It's like they don't want my money

egdinger · May 31, 2006

I don't get it, we have two mini-labs in town here. The only two local options for film processing. And both of their machines (a fuji fp563scal, and a noritsu qfs-v30sm) can process 120 sized film. But for whatever reason they won't, any time I ask they say their machine can't do that. Nevermind trying to get them to cross process anything, you would have thought I'd asked them to drown kittens in it. Are they not trained, can they not even read a manual, or do the managers (one of these is a wal-mart) say that they can only do 135 neg? It's like they don't want my money.

roteague · May 31, 2006

Send the film to Calypso, they will gladly take your money, and they will do a better job, cheaper.

agGNOME · May 31, 2006

They may not have the proper canisters to load 120 film into that are typically used for roller-transport machines. Regardless, Wal-*art is usually a recipe for disaster unless of course you want scratches and fingerprints on your film. Seriously, the technicians rarely use glove or finger cots, nor do they handle film by the edges. If you bring them 35mm film don't be surprised to have every fourth frame physically cut by a siginificant percentage, in addition to the aforementioned gifts.

jhavard · May 31, 2006

First off, they may not have all of the equipment to run it through the film processor. Secondly, gunk builds up on the edges of the film path if they run tons of 35mm but no 120. Some labs will hold 120 until their weekly cleaning ritual is performed. Finally, would you really want an untrained monkey making $7.50 an hour running a minilab handling your precious 120?

jhavard · May 31, 2006

agGNOME said:
They may not have the proper canisters to load 120 film into that are typically used for roller-transport machines. Regardless, Wal-*art is usually a recipe for disaster unless of course you want scratches and fingerprints on your film. Seriously, the technicians rarely use glove or finger cots, nor do they handle film by the edges. If you bring them 35mm film don't be surprised to have every fourth frame physically cut by a siginificant percentage, in addition to the aforementioned gifts.

There's a reason decent photo labs cost two or three times a one hour photo labs.

egdinger · May 31, 2006

jhavard said:
Secondly, gunk builds up on the edges of the film path if they run tons of 35mm but no 120.

I had no idea that could happen. The only thing I dound so annoying, was this is just a test roll that I want back in an hour.

Maybe I'll just buy a machine and do better processing...

jhavard · May 31, 2006

egdinger said:
I had no idea that could happen. The only thing I dound so annoying, was this is just a test roll that I want back in an hour.

Maybe I'll just buy a machine and do better processing...

I picked up a Konica-Minolta KP32 film processor for $100 on eBay recently. Unfortunately, I would have needed to upgrade the breaker panel at the house to have that, the clothes dryer, air conditioner and the espresso machine (La Marzoco Linea 3AV) plugged in. I tried to get rid of it in the classifieds section, but there were no takers. I ended up scrapping it. Got plenty of pumps out of it, some of which will be used in the darkroom.

Denis P. · May 31, 2006

egdinger said:
I had no idea that could happen. The only thing I dound so annoying, was this is just a test roll that I want back in an hour.

Awwww, don't get me started on this issue....
I usually have to wait about a week or more to get my 120 roll developed and prints made... And I consider myself lucky that the local lab doesn't charge me postage for sending it away for processing

egdinger said:
Maybe I'll just buy a machine and do better processing...

I thought of that, too

It's not very practical, though... And the chemistry tends to be expensive...
Heck, I could get a Fuji printing machine practically for free - from a local lab, which went hybrid (they bought a Fuji Frontier or some equivalent). But the thing is huge, and consumes large quantities of chemistry

Back to original question - I inquired about the 120 format issue with that local lab: they told me that it's not only the film canister (which can be bought cheap), but something about the film transport...
Well, even if they could develop the film, they couldn't make the prints, since their new digi-wonder print machine doesn't have the scanning module for 120 format. It's not a big deal, just a replacement module which can be replaced in about 10 seconds - it' used to feed the film into the machine for scanning. However, when I proposed to share the cost of purchasing that 120 module, they said "Fine, it's about $4000, plus 22 percent tax. How much are you willing to contribute?"

No wonder they declined the offer to buy it as an optional accessory

Sometimes when I think of myself as an APUG member, I say that I'm actually a member of "Anachronistic Photography Users Group"

Denis

agGNOME · May 31, 2006

jhavard said:
There's a reason decent photo labs cost two or three times a one hour photo labs.

This is the point I was trying to make. In the end you're not saving money.

egdinger · May 31, 2006

Denis P. said:
I thought of that, too

It's not very practical, though... And the chemistry tends to be expensive...
Heck, I could get a Fuji printing machine practically for free - from a local lab, which went hybrid (they bought a Fuji Frontier or some equivalent). But the thing is huge, and consumes large quantities of chemistry

Denis

See there is a collage in town here that had a fairly strong arts department, but no one other than the minilabs to devolp film for them. And I know they've complained about the quality, so there may be a market. But all the machines that I can find forsale are nowhere near me, and not economical to ship.

glbeas · May 31, 2006

egdinger said:
See there is a collage in town here that had a fairly strong arts department, but no one other than the minilabs to devolp film for them. And I know they've complained about the quality, so there may be a market. But all the machines that I can find forsale are nowhere near me, and not economical to ship.

So buy some tanks and reels and do a manual dip 'n dunk line. Many labs used to do it this way for a long time before automation.

Claire Senft · May 31, 2006

I know that terrible feeling of rejection. The only cure is to keep trying. If you pm me privately, I will give you and address to send your very welcomed money to. I am not posting it here so as not to over burden the US postal service with everyone covering me in a blizzard of green.

Samuel B · May 31, 2006

If your local labs don't know how, or don't want to process your 120 film, it's probably best you don't give it to them. But you would think if they had a few requests for it they would make an effort to find out how / or do whatever they need to do to get the work. Nearly all modern film processors will do 120 / 220 film, but yes if not much 120 is done you may get some dirt on the edges, but this should be minor if the machine is kept clean. Most smaller labs however won't have the accessories to print 120 film, as it can cost quite a bit.

Ray Heath · May 31, 2006

why are many of the members here constantly annoyed/perplexed/paranoid everytime a commercial decision impacts on their 'hobby'

so they won't print your 'unusual' film, that's their choice

so Kodak no longer makes products that are not commercially viable, do want them to lose money

so your local photo processor will no longer do large prints because only a very few customers ever want them and the expensive chemicals go off, why should they bother

egdinger · May 31, 2006

Ray I didn't ask them to print it, I know they can't do that. But Their machines are capable, and the noritsu from what I can tell you don't have to change anything, and they just refuse.

Anyone know if pvc pipe affects the chems in anyway? I don't think it would....

bob100684 · Jun 1, 2006

they do have the proper "canisters" aka intermediate cassetes as they come with new fuji film proscessors, what they probably don't have are the neg carriers ect for the printer

battra92 · Jun 1, 2006

egdinger said:
I had no idea that could happen. The only thing I dound so annoying, was this is just a test roll that I want back in an hour.

Maybe I'll just buy a machine and do better processing...

I know the feeling. My local Wal*Mart is decent but only when this blond woman or this guy with crazy hair is on duty. They are the only ones I trust for quick snapshots and such. Of course, anything important I shoot on chromes and send that out.

I could go to the one sorta pro lab in the area (Sunshine Photo) but frankly I found their work to be subpar as well and cost twice as much. I now simply shoot chromes, scan them and send them to AdoramaPix. They at least seem to know what the hell they are doing (I just wish I had a good local lab that can do chromes to prints)

Harrigan · Jun 1, 2006

You want to take 120 film to Walmart for processing? This is a joke right?

pentaxuser · Jun 1, 2006

Given your problems, isn't this the classic argument for buying a secondhand Jobo processor and doing it yourself. With a changing bag you don't even need a darkroom.

pentaxuser

Mark Pope · Jun 1, 2006

jhavard said:
There's a reason decent photo labs cost two or three times a one hour photo labs.

And then they don't always look after your film. A few years back I used a local so-called "pro" lab to process a roll of 120 colour print film. When I went to pick up the negatives, they were just left lying around half hanging off the edge of a office paper tray. They hadn't been cut or sleeved. I never used them again. Oddly, they seem to have gone out of business.
Oh and the prints were pretty crap too.

Donald Qualls · Jun 2, 2006

egdinger said:
Anyone know if pvc pipe affects the chems in anyway? I don't think it would....

I haven't tried pipe with color chemistry, but ABS (at least) works fine with B&W. I'd expect ABS to be okay for color as well; it's the same stuff some commercial plastic tanks are molded from (it's sold, conveniently in black, as drain pipe in sizes from 1.5 inches up to something like 6 inches, though in North Carolina the smaller sizes seem not to be in the home improvement stores).

It's like they don't want my money

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