Maybe O.T. WalMart processing

[butch]

I don't process color 120 and use A-I mailers. The last two that I sent to them have been gone for three weeks and so far, no word. Thus, when I read a thread in Pnet MF forum that a guy there gets his 120 processed at WalMart I was encouraged. He said that he got 3x5 prints. Well, I didn't want that so I decided to call Fuji to get the direct word. The lady there told me that Fuji does not process 120 but gave me a web site listing a bunch of companies who do. They are loosely connected to Fuji but maybe only to the extent of using Fuji supplies or such. The folks at my local Walmart cannot give me any information so I'm thinking the thing to do is write "120 roll film" on the bottom of a 35mm pick up envelope and see what happens with my next roll of NPS. Before I do that, I thought I'd see if anyone here had any experience to share.

 

[bmattock]

Butch, I think the question is appropriate, because film processing affects us all as photographers, and it is becoming more of an issue these days.

In general, I have found that outside of major cities, most 1 hour places offer only 35mm C41 processing in-store. My local Walmart also offers 1-hour APS. Same at the Walgreens. Everything else gets sent out. From there, I believe it goes to a central location, where it is sorted and disbursed further from there. For example, the economies of scale let them do 'next-day' C41 in HUGE jobs themselves, and they usually do. 35mm slides, 110 cartridges, and 120 get sent out from there, to places all over the country that the central location has contracted with. They come back when they come back.

I have not yet run into a Walmart or any 1-hour place that still does 120, but I'm sure it could be true. If he says he drops his 120 off at Walmart and they take it and return it processed, I would tend to believe that - but again, I'd bet it goes to the local aggregator, where it gets sorted and further sent out - unless the aggregator just happens to have enough demand for 120 to actually do it from time to time.

However, all this aside - we can see this is a losing battle, as the situation is getting worse and not better. Because so many pros still shoot 120, major cities will still have labs that can do it, but expect to pay pro prices, too.

For this reason, I have begun to limit my 120 shooting to B&W, as I live in a semi-rural area and like you, face long turn-around times by mailing stuff in or dropping it off. I only rarely shoot 35mm slide film now, preferring C41 which I can still have 1-hour processed. If I wanted to shoot a lot of 120 C41 or C6, I guess I'd consider investing in the equipment and chemistry to do my own processing at home. As it is, I'm happy to do my own B&W in 35mm and 120.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[eric mac]

120 1 hour

120 1 hour

Living in Chicago, I am lucky to have found a one hour shop in downtown Evanston that does 120 c41 and e-6. It is a store front operation and while the c41 is usually overnight, due to the fact I ask for 5x5 photos, the film doesn't get sent out. I can also talk to the operator for special cropping requests. I have had my 35mm slides scanned onto cd by them.

They are competively priced and do good work for me.

Eric

 

[butch]

I failed to say that the reason I contacted Fuji is that I get my slides processed at WalMart (very satisfied) and I know that Fuji does them so I figured that Fuji was also doing the 120. There was another poster, in that thread, who said that his Kodak 120 was sent by WalMart to another processor whos name eludes me. The slow turn around for B&W (along with some evangelization from some here) persuaded me to go to Diafine and scanning. My "Unibomber" cabin will not allow me to do much else. I'll stick to film for the few remaining years I have left but as much as I enjoy the colors from my Rolleiflexes, it's getting to be a PITA.

 

[wlewisiii]

Here in Madison, the there are three labs that will do 1 hour C41 in 120 format and only one of them will print anything larger than 6x6 format. The one that will print larger also does 4x5 C41 & E6 for $2.75 a sheet 🙂 The others run about $3.50 for the developing and $.65 per 5x5 print which I consider reasonable. Like Bill, I do tend towards B&W and my jugs of Diafine, but I can afford the occasional color at those prices.

Walgreens, Walmart, etc. all do only C41 135 & APS in my experiance. Everything else gets sent out for a week or two someplace else. What you'll have available depends alot on where you live. You might look up weding photographers in the phone book, find one or two that at least partially still use film and see where they get their film processed. Odds are that will be your best bet.

Hope this helps,

William

 

[Solinar]

Bill, 120 color is in deep doo doo for the occasional user. Wally World does volume, not specialty work. However, their developing machine should be able to handle C41 120 film. The bummer is that you have to change the set up to run 120 through the developing unit. My local camera store does this twice a week.

Your local Wally World is probably not willing to take the developing unit down and do the switch to 120 for a small job. They aren't making that much money on developing as it is.

The last roll of E-6, which I developed myself was in 2002. If I had a place in the country, with a separate garage or barn, then I might start again, but I ain't doing it in the house where I live any more.

To print on the Frontier is also doable, as it simply does an electronic scan and feeds the info to the printer. I beleive this done with a different negative carrier on the Frontier. I'll ask the next I'm in the store. Again, the Frontier does not do an optical print directly through the negative. It requires a scan of the neg.

The best way to get a decent print off a Frontier from 120 film is to do the scanning and post scan clean up yourself.

 

[butch]

Several years ago a pundit recommended the turning of South Arkansas over to some people who are known for "making deserts bloom". Such has not happened and thus I have to cope with things as they are. Being able to drop it off at the local Wal Mart would certainly make color 120 less a PITA. Not much else to choose from considering I live in a "Unabomber" type cabin that barely allows Diafine and a scanner.

 

[pbjbike]

My local Wallmart will "develop only" 120 C-41 film. Only one employee is trained, (from years at Ritz), and their Frontier supposedly can't scan the negs. I believe the Wallmart processors include the spools for 120, it's just a matter of learning to use them. I always thought 120 was easier to spool than 35.

 

[T_om]

My local Wallmart will "develop only" 120 C-41 film. Only one employee is trained, (from years at Ritz), and their Frontier supposedly can't scan the negs. I believe the Wallmart processors include the spools for 120, it's just a matter of learning to use them. I always thought 120 was easier to spool than 35.

This is close... Frontier machines will, indeed, process 120. However, there is a cartridge device and mask setup required and MOST places that use Frontiers do not bother with the extra expense of purchasing the necessary hardware to spool and process 120. I believe (IIRC) that the cartridges/masks only cost about $150.00 but there is so little demand for 120 that the high-volume places just never bother with it.

Tom

 

[derevaun]

I've taken my 120 to the mall camera store--Ritz/Kits/Wolf etc. Actually they just moved to a building outside the mall, but anyway they do color on their C-41 machine (develop only). They're pretty savvy with the 120.

I've heard of people getting OK results from Walmart with 16mm (and unspooled 110) film in a 35mm can. It's worth a try, but in the long run finding a reliable mail-in processor would be better, IMO.