Labs for mail order processing eastern US

madsox · May 23, 2023

As implied, I'm looking for recommendations for a lab that can do processing of film, and would like to stick to the eastern US just to keep shipping time down a bit (I'm near Washington DC). Roll film, a mix of 35mm and 120, all B&W so far but probably back to color too eventually. I'd like to be able to get contact sheets with the processed film, but that's not a requirement, just nice-to-have.

Quality and price are more important than speed, and eventually I'll get some new developing tanks and learn about current chemistry, but for now it's just a roll here and there so having someone else develop them makes sense.

So, who does anyone recommend? I'll add links to this post as I get them, maybe that will be helpful.

Thanks!

Roger Thoms · May 23, 2023

Praus Productions does high quality work. https://www.4photolab.com/

Roger

TomR55 · May 24, 2023

Off the top of my head ... Colourworks in Delaware, http://www.colourworks.com/film_processing.htm, and Old School, at https://oldschoolphotolab.com/ should still be in business. And, of course, Dwayne's Photo at https://www.dwaynesphoto.com/.

MarkS · May 25, 2023

I wonder if Chrome, in Washington DC, is still in business?
Otherwise Edgar Praus, as mentioned above, does superb work.

madsox · May 25, 2023

MarkS said:
I wonder if Chrome, in Washington DC, is still in business?
Otherwise Edgar Praus, as mentioned above, does superb work.

Oh, I'd forgotten about Chrome - they were good back in the day! Also District Photo, another of my go-to places. They both faded away years ago, with Penn Camera and some others (Strauss, I think it was? Nikon shop in Northwest... )

Although I see a place called Dodge Chrome, I wonder if they're related? https://dodgechrome.com/film-processing

Sirius Glass · May 25, 2023

I am puzzled by the comment that the shipping costs [US Postage] will rise with further distances. Shipping time may rise but even that is suspect since much of the mail still goes by air, but the cost for small packages of slides or negatives and prints is not a function of weight, to a limit.

Alan Edward Klein · May 25, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
I am puzzled by the comment that the shipping costs [US Postage] will rise with further distances. Shipping time may rise but even that is suspect since much of the mail still goes by air, but the cost for small packages of slides or negatives and prints is not a function of weight, to a limit.

Why not?

Sirius Glass · May 25, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
Why not?

A quick visit to the USPS website or a local post office will answer that question.

Alan Edward Klein · May 25, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
A quick visit to the USPS website or a local post office will answer that question.

You made the point and should explain it. I don't know what you're talking about.

Sirius Glass · May 25, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
You made the point and should explain it. I don't know what you're talking about.

The post office offers packaging that are fixed price regardless of weight.

madsox · May 25, 2023

So anyway, back to the OPs point, he (me) is factoring in the *time* of shipping back and forth, so keeping to places east of the Mississippi is preferable. Most of those are probably in the Boston-NYC-WashDC corridor. Got a few suggestions here to start with, let's get some more!

Alan Edward Klein · May 26, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
The post office offers packaging that are fixed price regardless of weight.

I assume you're referring to fixed price Priority Mail. Those prices are often higher than if you price up the package by weight especially if it's just a few ounces like film would be. Are there other classes I'm not aware of?

Alan Edward Klein · May 26, 2023

madsox said:
So anyway, back to the OPs point, he (me) is factoring in the *time* of shipping back and forth, so keeping to places east of the Mississippi is preferable. Most of those are probably in the Boston-NYC-WashDC corridor. Got a few suggestions here to start with, let's get some more!

LTI Lightside in NYC but they don't do E6 chromes. Only color and BW negative developing and printing (digitaland analog). They're a pro lab but competitively priced.

LTI - Lightside, home, main,

LTI/Lightside: photography services for artists, professionals and enthsiasts for over 30 years

www.lti-lightside.com

Projects of theirs both fine art and editorial/advertising and the various photographers they've worked for.

LTI Lightside

Alan Edward Klein · May 26, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
I assume you're referring to fixed price Priority Mail. Those prices are often higher than if you price up the package by weight especially if it's just a few ounces like film would be. Are there other classes I'm not aware of?

Here's an example of Priority vs regular mail. Example was 6 ounces in one of those bubble type envelops would cost $5.40 (second from bottom) vs. a lot more for Priority fixed pricing. Although I selected NYC to NYC Zip codes, the pricing is the same to anywhere in the country although I don't know if it's the same to Alaska or Hawaii.

Retail Postage Price Calculator Mail Services

postcalc.usps.com

Labs for mail order processing eastern US

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