Optical Proofing

Ektagraphic · Aug 3, 2010

Hello-
I was wondering what labs out there besides Blue Moon are still offering optical proofs at the time of developing. Blue Moon is doing awesome work I was just curious as to if anyone else is out there.

Patrick

nickrapak · Aug 3, 2010

I have this feeling that Blue Moon is the only place doing good optical proofs. Most others are old one-hour labs that couldn't be bothered to update their equipment. Most of the time, this also means they can't be bothered to keep the lenses clean, resulting in a print that is worse than a scan.

That being said, the lab I use, Philadelphia Photographics, does offer an optical contact sheet from all B&W and C-41 orders, if you ask for it. I have never tried this service, but their optical enlargements are excellent, so I wouldn't expect anything less for their contact sheets.

2F/2F · Aug 3, 2010

Any professional lab I have ever been to does this.

Are they really a professional lab if they do not?

Ektagraphic · Aug 3, 2010

2F/2F said:
Any professional lab I have ever been to does this.

Are they really a professional lab if they do not?

Could you offer a specific lab? I'm not talking about contact sheet, I mean a proof print from each negative.

MattKing · Aug 4, 2010

G. King Photo in Vancouver:

Dead Link Removed

2F/2F · Aug 4, 2010

Ektagraphic said:
I'm not talking about contact sheet, I mean a proof print from each negative.

OK. That is more clear. You just said "proofs" in your OP, and I thought you meant proofsheets.

I am not sure who does this optically.

I also do not think that not being able to do this makes a lab non professional, as I stated in my original response. That was in reference to a lab that does not even have enlargers.

Stephen Frizza · Aug 4, 2010

Ektagraphic said:
Hello-
I was wondering what labs out there besides Blue Moon are still offering optical proofs at the time of developing. Blue Moon is doing awesome work I was just curious as to if anyone else is out there.

Patrick

I offer it as a standard request at my lab. I can make optical proofs from B&W, Colour Neg and Slide (onto ilfochrome). I can also make enlarged optical proofs

John Shriver · Aug 4, 2010

Last I knew Smile Color Lab in Burlington MA did optical proof printing. They also do C-41 on a roller transport line.

I was quite happy with their optical proof prints when Dorian Color Lab (Arlington MA) would dip & dunk your negatives, and then drive them to Smile for proof prints. But volume fell too much to justify their travel costs and time. So now I scan and send the files to mpix.com to print.

Ektagraphic · Aug 5, 2010

John Shriver said:
Last I knew Smile Color Lab in Burlington MA did optical proof printing. They also do C-41 on a roller transport line.

I was quite happy with their optical proof prints when Dorian Color Lab (Arlington MA) would dip & dunk your negatives, and then drive them to Smile for proof prints. But volume fell too much to justify their travel costs and time. So now I scan and send the files to mpix.com to print.

Unfortunatly, Smile doesn't even process film anymore.

Ektagraphic · Aug 10, 2010

It's all on Blue Moon.

Optical Proofing

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