Sad News In Minneapolis -- Digi Getting Out of Film Processing

[zenrhino]

Bad news for us here in the Twin Cities.

Looks like the last E6/120/LF film processor here, Digigraphics, is exiting the film processing business. That means for us here, no film processing locally except 35mm.

They stopped doing b/w earlier this year, and now color is getting the axe.

If you attend Tom Arndt's get togethers, I'm sure tomorrow's meeting will have plenty of talk on the subject.

Edited to Add: I just got back from Digi and they said that Linhoff is indeed doing E6 and C41 -- twice a day sometimes depending on volume. Linhoff is who they recommended to me. They also said that Midwest Photo Service in St Paul does C41 but sends E6 and B/W to someone in St Cloud. Rich Silha is still doing B/W according to the folks at Mpls Photo Center. So all is not as dire as I'd thought. But it makes me glad I bought that Jobo a couple years ago.

 

[Andrew Moxom]

Bad news, but I get my 120 format velvia processed at Sams Club.... As they cannot do it inhouse, it gets sent to Fuji labs.

 

[Venchka]

Sooner or later, somebody will wake up and dive into a nice niche market ripe for the picking.

 

[adamc]

That sucks!
Doesn't Linhoff still do 120/LF E6 processing?

Adam

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Pro Color - Dead Link Removed

I think these guys are still around.

There is also the option of processing it at home. It's a lot easier than you think.

 

[deisenlord]

I didn't know Tom Arndt's get together were still happening after MCP closed? Where are they now?
Ike

 

[fschifano]

Pro Color - Dead Link Removed

I think these guys are still around.

There is also the option of processing it at home. It's a lot easier than you think.

Yes Thomas, you're right. E6 and C-41 are not difficult to do, but the processes are not economical for low volume users and that, I think, is the real obstacle. For the professional doing high volume work, each hour spent running film is an hour not doing something more productive and so that doesn't work either.

If you like running C-41 and E6 processes, that's great. I just don't see it as something that will be as popular as B&W unless the cost of the chemistry is on par, or nearly so, with B&W chemistry for the low volume user - the guy who doesn't run enough film to support a replenished line and keep it in spec.

 

[rjphil]

That's why I never went bigger than my 3.5 gallon E6 line. Been running it since 1982, every day. It's way easier to keep in control than a deep tank machine.
Here in Connecticut, I'm one of only 3 E6 lines left, and am falling into the "niche-market" category - but I'm committed to film, and glad to be here.

 

[mgb74]

Universal Color in New Hope processed my 120 E6 about 6 weeks ago. Linhof was processing 120 E6 this summer. National Camera "takes" 120 E6 but sends it to Universal.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Good news on Universal. That's just down the road from where I work in Golden Valley.

Frank, you are right. What I do is pile up 120 or 35mm color film until I have enough that I can process it all at once with a kit. With JoBo C41 kits at least it comes out to about $4-5 per roll. Not too bad, but not exactly dirt cheap either. Don't know about E6 since I have never purchased a kit, just used chemistry that was given to me to experiment with. It's probably less economical due to the many more steps.
A while back I read about home brew E6 and it looked rather interesting too.

- Thomas

 

[amuderick]

I am able to get very good results with the 5 liter E-6 kit over the course of an entire year. I fill the head space of the bottles with Dust-Off and keep them at around 55F in the basement. Whenever I need to develop I mix up the minimum chemistry using an oral syringe and am good to go. It is easier and more long lasting than you think. Good luck!

 

[zenrhino]

I didn't know Tom Arndt's get together were still happening after MCP closed? Where are they now?
Ike

They're meeting tomorrow at 630 at the Wyman Building in Mpls. I'm not sure if they still are called the Camera Workers Group, but I think it's the same core of people.

Here's a link to a google map I made of art/photo stuff here in the Cities. The Wyman Bldg is the red thumbtack downtown in Mpls.