Advice wanted from members with experience of Japan!

[historicist]

I'm travelling to Japan at the end of April for three and a half months. It's a research trip, but I hope to take a lot of photos too.

I'm currently trying to decide what cameras to bring, and I was wondering if people who know could tell roughly me how much it costs for:

35mm slide film develop only
120 slide film develop only

35mm slide develop and scan (normal drugstore quality)
120 slide develop and scan (ditto)

I'll be in Kyoto if it makes any difference.

Thanks in advance!

 

[shimokita]

500 Yen for a 36 image roll of Fujifilm b&w develop only. Sorry I would have to check with my local shop for color film prices. Fujifilm has a network of FDI shops that are fair priced. The larger discount camera shops all offer service, but I was not impressed with the quality. B&W turn around time is about three days. Most shops have the color development in shop (one hour).

I guess quick service for sizes other than 35mm would not be available (?).

Hope it helps a little,
Casey

 

[jonmanjiro]

Kitamura Camera has these prices (link) on their website, but the actual prices are cheaper. For example, I paid 850 yen per 36 roll for sleeves (not 990 yen as per the website) at Kitamura Camera in west Shinjuku. They had the film developed within the hour. Yodobashi charges 850 yen for a 36 roll (plus you get 10% in points if you have a point card) but you don't get the film back until 6pm on the following day. I think most large chain stores charge about the same, and develop at the same speed (i.e. overnight, not 1 hour development)

 

[jonmanjiro]

Forgot to add: the only time I got a roll of slide film scanned it cost a fortune (4,500 yen or so?) but the scans were pro quality. There was no other scanning option at the time.

 

[maddoc]

120 film scan (not development) is very expensive and was only offered by Kodak on special request when I asked at Yodobashi Camera two years ago. In fact is was one of the reasons to get me a film-scanner that can handle 120 film (Epson GT-X900 or V700). Later I found a small lab near my university, that has a Fuji Frontier SP-1500 in house and offers scanning of 135 and 120 (BW, color-print, and color-slide) for a reasonable price and in very good quality. A friend of mine who has moved from Sapporo to Yokohama still sends his 120 film to this small lab here in Sapporo to have it developed and scanned.

It might be best to ask to someone living in Kyoto, who is interested in film photography about a similar small lab over there. Prices for E6 development (development only, without mounting or scanning) of 135 and 120 were in the range of ~600 Yen if developed by Fuji and more expensive if developed by Kodak.

Edit: I just saw John's post, prices for development have gone up since then ...

 

[jonmanjiro]

Later I found a small lab near my university, that has a Fuji Frontier SP-1500 in house and offers scanning of 135 and 120 (BW, color-print, and color-slide) for a reasonable price and in very good quality.

Wow, what a great find! Wish I could find a place like that here in Yokohama.

 

[historicist]

Thanks, that's helpful to know. In Berlin I can get a roll of slide film done for 1.50 Euro if I don't mind waiting a few days, Japan sounds about the same price as London.

Normally I scan myself but I can't see my film scanner fitting in my luggage ,)

 

[kurotama]

In Kyoto, you could perhaps goto a Pro Lab called AMS.
Link here (Japanese): http://www.amsnet.co.jp/ams/photo/
Location map (Japanese): http://www.amsnet.co.jp/ams/photo/access/
I use similar Pro Lab in Tokyo. Development cost for both positives and negatives are about the same or fraction more than local 1-hr photos.
With that little more, Pro Labs uses proper wet process for negatives and finish is much better than dry process and they are more scan friendly.
You could also talk to them about your scanning needs.
AMS don't list process time but their website claims last acceptance of the same day development is at 7:30pm (Posi) so it may be 1.5hr wait.
They also sell used cameras... interesting.

 

[historicist]

Thanks for the info, its much appreciated.