I'm back, but I need serious help!!!!

[molested_cow]

I hate to return this way. I was planning to return with tons of awesome photos from my trip, 20 rolls of them. I had so much anticipation because I was so sure that I did almost everything right to get good pictures, but it didn't turn out this way.

I sent my negatives to Ritz camera here in Detroit because the Ritz at Baltimore did a good job and I had the membership card. So, 20 rolls, $183 I spent. When I opened the files in the CD, I was shocked.

All the pictures are weird, either in terms of color, lighting and contrast. Since I used the same equipment as before and you guys know that I am not absolutely a beginner, and that I have always gotten good results, I didn't think it was my fault, especially when ALL the photos are like that.

So I called them and they said they will take a look and rescan for me. I went back the next day, and appearently I was talking to the shop owner. He obviously is a professional photographer and he looked at the pictures. The lab technician who did my photos said she had to do some extreme color adjustment, something about everything was purple.... whatever. So I pointed out that I have never had any problem with anywhere else, and I was sure of what I did. Furthermore it happened to all the photos which I took in different places on different days. I even brought my older photo CDs to show that what the Ritz in baltimore did for me, also to prove that I'm not some beginner.

The shop owner looked at the pictures, and basically "reasoned" why was each particular picture not successful. Yeah it sounds that it makes sense, and he was trying to be nice about it, but I knew he was just trying to avoid having to rescan all the photos for me. I am not good at arguing so I said fine and left.

So here are some examples. I have some really good shots and really want them to turn out nice. I am wondering if there is anyone with the equipment who can help me scan my negatives to see if the problem is really on my negatives and not their scanning process.

I was using Kodak ISO 400 film, like always. I use ISO200 too, but not this time cus I knew I will have dark situations in the woods.

As you can see, most of these are taken in perfect weather condition, around 2~5pm. I see no reason why this should happen. If you guys have any suggestion, or are willing to help, please let me know!!! I am of course willing to pay for the service.

 

[santino]

Welcome back!
You have some really nice pics. I had a similar problem a few weeks ago, it was def. the scanning. All pics. had a "spit of magenta" and were looking really horrible. But hey, you still have the negatives, nothing's lost except your money

 

[molested_cow]

It's freaking $180!!!! That's a lot of money!!!

Yeah, I am looking at my negatives. The technician said that the deer pics I have were totally black and that she had to adjust the lighting to the max. Absolutely bullcrap! My negatives show perfectly defined images!!!!! The colors are distinct too.

 

[Alison]

If it was me, I would either demand that they rescan or take one roll elsewhere and have it rescanned. If the images look good, take them back to the original place and they should re-do them for you.

 

[santino]

Yeah I know, I hate to get my pics "digitally corrected" or something like that. They should let it go, I mean when I get my pics on CD I'm able to correct it by myself. I'm thinking of a negative scanner but don't know, but if you have to spend $180 for scanning it's worth to think about.

 

[LizM]

Do you have a scanner with a negative attachment? If so, scan one to prove it to them. Or, just take the negatives to Wal-Mart or Rite Aid and have them print one roll - then take those prints to Ritz. One of my local Wal-Marts is really good.

I gave up on Ritz/Wolf years ago - they did nothing but overcharge me and screw up my pics!!! issed:

 

[molested_cow]

No I don't have a film attachment for my scanner. I plan to ask my school's photography instructors tomorrow morning and see what they say. They have a digital lab, maybe I can have one or 2 scanned too.

Scanning with those scanners takes a looooong time. I remembered it took like 25 min to scan one of my b&k negatives.

and if I send one roll to someone else and get good result with them, I rather have them do the job than to ask Ritz to rescan. I want my money back!

 

[Alison]

and if I send one roll to someone else and get good result with them, I rather have them do the job than to ask Ritz to rescan. I want my money back!

They should give you a refund.

 

[rangefinder]

Here's what I would suggest.

Go to Wal-Mart or some other lab and have them print one 4x6 from one of your negatives. See what it looks like. If it's OK go to step 2.

Step 2: Take that same negative back to Ritz and have them print one 4x6. Compare the two.

If they look alike, or close, then see the manager again. If they look very different, the Ritz print looks bad, see the manager.

Now for the good ones - why couldn't Ritz do that the first time around.

If they're different then why can Wal-Mart do a good job and Ritz can't - unqualified and or lazy techs?

As long as you get a good PRINT from your negatives, without a lot of extra color correction, etc. then your negatives are good. If your negatives are good then Ritz just botched the scanning. If they won't make it good then I would address the issue at corporate.

 

[Cormut]

I've had problems with WalMart before. I turned in a roll of 24, and was expecting at least 20 back. (1 or 2 that didn't turn out is usually a given) so I go to pick up my pictures and whoa, I got 9 pictures back. I do all my stuff at a professional lab, and although it's a bit pricey, it's worth it in the end.

 

[ksmattfish]

Take a roll with the most problematic images on it to another pro lab. Don't say anything about your Ritz experience, and see what kind of job they do on the scanning. Maybe ask them if they think your negs (slides?)look like there is anything wrong with them (such as over or underexposed, old film, etc...). If they don't have any problem, then maybe you can return to Ritz and see if you can work something out.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of experience that would cause me to give up on a lab (assuming I did decide it was their fault), and Ritz knows this, so they may be assuming they've lost your business for good whether they give your money back or not.

You can get a 35mm neg scanner for pretty cheap these days. Doing it yourself takes time, and can be difficult, but when you get it figured out, it's so much nicer to rely on yourself than other folks.

I worked in a pro lab for 3.5 years and I've been dealing with several pro labs for aobut 10 years now, and although this is a very broad generalization, I found the managers/owners to be pretty much burned out with photography; too much dealing with other folks' stuff, and not enough fun doing their own. And most of the employees considered themselves amateur photographers, but really didn't come into the job with a whole lot of knowledge. With the exception of 2 other guys, no one I worked with or met at other labs in all that time had anywhere near my passion for photography; it was just a job to them. It pays to take the time to get to know the lab people, and see if you think they have the right attitude to work on your stuff. I just dumped the pro lab I've been using for the last 4 years (for my color work); too many mistakes, and not following instructions. I've found a new lab, and we'll see how they do. I'm a picky SOB. I may have to start sending it out in the mail.

 

[Ant]

Sorry to hear about all your trouble.

one serious question though if I may, and this applies to anybody who shoots film exclusively.

Do episodes like this not frustrate you enough to give up on film and turn to digital? Or are these circumstances just not that common?


Of course I suppose it's different if you develop your own stuff.

 

[ksmattfish]

Do episodes like this not frustrate you enough to give up on film and turn to digital? Or are these circumstances just not that common?


Of course I suppose it's different if you develop your own stuff.

It made me determined to set up my own darkroom once I quit the lab. A big part of why I got the job at the lab was to be able to use their equipment on my own photographs But labs don't really pay very well, so I had to move on; this may also explain why they don't always have the most skilled employees

I guess if you are getting prints from your own inkjet printer, then you can cut out the lab. But if you want chemical prints you still have to work with the labs, even with digital. I've found color calibration differences between my monitor and their machines to be just as frustrating. Besides, there are numerous non-lab related issues with digital that I find even more frustrating.

And it is possible to find a good lab, or more likely, a good lab worker. When I find a good printer at a lab, I make sure that they are the ones who always do my work. The guy I was using at the lab I dropped became a high school teacher, and moved on. The rest of the printers at that lab appear to suck after a dozen or so rolls, so I'm searching for a new guy. There are excellent mail order labs; I'm just trying to avoid sending my color work out for now, but it may be inevitable. When digital can match medium format color film, I'll definately switch for my color work, but it ain't there yet

 

[Ant]

And it is possible to find a good lab, or more likely, a good lab worker. When I find a good printer at a lab, I make sure that they are the ones who always do my work. The guy I was using at the lab I dropped became a high school teacher, and moved on. The rest of the printers at that lab appear to suck after a dozen or so rolls, so I'm searching for a new guy.

Ooh, I'd be careful.....I've seen that movie 'One hour photo' with Robin Williams. You'll end up with some Psycho following you around!! :shock: ........

 

[BernieSC]

A couple of questions and comments. First did you have them printed as well as having them scanned? If so did the prints look better or different than the scans?

I know that many Ritz camera centers use one of two ways to scan negs either a stand alone scanning system or many of their stores use the Fuji frontier which prints and scans the negs at one time. I think the fuji frontier does a much better job because the scan is an exact exposure as the printed neg. Which means when they print the neg it is making an exact scan. The stand alone scanning system in my opinion sucks! And I am guessing from the pics you posted those were not scanned on the fuji. All the negs I have had done with the fuji frontier have a much better dynamic range. Most Ritz stores have at least one store in each city that has a Fuji frontier so if they did not scan them with that system you might want to find a store that does.