how much do you pay for photo developing?

[Jeremy Z]

One thing I have found out also being a Ritz employee is that quality control has suffered since the advent of digital.

I worked there before the advent of digital.

However, when you say quality has suffered there, are you talking just about the digital prints, or optical prints (from film) as well?

They probably have newer machines now. In my .... "tenure" (1994-1996) at Ritz, the printing machines showed the lab girls the negative, and the better ones could even see bad colors from the negative alone! They probably have a computer screen to show it on now, in positive format.

 

[JIP]

I actually have been working there on and off part/full time since then (1994) and they do have new machines Frontiers and they do have computer diplays and they do depend on them way too much. I remember gow they used to do it as you said they could get most of them right just from looking at the negative but they also looke at the prints to make sure they got it right it seems now they have skipped that step and just print them and box them. And as I said that may just be the store I worked at I don't know because I do know som true professionals who print at Ritz and rake alot of pride in putting out quality work but thos people are slowly fading away.

 

[usayit]

However, when you say quality has suffered there, are you talking just about the digital prints, or optical prints (from film) as well?

I too have noticed exactly what JIP is saying. In fact, most of the 1 hour places don't do true optical prints anymore... 35mm is essentially scanned and sent in as digital.

I always go to a local "pro" shop (whatever that means) and ask for development only. I then examine each frame (via scanner) and request prints seperately. Cuts down on the cost as well as keep the quality up as I can focus and work with the lab on those individual prints. B&W stuff is done in the same manner... lab develops the negatives.. but I do the prints at home.

 

[hazzayoungn]

I too have noticed exactly what JIP is saying. In fact, most of the 1 hour places don't do true optical prints anymore... 35mm is essentially scanned and sent in as digital.

I always go to a local "pro" shop (whatever that means) and ask for development only. I then examine each frame (via scanner) and request prints seperately. Cuts down on the cost as well as keep the quality up as I can focus and work with the lab on those individual prints. B&W stuff is done in the same manner... lab develops the negatives.. but I do the prints at home.

is it difficult to do the prints on your own?

 

[benstewart]

Yet another Ritz/Proex employee here.

Your final product will be looked at picture by picture.

Thankfully, three of our five employees, including myself, are regular photographers. One being a former studio photographer, the other freelance sports, and me, an intern for a local paper who shoots pretty much everything.

As for digital photography, I look at photos before and after they print unless people are regulars who really know how to use our kiosks.

Regardless of editing, I always look at the final product. If something looks bad and a customer points it out, I offer both a reprint and if they want it, an explanation of how they could improve the picture in terms of brightness/things that aren't wholly artistic.

 

[usayit]

is it difficult to do the prints on your own?

B&W is not difficult at all although it will require a darkroom with various equipment including an enlarger. Head on to the Darkroom forum and start with a search.... all the details are there.

Color development under traditional enlarger w/ color head is a bit more involved. I still rely on a lab for my color prints.

 

[usayit]

Hearing about Ritz... kinda sounds like jiffylube... Each lube center seems to have a different level of service really dependent on those who are running that particular service center. Some have awful service and others have excellent service. Two in my area are vastly different... they even use different brands of synthetic oils.. one uses Pennzoil and the other uses Mobil 1.

BTW... Just did a whois lookup on wolfcamera.. I didn't know this but wolfcamera doman is registered to ritz. Looks like they are one of the same. I've heard pretty bad stories about wolfcamera.. even though the ritz people on this thread seem to work at pretty reputable places.

 

[JIP]

Ritz bought Wolf some time ago so Wolf should now be closer to Ritz in quality control standards.

 

[Jeremy Z]

B&W is not difficult at all although it will require a darkroom with various equipment including an enlarger. Head on to the Darkroom forum and start with a search.... all the details are there.

Color development under traditional enlarger w/ color head is a bit more involved. I still rely on a lab for my color prints.

I think the poster who says he does them himself was talking about scanning the negatives and printing them on a photo printer.Direct optical printing from negatives will be better than from a photo printer.