Had it with Dwayne's/Kodachrome

Steve Roberts · Oct 12, 2007

Jedidiah Smith said:
Two weeks turnaround in UK? What is with the shops there? Jed

The high street shops here in Plymouth (Boots, Truprint, etc.) send slide films and more unusual formats (probably anything other than 35mm these days) elsewhere for processing. Both of the aforementioned recently quoted me two weeks turnaround because they have a collection once a week. If you're lucky and hand your film(s) in on the day the van turns up, you'll get it back same time next week, but if you're unlucky and just miss a collection, it'll be two weeks. A sign of the times, I'm afraid. Firms such as ColourCare weren't brilliant but once did a daily run around the photo shops of Plymouth.
It's still quite feasible to get a two or three hour turnaround of E6 but just involves a bit more hassle dropping off and collecting and (inevitably) a bit more money! Spectrum in Plymouth couldn't be more helpful.

Steve

Steve Roberts · Oct 12, 2007

dslater said:
Hmm - you know until Dwaynes became the sole Kodachrome processor and Fuji's processor, I only heard good things about them. I wonder if they are now overwhelmed with work and have had to hire a bunch of inexperienced people to keep up?

... Or cut corners now they know they have us over a barrel???

dmr · Oct 12, 2007

PKM-25 said:
Grant Steinle does listen, this little lab in the middle of Kansas is trying to keep up and does care about quality control. Heck, they even mark my K-25 on the bag so I can keep it separate.

I'm expecting a roll back in the mail today or tomorrow. If it does turn out totally 144, as some have experienced lately, I'm going to try to phone Grant Steinle and see if he will indeed listen to me.

Has anybody else who has been disappointed with Dwayne's done that?

dmr · Oct 17, 2007

dmr said:
If it does turn out totally 144, as some have experienced lately, I'm going to try to phone Grant Steinle and see if he will indeed listen to me.

As a follow-up to my own post, I'm happy to report that my last slides from Dwayne's last week came through just fine. No dust, no scratches, no off-center mounts. Therefore, no phone call to Mr. Steinle.

srs5694 · Oct 18, 2007

Jedidiah Smith said:
Did they give them back in cardboard mounts? that might be some of the dust problem...I wonder what it would take to get us some plastic mounts from Dwaynes like I get from my local pro-lab that does my E6.

I don't know about getting plastic mounts out of Dwayne's, but they will return film uncut and unmounted, at least if you send it to them directly. (I've had no luck with this via Kodak mailers, though.) You could then cut and mount the slides yourself. Of course, this adds to the hassle and expense, but if having plastic mounts vs. cardboard mounts is important to you, it might be worth the hassle.

RoBBo · Oct 19, 2007

srs5694 said:
I don't know about getting plastic mounts out of Dwayne's, but they will return film uncut and unmounted, at least if you send it to them directly. (I've had no luck with this via Kodak mailers, though.) You could then cut and mount the slides yourself. Of course, this adds to the hassle and expense, but if having plastic mounts vs. cardboard mounts is important to you, it might be worth the hassle.

I sent out 5 rolls and asked for them to be uncut unmounted, as I'm scanning them anyways...
4 came back that way, one came back in cardboard mounts.
I was confused, but figured someone had an 'oh shit!' moment at dwaynes.
So...some of the time, they will return it uncut and unmounted.

Toffle · Oct 19, 2007

RoBBo said:
I sent out 5 rolls and asked for them to be uncut unmounted, as I'm scanning them anyways...
4 came back that way, one came back in cardboard mounts.
I was confused, but figured someone had an 'oh shit!' moment at dwaynes.
So...some of the time, they will return it uncut and unmounted.

This is my experience as well. Sometimes I get my slides back unmounted, another time they're in cardboard. A phone call to Kansas got the response, " oh, we don't do unmounted slides." OK... next time my slides come back... unmounted. I'm running about 80% in my favor, so I won't complain. ('till the next time)

Cheers,

Ken Nadvornick · Oct 19, 2007

I must be the odd man out here since I'm sorry to have to report that my newly arrived roll of K64 slides were returned to me... perfect. Correctly orientated in their mounts. No crud. No dust. No fingerprints. No muss. No fuss. Dropped in the mail Monday, returned Saturday.

And the best part? That no extra charge bonus of a wonderful five-day interval of anticipation. That's not a bug, mind you. That's a feature. And one you won't get with that other type of imaging technology, no matter how much you spend...

Ken

copake_ham · Oct 19, 2007

RoBBo said:
I sent out 5 rolls and asked for them to be uncut unmounted, as I'm scanning them anyways...
4 came back that way, one came back in cardboard mounts.
I was confused, but figured someone had an 'oh shit!' moment at dwaynes.
So...some of the time, they will return it uncut and unmounted.

Toffle said:
This is my experience as well. Sometimes I get my slides back unmounted, another time they're in cardboard. A phone call to Kansas got the response, " oh, we don't do unmounted slides." OK... next time my slides come back... unmounted. I'm running about 80% in my favor, so I won't complain. ('till the next time)

Cheers,

I'm going to go a bit into "forbidden territory" here but I'm curious about which scanners you use?

I've never thought of asking for the slides to be processed unmounted. But if that will avoid "Dwayne Dust" I'd like to try it.

I use a Nikon 5000D - do you know if it will scan an unmounted strip of slide film using the neg film feeder?

tjaded · Oct 19, 2007

I've received a few rolls back unmounted, on request. It probably helped that they were stereo images...

dmr · Oct 19, 2007

Ken Nadvornick said:
I must be the odd man out here since I'm sorry to have to report that my newly arrived roll of K64 slides were returned to me... perfect. Correctly orientated in their mounts. No crud. No dust. No fingerprints. No muss. No fuss. Dropped in the mail Monday, returned Saturday.

I'm even wondering if word got back to them (maybe even from this board) that their QC was slipping and that customers were noticing?

Quite honestly, last week I was expecting dust and scratches from hearing the reports here. I was pleasantly surprised.

Your turn-around time is typical of what I see. I sometimes get them back Friday if I hit the early mail on Monday. Still, some (Stateside) people are still quoting 2 weeks or so.

And the best part? That no extra charge bonus of a wonderful five-day interval of anticipation. That's not a bug, mind you. That's a feature. And one you won't get with that other type of imaging technology, no matter how much you spend...

I would prefer same-day. I can, however, shiver with antici ... ... {SAY IT!} .. PATION for a few days. Two weeks is too long for me.

Steve Smith · Oct 19, 2007

Just out of interest, I have one roll of Kodachrome left which I suppose I should use fairly soon. Does anyone in the UK know where I should send it?

Does it still get forwarded if I post it to the Wimbledon address on the envelope?

Steve.

Toffle · Oct 19, 2007

Steve Smith said:
Just out of interest, I have one roll of Kodachrome left which I suppose I should use fairly soon. Does anyone in the UK know where I should send it?

Does it still get forwarded if I post it to the Wimbledon address on the envelope?

Steve.

I drop my Kodachrome (vintage KM25 - prepaid processing) at the drugstore, which happens to be a Fuji lab. They send it to Fuji Canada, who forwards it to Kodak Canada, who send it to Dwayne's. Some weeks later, the process reverses, my drugstore scans and prints reference copies for me for about $6. A pretty good deal, if you ask me. The turnaround time is a bit of a bother, though.

Cheers,

Stan160 · Oct 19, 2007

Steve Smith said:
Just out of interest, I have one roll of Kodachrome left which I suppose I should use fairly soon. Does anyone in the UK know where I should send it?

Does it still get forwarded if I post it to the Wimbledon address on the envelope?

Steve.

I'm not sure if the Wimbledon address is still in use, but Kodak advise to use their address in Lausanne:

Laboratoire KODACHROME
Case Postale
Ch-1001 Lausanne
Switzerland,
CH

RoBBo · Oct 19, 2007

copake_ham said:
I'm going to go a bit into "forbidden territory" here but I'm curious about which scanners you use?

I've never thought of asking for the slides to be processed unmounted. But if that will avoid "Dwayne Dust" I'd like to try it.

I use a Nikon 5000D - do you know if it will scan an unmounted strip of slide film using the neg film feeder?

Imacon 949, if we're allowed to talk about it...

Had it with Dwayne's/Kodachrome

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