This sucks!!!

ToddB · Apr 21, 2015

I went to Walgreens to drop off a roll of color that I shot over the weekend. The clerk informed me they are discontinuing film processing starting on May 7. That Walgreens was the last store in the whole city of Albuquerque that processed film. I still can take it to the last pro imaging lab in the heights, the other side of town. Or look into processing my self. What a bunch of crap. I got into a discussion about imaging quality from Leica cameras and medium format cameras, they sounded genuinely interested in looking at samples on line.

Todd

480sparky · Apr 21, 2015

They won't be discontinuing developing film. What they will discontinuing is developing film in-house. They'll still take your film after that, then ship it to South Carolina (I think) and develop it there. The negatives will be scanned and the files transmitted back to your local store for printing.

What will REALLY suck is when you go in to pick up your film. You'll have prints made from 1200-pixel scans, but you will be told your film has been destroyed. And yes, you'll find out you agreed to that.

ME Super · Apr 21, 2015

Precisely why when Wal-Mart stopped returning negatives with 35mm film, I found somewhere else to get my film developed, even though I shoot slide film and was told that slides would be returned to me. I didn't go to all the trouble of buying slide film, shooting it, sending it out to be developed, only to have a CD returned to me and no slides, when what I really wanted was slides, and that's why I shot that particular film in the first place!

ToddB, you've got 3 options:

Take it to the lab across town.
Process it yourself.
Mail order. This comes with a plethora of choices of who to use and convenience of not having to drive to the lab to drop off and pick up film.

Myself, I use the 1st option, although my lab is actually 3 hours from where I work in Springfield, IL, which is itself an hour from where I live. The camera store sends it from Springfield, IL to their lab in St. Louis and I have it back in a week or less. No more Walgreens/Wal-Mart processing for me with their not returning the film or taking 16 days to return the slides.

Roger Cole · Apr 21, 2015

Those aren't your only alternatives. As the post above says you can also mail the film off to a lab yourself. There are many to choose from that do a good job. I've been doing this for all my color film since I returned to photography in 2010. I find it more convenient than local anyway as the post office is 1.5 miles away and the lobby with self service kiosk is open 24/7. I can take it whenever I have time and it comes back right to my door.

I am close to a Walgreens but it never even occurred to me to take my film there anyway, when I could mail it to Dwayne's or wherever.

snapguy · Apr 21, 2015

lucky

Well, the way I see it is we're lucky the WALGS of this world are getting out of developing film. The last few rolls I sent to a drug store were horribly developed. Probably ancient chemicals not up to the right temp. If everyone could knock of film images and get one hour processing we'd soon be like d&g*t*l only more worser. Film is now a unique niche in the visual arts. Enjoy.

removed account4 · Apr 21, 2015

ToddB said:
I went to Walgreens to drop off a roll of color that I shot over the weekend. The clerk informed me they are discontinuing film processing starting on May 7. That Walgreens was the last store in the whole city of Albuquerque that processed film. I still can take it to the last pro imaging lab in the heights, the other side of town. Or look into processing my self. What a bunch of crap. I got into a discussion about imaging quality from Leica cameras and medium format cameras, they sounded genuinely interested in looking at samples on line.

Todd

todd
if you don't mind setting up an account, and sending out,
there is a lab in pittsburgh that by all reports does
wonderful work, and its prices are very good
http://www.millerslab.com/film
( appuger parkersmithphoto uses them often)

you will have to set up an account
to learn what their prices are
they don't publish them online..

good luck !
john

winger · Apr 21, 2015

jnanian said:
todd
if you don't mind setting up an account, and sending out,
there is a lab in pittsburgh that by all reports does
wonderful work, and its prices are very good
http://www.millerslab.com/film
( appuger parkersmithphoto uses them often)

you will have to set up an account
to learn what their prices are
they don't publish them online..

good luck !
john

Miller's isn't in Pittsburgh, they're in Pittsburg. (Kansas, not Pennsylvania.)
But they're a pro lab who've been around a long time and who are linked with mpix (the lab I use for prints via other methods). I haven't used Miller's for film developing, but I know people who did and who would only use them if they were still doing weddings, etc.. with film.

There are a number of good labs that process mailed in film and I've been mailing mine since 2007 (a few different places, but all good).

j-dogg · Apr 21, 2015

Support the little guys. Take your stuff to a dedicated lab.

Walgreens sucks anyway their associates would get their fingerprints all over my negatives. Good riddance, let the professionals handle my stuff

480sparky · Apr 21, 2015

A friend recently took some b&w film to Walgreens for processing. They said they could develop it.

Yep, they sure could. Just one problem.... they ran it through as C-41.

summicron1 · Apr 21, 2015

Dwayne's.

nuf sed.

ToddB · Apr 21, 2015

probably a blessing. The pro lab on other side of town does an amazing job. On-labs sound awesome too. I have big Greek vacation coming..I planned on taking all my film there anyway. Never considered W for that, too important.

Roger Cole · Apr 22, 2015

480sparky said:
A friend recently took some b&w film to Walgreens for processing. They said they could develop it.

Yep, they sure could. Just one problem.... they ran it through as C-41.

Oh for...

Sigh.

Alan Klein · Apr 22, 2015

LTI Lightside in NYC

removed account4 · Apr 22, 2015

winger said:
Miller's isn't in Pittsburgh, they're in Pittsburg. (Kansas, not Pennsylvania.)
But they're a pro lab who've been around a long time and who are linked with mpix (the lab I use for prints via other methods). I haven't used Miller's for film developing, but I know people who did and who would only use them if they were still doing weddings, etc.. with film.

There are a number of good labs that process mailed in film and I've been mailing mine since 2007 (a few different places, but all good).

thanks for fixing my ignorance bethe !

benjiboy · Apr 23, 2015

480sparky said:
A friend recently took some b&w film to Walgreens for processing. They said they could develop it.

Yep, they sure could. Just one problem.... they ran it through as C-41.

" If you pay peanuts you get monkeys "

Forrest Conifer · Apr 24, 2015

I keep hearing good things about The Find Lab, so I'm planning on sending some rolls to them next month.

MartinP · Apr 24, 2015

I'm feeling fortunate as last year a quite good (so far) C41 processor has opened in town for 135 and 120/220 - and black-and-white too, but I do that myself. They have a dry printing system from Epson that fills a room, but mostly I get dev only. E6 goes away to a huge Fujichrome lab and is really good, but takes five working days.

There are three other shops that send out C41 to large labs in NL or DE, but I prefer to use good local ones where possible or occasionally buy a small C41 kit and run it in a Jobo if I will use up the chemicals for the batch. For the OP, just use a postal lab - it is simple to drop the envelope off and have it arrive at home, so long as the lab is decent.

EdSawyer · Apr 25, 2015

DIY is the way to go here. Cheaper, better, faster, etc.

sagai · Apr 25, 2015

I agree, DIY.
Priceless!
No scratches, hairs, lost frames, etc.
Plus you can save 10% on film if load the film in darkroom to your camera and with DIY, you get all frames! That's 39-40 frames for 36exp 35mm film [emoji2]

480sparky · Apr 25, 2015

sagai said:
I agree, DIY.
Priceless!
No scratches, hairs, lost frames, etc.
Plus you can save 10% on film if load the film in darkroom to your camera and with DIY, you get all frames! That's 39-40 frames for 36exp 35mm film [emoji2]

You can save MUCH more by loading your own spools. And I shoot for 35 frames per roll. That way they fit perfectly into the sleeves with no 'orphan' frames.

sagai · Apr 25, 2015

Not much C41 bulk left on planet earth unfortunately.

nworth · Apr 25, 2015

As of a few months ago, Camera and Darkroom on Central still did film developing.

This sucks!!!

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency