Kodachrome Rite Aid adventure

[bob338]

Did anyone here on RFF ever mentioned taking Kodachrome to Rite-Aid? I won't say "never", but I've never seen that here, and I try to read every Kodachrome post/topic here. Wal-Mart (as much as I dislike them) has an established logistics chain/process for Kodachrome. Rite-Aid can only do C41 in store or send out E6.

So, Bob, I am not surprised at the mis-sadventure. I don't excuse rudeness and lack of customer service at Rite Aid, but I understand it. These people are paid pitiful wages in a working environment where they likely are beaten down, disheartened, in a socio-political environment ravaged by 7+ years of rule by a regime intent on breaking the back of the working class once and for all.

We can all hope for good customer service, but if I want high quality, efficient service on my Honda I don't take it to a Ford dealer.

End of rant.

this is the only forum i look at anymore, so i'm sure it was mentioned in one of the recent threads. it might have been brought up in a recent ad for kodachrome for sale...

 

[bob338]

yeah uh if you haven't heard kodak kinda stopped making it last year and no longer offers processing either. Dwayne's is the only place on the continent that will process kodachrome. you should just go velvia instead.

actually, each of your points is wrong...

kodak still makes kodachrome.

dwaynes is the only place in THE WORLD that still processes it.

and you really have no business suggesting what film anyone here 'should' switch to.

 

[bob338]

The corporate name and sign name should actually be "Serves You Rite-Aid For Buying Here"

i guess i should have written in my original post that i actually took the film to rite aid just to see what would happen. the content of the film was not crucial to me, and the roll of film had been sitting in my freezer for at least 10 years.

i've been using provia 100 for the last few years and recently bought a batch of K64 from another member here. i haven't had any K64 processed since we became so limited in where it is processed. in fact, last time i shot it, i think walgreens was still taking it for processing(they do not now.)

as far as it serving me right for taking it to rite aid, i think you're probably right about that. any of the problems i've had with rite aid could have happened with the post office or dwaynes. but the chance of rite aid screwing it up are much more likely than dwaynes.

anyway, i just thought i'd post my experience...

 

[bob338]

I used Dwayne's once, and frankly it took kind of a long time to come back, and it wasn't that cheap. Now I've got two rolls of Kodachrome at Wal-Mart, so I'm looking forward to seeing how fast it comes back and how much they charge. I'll let you know once it does, for comparison purposes. I can easily see Wal Mart negotiating with Dwayne's to put their stuff ahead of others in the queue. Sometimes I'd rather drive to Wal Mart than put stuff in mailers and mess with labels.

i'd love to hear how your experience goes.

the nearest wal mart to me is over a toll bridge and i rarely have any other reason to drive there, so it's not really an option for me.

i just bought a cache of mailers from another member here, so i'll be using them from now on. i paid $3.50 each for them and dwaynes will take them until the end of 2009. i called and asked about scanning and they said to just add a check for $3.51 for scanning and the mailer will cover the rest of the expenses.

 

[kuzano]

Hey... my apologies to you... not directed.

Hey... my apologies to you... not directed.

i guess i should have written in my original post that i actually took the film to rite aid just to see what would happen. the content of the film was not crucial to me, and the roll of film had been sitting in my freezer for at least 10 years.

i've been using provia 100 for the last few years and recently bought a batch of K64 from another member here. i haven't had any K64 processed since we became so limited in where it is processed. in fact, last time i shot it, i think walgreens was still taking it for processing(they do not now.)

as far as it serving me right for taking it to rite aid, i think you're probably right about that. any of the problems i've had with rite aid could have happened with the post office or dwaynes. but the chance of rite aid screwing it up are much more likely than dwaynes.

anyway, i just thought i'd post my experience...

My intention was not to slam you, but rather Rite-Aid. They took over all the drug stores in my area and immediately downgraded to a "lesser world" type of operation. That billboard idea just came flying out. None of us know until we try. It's just that many here have such a bad taste about Rite Aid.

 

[bob338]

My intention was not to slam you, but rather Rite-Aid. They took over all the drug stores in my area and immediately downgraded to a "lesser world" type of operation. That billboard idea just came flying out. None of us know until we try. It's just that many here have such a bad taste about Rite Aid.

no offense taken. i know it's dumb to take any film that is important to me to a place like rite aid, but i wanted to see what would happen if i did.

i'm actually surprised by the amount of people who admit to shopping at wal-mart. around these parts, that's not really considered an okay thing to do. we don't even have one here in marin county. but if we did, i doubt it would last. i used to live up north near napa county and there was a wal-mart that i just avoided like the plague. that company is doing more harm to this country than we even know...

okay, rant over.

 

[FallisPhoto]

yeah uh if you haven't heard kodak kinda stopped making it last year and no longer offers processing either. Dwayne's is the only place on the continent that will process kodachrome. you should just go velvia instead.

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/films/catalog/kodachrome64ProfessionalFilmPKR.jhtml?id=0.2.26.14.11.22.9&lc=en Also Kodachrome and Velvia look nothing at all like one another -- not even close. Velvia is a supersaturated slide film with extremely vivid colors. Kodachrome is designed to accurately render colors in a far more realistic manner. Shoot people with Kodachrome and It will look really nice. Shoot them with Velvia and they will look like they've been swimming in red dye. I can only assume you meant Astia instead of Velvia, but even then the grain won't be quite as fine.

 

[FallisPhoto]

actually, each of your points is wrong...

kodak still makes kodachrome.

dwaynes is the only place in THE WORLD that still processes it.

and you really have no business suggesting what film anyone here 'should' switch to.

He's also recommending that people switch form a film that accurately renders colors to a supersaturated film.

 

[Trius]

The Rite-Aid nearest to me used to be an Eckerds. I switched to them for my filling my scripts because:

1. They are NOT Wegmans (which p*ssed me off royally)
2. They have a drive through for script pickup.
3. At the time I switched they were (newly) owned by Jean Coutu, and I figured I'd support the Canadian invasion of the Excited States. Nothing like a little social conscious to annoy the current crowd in DC. (Mods: Delete that if you wish.)

Anyway, the One-Hour processing there is staffed by one Linda who knows her you-know-what from a hole-in-the ground. So I trust my C-41 there, to not be scratched, super-dusty, etc.

So I have no particular hate-on for Rite-Aid, I just wouldn't take my Kodachrome there. Hell, I'll even send my E6 to Dwayne's, not just my K14.

 

[John Rountree]

It's not just Rite-Aid (they did buy out Eckerd's) but all the crap drug stores. Two years ago I took pictures at Christmas. The pictures included my wife, grandchildren, and mother-in-law who was quite ill. My mother-in-law died on New Year's day. My wife was really anxious to see the pictures, so I took the film to CVS. When I went to pick up the film a young woman (high school age) handed me the film that was neatly split into three equal lengths! I asked what had happened and she just laughed (honest) and said "Something happened in the machine." She asked if I would like fresh roll of film to replace the one they had damaged. I didn't say a word, turned and walked out of the store.