I am using a lab again for the first time in years.

[Paul Howell]

I know the feeling. In my early years of photography, I was too afraid to develop my own film (too much could go wrong). Now, I wouldn't trust anyone to develop my film; I must do it myself.

I developed my own film for a very long time, 60 years +, but color has gotten so expensive that on a fixed income for the few rolls I shoot every year I use a color lab. For the part for color I use on digital.

 

[Prest_400]

I've always sent out C41, occasionally E6. For the latter it's a once every two years group development session at our photo club, and will perhaps do one towards summer.

Lab wise I thought that I managed to get unlucky even with real good prolabs with dip and dunk. In that case it was C41 but had some streaking in dense areas (sky) resembling bromide drag. Misscanned negatives, lost negative (once 3 years ago). Lost rolls in the post. A bit of everything. Sadly some of those were due to being very budget conscious during my student era, and sending out to other countries made sense.

The historically old chemistry issue IMO should be much less due to low turnovers nowadays as the "new gen" labs that are scan and mail based do a lot of work. In their defense, I'd say that they made film shooting much easier during the half decade they were established in the 2010s as they also sell film, making it easier to purchase and dev.

I developed my own film for a very long time, 60 years +, but color has gotten so expensive that on a fixed income for the few rolls I shoot every year I use a color lab. For the part for color I use on digital.

Anyways, as C41 goes, I tend to batch it and send out, to get it mailed back home or even picked up. I was having a conversation with another photo club member, and my set up made sense and was more economical that DIY if counting other factors (6€ a roll in Spain). I tend to also point that it's false economy trying to squeeze some simplified C41 chemistry rather than just paying a bit more for proper development.

Brand and type of equipment should make no difference to C41 processing. A lab is usually only as good as its owner/staff/operators.

foc did some of my film a decade ago before retirement and all good
As of E6, it's either big labs that still ahve the infrastructure, or many of the newer labs just run some batches on JOBOs. Chemistry age is more of a factor, last year I had a single E6 roll for a season so it was chucked with the C41 and the lab ran it in their batch. If anything, that E100 looked a bit dark and I wonder if it was 6 or 3 bath kits.

Also for the last 2 years, I've had a trip to Asia and developing it locally in at the end of the trip made it much more easy and convenient. I've got to meet some passionate people working their labs there and a bit of the local community that way.

B&W I always do myself.

 

[foc]

foc did some of my film a decade ago before retirement and all good

Thanks for the compliment. Always nice to hear good feedback.

 

[rduraoc]

Some months ago I took a severely expired (20+ years) Velvia 50 in 120 format to a well established photography shop here in Brussels. When I placed it on the counter the guy scratched his head and grabbed the phone to call a colleague - what do we do with this? Turned into 3 weeks just to get it developed - because it had to be sent to Germany somewhere. In the end, it actually came out quite nice - much better than I was expecting for such an old piece of film.

 

[koraks]

because it had to be sent to Germany somewhere

Almost certainly to one of CeWe's labs. I think they are now down to one site where they still do E6. Until about ca. 2 years ago, Fuji in The Netherlands still did E6, but they shut down that line due to too low volumes/lack of demand (in fact, that entire lab is now shutting down, including print processing/photo finishing).

 

[Agulliver]

Some of these posts make me feel so fortunate to have a mini-lab business within a traditional camera shop that I can walk to from my home if I wish. And I trust the lab operator 100%. She's been in the business since the C-22 days. Runs her Agfa DLab processor three times a week, ensures the chemistry is fresh herself, and if I want will let me stand behind her while she scan to ensure I get the results I want....though I am just as happy for her "normal" scans and to tweak them more to my tastes or needs of the moment. She also, without fail, cuts and sleeves the negatives. All for £6 for any format of C41 including 135, 120, 127, 110 and I believe 126 though I've never done the latter.

 

[koraks]

The "nice" thing is that for one-head operations like hers, retirement options are often abysmal, so they keep at it until they can no longer stand on their feet.

 

[Agulliver]

The "nice" thing is that for one-head operations like hers, retirement options are often abysmal, so they keep at it until they can no longer stand on their feet.

She'll retire eventually...I'm sure. Right now she's pretty fit despite being run over by a car a couple of years ago and suffering broken bones. Her living expenses are pretty low and she's doing the film dev/print/scan/edit job because she loves it....but the point about her likely pension is taken. It's not something I've ever asked her about, though I gather she doesn't strictly *need* to keep the business going.


And the point at which she retires....is probably when I shall take up C41 processing at home.