rodinal
film user
Are you aware of the existence of this site Localdarkroom.com ?
Beemermark
Veteran
Just guessing, and I mean no offense, but it seems there are a lot of idealistic young people on this thread.
110 & 35 color film was was done cheaply and very, very profitably - on machines that paid for themselves in 30 days and could be run by any semi-intelligent clerk. High volume. Generally 120, sheet film and slide film (low volume) required more handling, skilled processing, and was not cheap. B&W film processing was always very expensive because it was very low volume and pretty much done by hand. Never, ever cheap.
110 & 35 color film was was done cheaply and very, very profitably - on machines that paid for themselves in 30 days and could be run by any semi-intelligent clerk. High volume. Generally 120, sheet film and slide film (low volume) required more handling, skilled processing, and was not cheap. B&W film processing was always very expensive because it was very low volume and pretty much done by hand. Never, ever cheap.
Dante_Stella
Rex canum cattorumque
This gives me a great idea. We can operate an online clearing house for matching up film developing capacity to independent contractor film processors (n.b. offer not valid in California). We'll set maximum prices, adjust pricing for higher-demand times, take a cut off the top, and position the enterprise as technology company and not a commercial photo lab.
Dante
Dante
bence8810
Well-known
Developing your own roll at home with these old fashioned methods (hand loading the tank / cutting the leader / playing with chemicals in your sink / hanging the film to dry) is fun because we love film photography and everything that goes with it.
When it isn't your film you develop and you don't have that excitement building up in you from the moment you loaded the tank to the moment you can see the wet negatives on a cloth pin hanging over your bath - it is a pain in the arse of a process.
If I develop between 1-5 rolls of film, it takes me an hour every time including the cleanup etc, and then some drying time. If I was getting $15 dollars for giving up 1 hour of my free time (for 5 rolls), I wouldn't even consider. Maybe if I was 18 back in college and saving up for the Friday night in advance.
Sometimes my dad sends me 10 or so developed rolls in an envelope so I can scan it for him and despite the family connection and all, I can tell you I never once looked forward to doing it. To scan one roll takes about 3 minutes with the Pakon, then moving the folder, naming it, cutting the film and placing it in a sleeve, uploading the files to the cloud - all in all a 10 minute process per roll.
Ben
p.s. From above - if it was something that we did as a community - I develop your BnW and you do my slides - i'd be all up for it.
When it isn't your film you develop and you don't have that excitement building up in you from the moment you loaded the tank to the moment you can see the wet negatives on a cloth pin hanging over your bath - it is a pain in the arse of a process.
If I develop between 1-5 rolls of film, it takes me an hour every time including the cleanup etc, and then some drying time. If I was getting $15 dollars for giving up 1 hour of my free time (for 5 rolls), I wouldn't even consider. Maybe if I was 18 back in college and saving up for the Friday night in advance.
Sometimes my dad sends me 10 or so developed rolls in an envelope so I can scan it for him and despite the family connection and all, I can tell you I never once looked forward to doing it. To scan one roll takes about 3 minutes with the Pakon, then moving the folder, naming it, cutting the film and placing it in a sleeve, uploading the files to the cloud - all in all a 10 minute process per roll.
Ben
p.s. From above - if it was something that we did as a community - I develop your BnW and you do my slides - i'd be all up for it.
Freakscene
Obscure member
ChrisLivsey
Veteran
Expense is relative:
Leica M-P (Typ 240) Set Edition "Safari" Summicron 35mm f2
£ 7,499.00
VAT excl: £ 6,249.17
Sure buys a lot of film and developing.
Savings to be be made in both camps of course.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
Hmmm, collective developing like collective farming, perhaps...
Regards, David
Hmmm, collective developing like collective farming, perhaps...
Regards, David