Target Phasing Out C-41 Machines

rjbuzzclick · Mar 28, 2012

Just a heads up, I was speaking to the person that runs the photo processor at Target in Crystal. MN and she told me that they will be getting rid of their C-41 machines by mid April. She specifically mentioned the Crystal and Brooklyn Park locations, but made it sound like all of the Targets will be losing they're C-41 processing this spring. Kind of sad, as it was possible to get a roll "develop only" for under $2.

Tim Gray · Mar 28, 2012

Happened here a long time ago

ME Super · Mar 28, 2012

Targets in Peoria and Springfield, Illinois haven't had C-41 machines for a while. Wal-Mart has largely phased their in-house C-41 processing out as well - there's one store in Springfield that still has it I think. I do E-6 more than C-41 so this doesn't affect me much. C-41 is still widely available here at Walgreens and CVS pharmacies though.

Wal-Mart's and Meijer's (a great lakes regional superstore chain kind of like Wal-Mart) C-41 send-out service doesn't do dev-only, you get prints, but can have them back in 3-6 days (fuji pickup in this area is currently Tuesday & Friday mornings). For E-6 add 7 days onto that. Slides come back mounted in cardboard mounts.

BrianL · Mar 28, 2012

At the rate the developers are phasing out and making developing harder to have done commericially, it will certainly affect the decision to stay in business for the color film manufactures unless they come up to bat and start either offering an in-house mail service or starts to think of something like master contracts with the likes of Wal-Marts, etc. to support the development business either in each store at a location within the company to process their regions with quick turnarounds.

Dinesh · Mar 28, 2012

Wait for it ....................

holmburgers · Mar 28, 2012

This is indeed sad news, as I could get dev-only for 99¢ at my Target.

Luckily, for anyone who's willing to mail their film there's no shortage of labs that do high-quality mail-order processing with quick turnaround and reasonable rates.

BrianShaw · Mar 28, 2012

Tim Gray said:
Happened here a long time ago

ditto. Same at Walmart and most drug stores.

CGW · Mar 28, 2012

Sad testament to the collapse of mass market demand for film. Costco stores around Toronto killed film processing almost 3 years ago. Although Fuji.ca seems bent on yanking processors out of their mini-lab customers' Frontier lines, 35mm processing seems to be down a trickle at the Frontier-equipped lab I use.

Dinesh · Mar 28, 2012

CGW said:
Sad testament to the collapse of mass market demand for film. Costco stores around Toronto killed film processing almost 3 years ago. Although Fuji.ca seems bent on yanking processors out of their mini-lab customers' Frontier lines, 35mm processing seems to be down a trickle at the Frontier-equipped lab I use.

... and there you go!

Sirius Glass · Mar 28, 2012

Dinesh, that was an hour and 15 minutes from BrianL's post and an hour and 8 minutes from your post. The length of the wait time is diminishing at an accelerated rate. Soon it will happen before the post!

Jeff L · Mar 28, 2012

CGW said:
Sad testament to the collapse of mass market demand for film. Costco stores around Toronto killed film processing almost 3 years ago. Although Fuji.ca seems bent on yanking processors out of their mini-lab customers' Frontier lines, 35mm processing seems to be down a trickle at the Frontier-equipped lab I use.

The Walmart I use does at least a few films everyday ( I ask if they've had any in today when I drop mine) They just put their develop only price from $3 to $5 CDN. I'll be ordering a C-41 kit from B&H very soon. I do all my own B&W, but have never done C41, so cheap to have it done - till recently.
Jeff

CGW · Mar 28, 2012

Jeff L said:
The Walmart I use does at least a few films everyday ( I ask if they've had any in today when I drop mine) They just put their develop only price from $3 to $5 CDN. I'll be ordering a C-41 kit from B&H very soon. I do all my own B&W, but have never done C41, so cheap to have it done - till recently.
Jeff

Yup. Loblaws is pretty much done with film, too. There's one left in Mississauga that will actually process 120 C-41. Their 35mm dev/print is so-so but getting pricier. They keep muttering that it may be gone later this year. My local Costco was actually quite good for the money.

rphenning · Mar 28, 2012

Last time I got anything done at target the kid behind the counter signed me up for 8x10s of every negative without me knowing, flat refused to pay the $90 dollars they were charging, they threw it away right in front of me. The best a manager could give me was "sorry".

I realize what "XXXX is phasing out C41" means for the greater good but if my experience is any indication then Target was doing more to hurt the film industry anyways.

Jeff Kubach · Mar 28, 2012

Sorry to hear about Target, I wonder how many are going this route.

Jeff

Target Phasing Out C-41 Machines

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