One hour processing

[Nikon Bob]

In a previous thread there was some discussion on scratched negs from the processing at labs. Somebody had mentioned that some of the newer machines process and scan at the same time. I asked the operator at the mini lab that I use if this is how their Noritsu machine worked and she confirmed that it was. This may explain in some part why I have had very good luck with this mini lab in not having scratched negs while also getting scans at the same time. The operators there also seem to take care at other stages where they have to handle the film.

Bob

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I find that the major problem is not scratches (which is great), but those annoying white spots. I spend hours Photoshopping those imperfections out of the pictures (I don't have ICE). It's not dust or anything like that, this is actual crud, spots on the negative.

Anybody know how to get rid of these? How to prevent these in the first place (i.e. what to ask for when you drop them off to get them developed)?

 

[rover]

I find that the major problem is not scratches (which is great), but those annoying white spots. I spend hours Photoshopping those imperfections out of the pictures (I don't have ICE). It's not dust or anything like that, this is actual crud, spots on the negative.

Anybody know how to get rid of these? How to prevent these in the first place (i.e. what to ask for when you drop them off to get them developed)?

My immediate response is to change labs. That is not easy though because so many are closing that we have to rely on the big box stores more and more. I happen to have good luck with a small shop local to me. They process C41 stuff on premisis and the same few folks have worked there for some time, experience = quality. Being a small shop they are also very responsive, I can simply ask questions or raise issues directly. How about asking the lab?

 

[Nikon Bob]

I think the only answer to crud on a neg is to find a lab that is better at processing and maintaining their equipment. As for ICE, it is handy to have and use. It does slow the scanning but then you spent less time post processing the uglies away.

Bob

 

[jaapv]

I think the only answer to crud on a neg is to find a lab that is better at processing and maintaining their equipment. As for ICE, it is handy to have and use. It does slow the scanning but then you spent less time post processing the uglies away.

Bob

Don't you find ICE impaires sharpness?

 

[bmattock]

In a previous thread there was some discussion on scratched negs from the processing at labs. Somebody had mentioned that some of the newer machines process and scan at the same time. I asked the operator at the mini lab that I use if this is how their Noritsu machine worked and she confirmed that it was. This may explain in some part why I have had very good luck with this mini lab in not having scratched negs while also getting scans at the same time. The operators there also seem to take care at other stages where they have to handle the film.

Bob

The negs come out wet and have to hang to dry. They don't scan them wet. They scan them when they print them. If you don't print and don't scan, the negs don't go through that process. If you scan, the negs go through the same mechanical path as they would if you printed. On a Noritsu machine where the enlarger/printer is integrated with the film processor, this may seem to be 'processing and scanning at the same time' but it is not - the scanner is just built in to the box, is all.

Some of the newer Fujitsu minilabs are also printing digitally - meaning that they scan the neg just to print - whether you want scans or not. There is no optical enlarger in the traditional sense.

But you should notice the rows of film strips hanging up to dry. Ask them if those have been scanned/printed yet. I believe you'll find that they have not yet been scanned or enlarged/printed. What I do by asking them to cut and sleeve only is to cut short the process - after drying, they don't feed the strips back into the machine.

I don't know of any machine that scans negs while they are still in the soup or even recently emerged. I could be wrong, but I went to Noritsu to look at the pdf manuals for their current machines, and I don't think so.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[dmr]

The operators there also seem to take care at other stages where they have to handle the film.

I really think this is most of the answer -- to find a place where the employees care enough to take it easy with your film and know enough to avoid damaging it. From what I can see, many of the mini-lab operators are very young, probably on their first paying job, and don't seem to really know that much about film photography.

With a real camera shop that has a mini-lab (by real, I mean something other than Wolf/Ritz) they probably know what to do to minimize scratches and dust, but with department stores and drug stores I've found that the knowledge, skill set, and attitude is consistently inconsistent.

For a while I went to a local Tar-Jhay where there was a kid who shot with a Nikon N-something and knew film. I knew if he did them they would come out fine on a CD. When he disappeared they went downhill. 🙁 I've now found a Walgreens that seems to do a consistent job, so I'll probably stick with them for my everyday stuff until they fly south.

Which reminds me, last week I had a roll I wanted done and I stopped into a Walgreens that I don't normally take them to. Of course the operator was barely old enough to drive (I should quit saying things like that, when I was young I used to hate it when customers assumed I really didn't know what I was doing) and when I asked for a DO/CD she started to take the order and said something like "oh, we don't do the big CD's here, will this be ok?" holding up a floppy disk. It turned out that their mini-lab did not have a CD burner and could only do floppies. I said thanks anyway and went to the place I usually go. I'm very surprised that there are still some that don't do CD's still around. Oh well ...

 

[phototone]

Just like b/w, if you want the best processing for your C-41 negatives, and your only local choices are mini-labs in pharmacy and big box stores, then you really really need to learn to process the film yourself. It is not very hard, requires very little in the way of equipment (for film), and can give you superior results, if your intent is to scan the negatives yourself.

C-41 film takes a maximum of four chemicals (depending on brand of developing kit), and about 22 minutes of processing activity. Some processing kits are two chemicals plus a final rinse. There are some kits that allow processing at close to room temperature. Others require a 100f processing temperature, which is not difficult to achieve.

 

[Nikon Bob]

Don't you find ICE impaires sharpness?

I think any scanning impairs sharpness which is restored in post processing. The images in my gallery were all scanned with ICE on if that is any help.

Bob

 

[Nikon Bob]

The negs come out wet and have to hang to dry. They don't scan them wet. They scan them when they print them. If you don't print and don't scan, the negs don't go through that process. If you scan, the negs go through the same mechanical path as they would if you printed. On a Noritsu machine where the enlarger/printer is integrated with the film processor, this may seem to be 'processing and scanning at the same time' but it is not - the scanner is just built in to the box, is all.

Some of the newer Fujitsu minilabs are also printing digitally - meaning that they scan the neg just to print - whether you want scans or not. There is no optical enlarger in the traditional sense.

But you should notice the rows of film strips hanging up to dry. Ask them if those have been scanned/printed yet. I believe you'll find that they have not yet been scanned or enlarged/printed. What I do by asking them to cut and sleeve only is to cut short the process - after drying, they don't feed the strips back into the machine.

I don't know of any machine that scans negs while they are still in the soup or even recently emerged. I could be wrong, but I went to Noritsu to look at the pdf manuals for their current machines, and I don't think so.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

I just spoke to one of the operators and was informed that they handled the film to get it ready for processing. The film is then processed (souped?), then dried in an auto dryer, then scanned ( no handling during this time) and then they handle it to cut and sleeve. I have to believe this explanation because I have never seen any film hanging to dry. Possibly the PDF you were looking at is out of date?

Bob