Where do you get your film processed?

[superkentendo]

I've been taking mine to Rite-Aid and getting the premium service but my photos still are cropped funny and show obvious signs of digital printing. Anyone know any good and inexpensive (under $12 for singles) photomats? Also, do any processing places still use chemicals or is everything digital? How much would chemical (C-41) processing cost?

 

[ksmattfish]

At KSMattfish's Darkroom of Debauchery :twisted: I guess that's BW only.

Out here in Kansas it costs $3 to have one of the pro labs do a develop only (no prints) on a roll of 35mm. Prints are usually $0.30 to $0.40 apeice at the pro labs, and if you are getting prints they usually knock off a buck on the developing charge. I can get a roll of C41 developed and printed (4"x6") for $9 to $13 depending on the number of exposures.

 

[fadingaway1986]

I do mine at work... Which is Kmart... it costs $8.77 for a 247exp... We do processing with C-41, and our printer is RA-4...

(And I don't really know what you mean by digital... In the end they have to get printed with chemicals anyway...)

Thats in Australia though... So the costs might not apply to you. But I think we do pretty good photos. We use kodak paper & chemicals & a noritsu printer...

I took some photos to rabbit photo (downstairs from my work - they use fuji) and I am not happy with it... They were enlargements and look very washed out... (Lucky I only paid 95c for each of them)

 

[superkentendo]

Sorry I confused myself. What I meant to ask was how much would it take to get a roll of film printed using chemicals rather than scanned and processed?

 

[ZacKrohn]

I mainly get them developed at longs...but I'm trying to find a good photo lab to get them done at myself. I still have some BnW rolls that I dont know where to get done because no one hear does them...I have to send to Az or something.

 

[Sash[DSL]]

superkentendo

As far as I know, MOST decent printing machines(like fuji frontier) scan first and then print, that isnt a bad idea at all as a purely optical method might not give an image of good enought quality. Although you wouldnt see the pixels, colour correction could get tricky when you print without scanning.
If youre seeing pixelled images, why dont you ask customer service rep why that is so?Maybe the scanned resolution just isnt high enough? AFAIK good printing machines have 4400-5400dpi scanners built in which can give you a great quality A3 print no problem. As for developing - you just have to either ask around ppl in your area or try different places yourself. If you want to save, the best way to go is get a film scanner of good quality like dualscan IV and get your film developed with no prints at a grocery store/supermarket lab, that'll only cost like $1.50-2.50. Then print from digital scans if you need to. This way youll be saving about $5 per roll of film, so the $250-500 that youll invest into the scanner will pay for itself over quite soon.

 

[mygrain]

Any store that has "wal" or "mart" in the name or the like can process 35mm and 110 film. Most mega groceries have 1 hour processing too. The price depends on the size prints you want and how many- single 3x5 that i use for proofs cost under $3 for 24exp. I personally use the local university photo services for film I care to have better handling of my processing. When I use them I only get things processed ($5 for c-41 and $2.50 for pro B&W) and scan the negs at home. If their is nothing like that where you live (athough I think there are as many walmarts as there are people now) B & H photo has processing mailers inwhich you buy them upfront drop your film into it, pop it in the mail, and get your film back in a week or so for about $15- please note this is processed by one of the best labs in the US so I would send the practicing ones to wally world.

 

[photogoddess]

Snapfish for all of my kid's film and any regular snapshot stuff. Our local Costco does a good job with 35mm stuff. Any specialty film (B&W, slides or medium format) goes to Fromex in Belmont Shore, CA. www.fromex.com They do an awesome job!