My Walgreens stopped developing

I love the convenience of C41 and quick, local, inexpensive processing. My last sparing fingerhold for all three is a local CVS that is good for ~2.5 more years. They are the last local (within 30 minutes) CVS still processing. Walgreens have become too expensive and I was never delighted with their work.

Anyhow, why ~2.5 years? Upon picking up my last rolls, it was dead quiet on a Sunday morning and I had a chance to talk to the manager. He was an older gentleman, apparently retired and shifting in a few hours, who was very knowledgable about the situation at least within regional CVS. I have 2.5 years left because that is when the equipment leases expire for that store. CVS is apparently not signing any more leases and when they expire -that is it! This store is newer and was one of the last ones under the final inked agreements.
 
These posts demonstrate that convenient drug store processing could be running out of gas, at least in the USA. I've used Walgreens for a long time and thought for a while I'd stick with them. But as I now buy film through the mail, I now get processing by mail from the Ilford facility in San Clemente, CA. At least it's their core business, and the results are reliable.
 
pete hogan said:
These posts demonstrate that convenient drug store processing could be running out of gas, at least in the USA. I've used Walgreens for a long time and thought for a while I'd stick with them. But as I now buy film through the mail, I now get processing by mail from the Ilford facility in San Clemente, CA. At least it's their core business, and the results are reliable.
Click to expand...

Ilford processes color?
 
pete hogan said:
These posts demonstrate that convenient drug store processing could be running out of gas, at least in the USA.
Click to expand...

The USA may be the last place where that is/was common. In Germany in-store processing has already been gone for about a decade, replaced by centralized processing services (who provided better quality at half the price with two day there-and-back pick up service from the same drug stores that formerly had a in-house processor), and most of Europe followed soon after.
 
Except the UK with the largest drug store minilab chain–Boots.
http://www.boots.com/en/Instore-Digital-and-Film-Photo-Processing_1042844
When/if they go there will be very few High St labs possibly only Snappy Snaps.
http://www.snappysnaps.co.uk/services/processing/film-processing.php
There are many good independent labs around for enthusiasts, but if what Fuji seem to be doing with their labs (according to my sources) is true then minilabs are almost gone to be replaced by dry labs/ Kiosks.

When High st visibility goes the market will be fully enthusiast and less visible to newcomers.
 
As for the outlook for film not looking bright, let's not get carried away. We are talking about drugstore processing here. The ability to send film off for processing is still very much alive and well, and will continue as such. Even if only 100,000 people worldwide still send out film, there will be someone out there who will supply this service. We'll just have to wait a little longer for results. Film was never about instant gratification.
 
30 years ago I stopped going to local 'cheap' drugstore developers. I found that they scratched my negatives and provided me with prints that did NOT look anything like the images I had taken. (Of course, that was pre-digital days.) My recommendation is to find a professional lab and use them. There are labs that you can mail your film to for processing. Truly, good images need to be viewed hanging on a wall. Build a relationship with a lab. The great Life photographers mailed their unprocessed film to the company for processing. And, here's a little secret. When I started out and dropped my film off at the local drugstore they mailed it to Kodak for processing. Kodak does not process film anymore and hasn't for years but there are any number of good labs that can do the work for you. Consider the effort that you put into your photography both in time and money (equipment) so why scrimp on processing?
 
I guess I need to shoot more of my color film while I can still get it processed for cheap. I scan it myself so I need the negatives. When my CVS stops I wont have much of a choice but to either buy a kit or send it out.
 
68degrees said:
that settles it. I'm moving to Germany.
Click to expand...

The price for process in Germany is also cheap. Slide with mount for 35mm in drugstore is 3,5 euro if I remember it right. C41 35mm with 1 print every photo is 2,5 - 2,7 euro. I shot only 120 slides, everytime I give it to my local Fuji minilab and get it back in 1 week, 4,41 euro and it is beautiful.😀
 
just got 7 rolls color c41 developed at CVS. $2.19 per roll for cut negatives put in sleeves. They used to just throw them into a carboard envelope, not cut, not sleeved, just loose. So that was nice.
 
I used to develop B&W film at home.

I no longer use film.

If I did I would develops color at home. The main difference ( besides the obvious chemistry/chemicals one uses) is the need for careful temperature control.

Acquiring inexpensive equipment to heat and regulate the small volumes for color processing is straightforward. Some people use simple consumer-level equipment designed for aquariums, You can even use a bathtub. There is an iOS app specifically designed for the timed steps

This Link explains everything you need to know.

Using film is not the most convenient medium for photography. This is of little concern to film enthusiasts. It seems to me anyone willing to develop B&W film at home can do their own C-41 film too. And, you no longer have to worry about ill-trained, ham-fisted, careless machine operators.
 
Photo_Smith said:
Except the UK with the largest drug store minilab chain–Boots.
http://www.boots.com/en/Instore-Digital-and-Film-Photo-Processing_1042844
When/if they go there will be very few High St labs possibly only Snappy Snaps.
http://www.snappysnaps.co.uk/services/processing/film-processing.php
There are many good independent labs around for enthusiasts, but if what Fuji seem to be doing with their labs (according to my sources) is true then minilabs are almost gone to be replaced by dry labs/ Kiosks.

When High st visibility goes the market will be fully enthusiast and less visible to newcomers.
Click to expand...


Asda too.

£2 per roll, with scan to cd for £1 per cd (up to 4 rolls per cd)

I very regularly take a pocketful of rolls in.
 
The local rong aid still butchers c-41. I brought a roll in last week, their machine was down so they sent it out to Fuji. I thought I'd get decent negatives back at least. I wrote in large lettering across the envelope: NO PRINTS/NO CD, ONLY NEGATIVES, DO NOT CUT. 10 days later I received horrendous double prints, a CD with images upside down and cut negatives, all for the asking price of $17.00. I only paid 2.99 for it though and kept the "prints" and cd.
I typically go digital for color but finding a good lab to send to would be nice.
 
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