they've put up the price of black and white so much that its cheaper to get it done at a proper lab

Go cheap they said, it will be just fine they said.

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