Walmart for good basic minilab processing?

[BetterSense]

It's been years since I shot any color. I just came back from vacation with 6 rolls of 35mm color neg. I no longer trust the few local 1-hour labs to treat my film with respect and give me reasonable prints (last time they printed the roll backward). I've never had any trouble with wal-mart's send-out service which goes to Fuji labs, but I don't know the current pricing. Are there any other good places to send my film out? The advantage of using Walmart is traditionally I was able to escape paying for prints that didn't turn out, of which there will be many on these 6 rolls due to experimentation. Is this still the case and is the quality still good?

 

[Joseph Ellis]

BWC in Dallas... does good professional work

If your in Dallas try BWC... bwc.net they're downtown near I35 and Medical City Dr.

 

[removed account4]

i have used them for 10 years and never had a problem ..

 

[markbarendt]

I used to use my local WalMart, they were actually one of the best options locally. I say that in the past tense because they are now a send out service and do most of my own processing.

 

[AlbertZeroK]

Most wal-marts no longer have wet labs, they send all their film off. In VA they send it to Fuji in SC who does a good job, however, at their prices, a local lab should give you better quality AND service by someone that actually knows what the term C-41 means.

 

[David Brown]

The problem is: they are not all created equal. Some are fine, others - not so much. For instance, I discovered that the local (Cedar Hill) Ritz is run by a man in his 50s, and he even knew what I was asking when I took in a roll from my swing-lens camera, and didn't want the negatives cut (or printed). I doubt that all Ritz locations are the same, however. Good hunting!

 

[Two23]

Very few Walmarts will process film on site any more. I think it might be one in twenty. They do have great equipment when you find one though. There's also Walgreens, maybe.


Kent in SD

 

[Chan Tran]

not many walmart processing film in house any more. Their equipment is good there is nothing wrong with their equipment. There is problem of upkeeping the equipment. Part of the reason because they don't have enough volume to really keep their process stable. They don't have skill people to maintain their equipment. So at several walmart that I have used the results were poor. What bother me the most is that the C41 process isn't good. I get dirty/scratch negative. Under developed negative. I don't care about the printing process.

 

[BetterSense]

I'm not asking about walmart's in-house processing. I'm specifically asking about their send-out film service, which goes to either Dwaynes or Fuji labs.

 

[pukalo]

I have not used their 35mm C-41, but their 120 C-41 is phenomenal quality at an excellent price. With 4x5 prints, I think it runs around $5. Most pro labs will charge you that much for development alone, not including any prints. They do the 120 out of Dwaynes, who have volumes to sustain good quality c-41 results. I bet most local pro labs receive so little film volume, they have problems keeping their minilab equipment and c-41 chemicals within specs. (not to mention E-6).

Unless these are super critical, once in a lifetime type shots, I think you will be fine using Walmart sendout in 35mm. They may send 35mm C-41 to one of the few remaining Fuji mass processing labs left, instead of Dwaynes though. In this case, the risk would be possible roller transport scratches.

Note: I know for a fact that they send all 35mm slide film, and all 120 and 220 C-41 and E-6 to Dwaynes, which is itself a pro lab, with top quality results.

You might also try Walgreens. Although a bit expensive, my local Walgreens still does in house work, and keeps their equipment and chems clean and fresh. My negs always turned our immaculate. However, when the bumped negs only up to like $5.50/roll, I began taking to Costso, which also has great quality and still gets good volumes to keep chems fresh. $1.50/roll there.

 

[Paul Howell]

I have not used Walmart in years, but if you are close to a Target. At least here in the Phoenix area they still have in store processing and I get good results. The only issues: I shot some Frennia and the shots tend to be a little on the yellow side, Kodak is just fine, and they get so little film they dont alway check the bin. I turned in a couple of rolls I was going pick up the next day, got called out of town and when I returned 3 days letter the rolls were still still in the bin.