Snappy Snaps (UK) services and prices - your experience?

[Don Simon]

Hi, I'm not sure if this qualifies as "General Photography and Camera" but it seems the best place for it. I've just finished shooting my first roll of black and white film since I left college (and with it the darkroom) a couple of years ago. I have no way of processing film myself, so have to rely on shops to do it for me. Someone here recommended Snappy Snaps for black and white film, and the prices and services sounded very good, so I had a friend drop the black and white and two colour films in at a local branch for developing. All I asked for was for all three films to be developed with 6"x4" prints. I got the receipt along with a note as to how much it would cost - £25. That's £25 for three films, one of which was only 24 exposures. That's too much for 6"x4" no matter how you look at it. It's £11 for the black and white alone. £11... for 6"x4" prints! I thought Snappy Snaps were known for being able to do black and white, but it sounds like here they're having to send it off at cost. Especially when you consider that the prints will be ready... Next Friday! Six working days in order to produce 6"x4" prints and they still charge me £11? Which still doesn't explain why the two colour films will come up to £14.

It gets better... I asked my friend to enquire about the prices of scanning the prints onto CD. They said £4.99 - for the first film. Subsequent films would be £3.99. Oh, what a deal! What spectacular value! Only £12.97 for the whole CD. Add that to the £25 processing and I'd be paying nearly £40 just for some test rolls to see if my cameras work. Needless to say he didn't ask for the CD service. If "service" is the right word.

Sorry if this seems a bit of a rant, I don't think anyone here works for SnappySnaps, but hey, I need to vent my spleen somewhere, and this is mainly practice for when I call them up :mrgreen:


My question is, has anyone else had black and white processing done at SnappySnaps, and did they try to rip the shirt off your back too? Colour processing is probably more common, so also I ask, has anyone recently paid £14 to have 60 small prints? I'm pretty convinced these aren't the prices being charged in every SnappySnaps branch across the country, not after what I've heard from others.

 

[Rob]

Yes, it's expensive isn't it!! Try getting medium format done in one hour B&W for a bank-breaking experience.

Those are the hourly prices I would say, so check out the next day or three day services for a better value deal.

Don't forget that SS are mostly franchises run locally, so be extra nice and beg for a discount.

R

 

[Don Simon]

Hi Rob, yeah I thought they sounded like hourly rates, which is why I'm especially confused, since my friend specifically asked for three day service, and in fact they won't be ready until next Friday

 

[ferny]

It does sound like they're sending them away. Which is good to some degree. It means they know that someone else would do a better job than them so they'd rather let them do it that mess you around.

You could always look in your yellow pages for local photo labs and phone them up asking what they'd charge. You may even find the one that SS use. It may be cheaper, it may be more expensive. It doesn't hurt to ask though.

And you could always develop the B&W yourself, pick out the negatives you like and then get those printed. It'll work out even cheaper then.

 

[Don Simon]

Develop myself? Hmm now there's a thought. How dark does a darkroom have to be? Because I could probably get the film onto the reel and into the tank in a cupboard under the stairs (if I throw the coats out, and stick a chair in there) chemicals and basic equipment shouldn't cost too much eh?

 

[ferny]

To develop the B&W film you don't even need a dark room. I'll spam you a couple of threads I started to get some help when I first decided to have a go. I've still got my chemicals sitting in a box as I've yet to actually have a go.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14882
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15461


I miss Mindy.

 

[Don Simon]

Thanks ferny - but surely you need "darkness" while you get the film in the tank? I wouldn't really trust a bag alone to stop the light getting to it, plus I'd find it difficult winding the film onto the reel inside a bag.

 

[ferny]

It depends on what tank you have, from what I hear. Some can be loaded in light. Shut yourself under the stairs with no lights on at night or something. That should more than do it. Once it's in the tank and the tank is closed you can put the lights on.
I assume most tanks are like mine in that they have a light lock on them. So when you pour the chemicals in you just have to lift the lid. Again, that can be done in light.

If you want advice on this kinda thing start a thread in the darkroom forum. All the hermits will come out of hiding. :mrgreen:

 

[Don Simon]

Hehe ok, thanks for clearing that up. I was a bit confused by the bit about not needing dark to get the film into the tank, it got me wondering what kind of light-proof film you were using :mrgreen: Apart from which, it would have meant I spent 2 years fiddling about with reels in the dark for no reason at all . I'm still a little confuddled though... how is it even possible to load them in light? Surely the film has to be wound out of it's 'spool' before it goes onto the reel and into the tank, and if the light hits it... :scratch:

 

[AlmightyWa]

Boots and Jessops both quote about £9 to process B&W (36exp) (I take it you don't mean those C-41 B&W films) and they still take about a week to do.

Best to do it yourself, alas I have no cupboard.

Anyone got a cupboard to spare?