Inexpensive processing

I (there was a url link here which no longer exists) (emphasis on San Francisco, CA) about places to process 4x5 film, both in color and b&w. I got some responses and started calling them about prices. I found out that all of them charge $3 per sheet for processing only. This does not include making prints. So I started thinking that maybe there were places online (I mean no store per se) that one could send his negatives to for processing at a more affordable rate? Does such a thing exists? Or any place that will take negatives from anywhere (or at least the US) for processing? Does this exists or am I just dreaming? Thank you.

I'm in Europe and going by here, $3 is almost suspiciously cheap !

I have heard between $2.75 to $3 and higher but $3 is average. I think the only way to get it cheaper may be to process yourself or give them to a freind who might process.

You get what you pay for. QUALITY< SPEED< PRICE Pick two only.

DIY isn't so hard. The hardest part of DIY is temperature control, and this is easily handled with a large tub of tempered water. Sure, there are startup costs to consider, but these are minimal and will be amortized in short order. HC-110 is a very good and economical developer for processing sheet film in trays. Kodak's Flexicolor Fixer and Replenisher is an excellent, non-hardening fixer when used at 1/2 strength for all sorts of B&W materials even though it was made for color negatives. Stop bath and Photoflo are dirt cheap. Trays large enough to handle a 5x7 print are big enough and these are selling for very little on the used market. You can even use food storage containers of an appropriate size, source from your local favorite housewares department. A good thermometer is a must,but even that's not too expensive. I use an electronic kitchen thermometer sourced for about $10 from WalMart and it's more than good enough for B&W work. Run a string above the bathtub and add a few spring clamp type clothes pins to hang your film to dry and you're done. After the first 100 or so negatives processed, you'll have been paid back, probably with some money left over. Printing is where it starts to get expensive, but you might not be so keen to print all your negatives.

richard ide said:

QUALITY< SPEED< PRICE Pick two only.

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I almost fired an engineer for giving that answer...

It is tantamount to giving a customer the choice "Pick one: lousy quality, late delivery or over-priced merhandise."

The engineer, though, was managing to be late, over-budget and with an unreliable design. Not the time for a wise-arsed answer.

On topic: $3 / sheet sounds like a very good price.

Dead Link Removed


E-6 35mm/120/220 right now they have a $5/roll processing-only special right now. I've been using them for the last 6 months or so, and I have been getting great results.

$1.50/c-41 4x5 sheet

$1.70/E-6 4X5 sheet

and yes, they take mail-order for ALL film procesing, not just the $5/roll special. Since I'm not set up to do color film at home, I've been sending ALL my color stuff up there(save some 35mm c-41, aka Costco). nothing but great, no-muss no fuss results.

-Dan

I was thinking about the following type of customer when I wrote my first post. The one who comes in and wants the best quality print right away; never mind your other obligations and then feels that he should get a 90% discount.