bherman
bherman
Most local WalMart's (at least up in the NE) have stopped quite some time ago. Their C-41 goes out to Fuji Photo Labs in albany, NY. They seem to do a pretty good job. Probably better than their 1-Hour Lab. Brad
Sams Club (Wal-Mart) stops film processing, who's next?
- Thread starter kknox
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venchka
Veteran
Mythbusting
Mythbusting
Seriously old news. Get your facts straight. While the 1 hour mini-lab in house processing machine may be leaving, they continue to accept film up to medium format (120 & 220) and send it to Fuji and/or Dwayne's for processing. All process too: B&W, C-41, E-6 and K-14 (until year's end).
Next rumor/myth for busting?
Mythbusting
Seriously old news. Get your facts straight. While the 1 hour mini-lab in house processing machine may be leaving, they continue to accept film up to medium format (120 & 220) and send it to Fuji and/or Dwayne's for processing. All process too: B&W, C-41, E-6 and K-14 (until year's end).
Next rumor/myth for busting?
Pickett Wilson
Veteran
I think it is the in house processing folks are talking about.
venchka
Veteran
I know that. But it wasn't stated that way by the OP. I'm just trying to get the facts straight.
Pickett Wilson
Veteran
But I wasn't aware you could send B&W film to Fuji for processing.
kknox
kknox
Its Sams Club, they will still send it out 7 day turn around. I'm talking about in house film. Done no more here in Seattle
wgerrard
Veteran
Enjoying the snow, Dave?
wgerrard
Veteran
Indeed. That's the problem.
There's a fair amount of snobbery about shopping at Walmart, and in many cases they do provide the only shopping opportunities in rural areas.
But, in many cases (admittedly, not universally) Walmart is the only shopping opportunity in some small boondock place because the existing local stores could not compete and went out of business. If one's primary concern is to admire the smoothly turning gears of an economic ideology, then that will not trouble you. If, however, someone is concerned about the health of an entire community and it's people -- not just individuals playing prescribed roles as consumers -- then the damage often done to communities by the arrival of a Walmart must be an issue.
And, yes, Walmart does employ people. At very low wages with very low benefits in essentially dead-end jobs.
If Walmart is the future of capitalism, the future is hell.
FallisPhoto
Veteran
I've heard too many horror stories about Walmart to trust them at all with anything. I know for a fact that some Walmart employees have:
(1) used photos taken by their customers for advertizing, without permission.
(2) posted nude photos of customers on the web.
In addition, I used to be a darkroom tech, and I've seen some of the crap the local Walmart processed. No thanks and good riddance.
(1) used photos taken by their customers for advertizing, without permission.
(2) posted nude photos of customers on the web.
In addition, I used to be a darkroom tech, and I've seen some of the crap the local Walmart processed. No thanks and good riddance.
kknox
kknox
You know I just made a comment about stopping by Sams Club to meet a guy on my Leica meter I sold, then I dropped my roll off. Now look what I started.
degruyl
Just this guy, you know?
Already, and for years now...
Color is E6 and there is no place in my town that does it. By work, there is a pro lab, but I send it across the country because I can't be bothered to drop and pick up film. I also have no issues with either A&I or Taylor (the local-to-work lab). I might even be fine with Dwayne's, but I have not used them.
Color was C41 and went to the local (between my apt and the train) camera shop. They are pleased as punch to do a halfway decent job with 35mm and send 120 to a pro lab (that does not do E6, and has some weird light control issues with 120). I found C41 to be a pain in the neck compared to E6, for working without a color darkroom. If I were in the habit of renting darkroom space, I might feel differently.
B&W is done at home. All of it. 35mm to 4x5.
I have not used a 1 hour minilab in quite some time.
If 1 hour photo disappears off the face of the earth, I will not miss it. If all the pro labs stop processing E6... I might have a problem, and would then switch to digital.
All that being said, I have not been into a drugstore lately that did not have a minilab behind the counter. Perhaps it is coming, but they still seem to process film.
bwcolor
Veteran
I like Walmart. I buy some of that junk that you see wall to wall. I also like that they hire old folks.
No local film dev. My Costco told me none in one year. The walls are closing in.
No local film dev. My Costco told me none in one year. The walls are closing in.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I saw a very interesting documentary years ago about walmart's destructive and deliberate practice of moving into semi rural areas, sucking the life out of them and then moving on when the local economy crashed because of their retail intrusion.
Yep ... they're to be admired alright!
bwcolor
Veteran
I saw a documentary about aliens kidnapping humans. They didn't say anything about Walmart.
We are in danger of digressing into politics and there are valid views on all sides, but the one basic fact is that within a few years, most C-41 and E-6 will be via post. Things don't stay the same. The corner drug store and lumber yard have gone away and film services are following. Go digital, buy stamps, or learn to brew your own.
We are in danger of digressing into politics and there are valid views on all sides, but the one basic fact is that within a few years, most C-41 and E-6 will be via post. Things don't stay the same. The corner drug store and lumber yard have gone away and film services are following. Go digital, buy stamps, or learn to brew your own.
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batterytypehah!
Lord of the Dings
^ Amen to all of the above, and thanks for trying to steer this back on subject. IMO this constant Walmart-bashing is one of the most annoying habits on this forum.
I'll go digital when there's a drop-in, film-cartridge form factor, "digital film." Just need to keep Dwayne's etc. in business for a few more years, I reckon. Take my mechanical cameras away? Out of my cold, dead hands.
I'll go digital when there's a drop-in, film-cartridge form factor, "digital film." Just need to keep Dwayne's etc. in business for a few more years, I reckon. Take my mechanical cameras away? Out of my cold, dead hands.
TWoK
Well-known
Two years ago they shut down the huge Fuji lab in Crawfordsville, IN.
TWoK
Well-known
I knew that someone would take issue with capitalism in this thread. I grew up in a small, one stop light town. We had Walmart, local stores and some other chain stores like Dollar General, etc. Guess who always had the newest items, best prices, decent service, good hours, and chearful employees? Walmart. Where could my low to middle income family buy my clothes? Walmart. Who always sponsored the local high school sports teams? Walmart. Who provided some of the best paying, most secure blue collar jobs in the area outside of factories and fast food? Walmart. The other stores were all small family run affairs that would never hire someone who wasn't family, they had wretched prices, worse service and a horrible selection. They had coexisted with Walmart for more than 10 years before they went out of business because of their failure to complete. No one shed a tear.
It's not Walmarts success that is at fault, it's smallers stores failure to win you over with superior staff and service. I will always go to wherever serves me best as a customer. Most of the time that is Walmart, but I know that I might have to know what I am looking for/talking about before I go as I'm not going to trust their sales people to know what they are talking about. That is the same situation I find with Best Buy, etc. Fry's is about the only exception to this.
If a smaller store with slightly higher prices provides better knowledge and service they have no problem competing with Walmart or getting my business.
wgerrard
Veteran
You'll note that I wasn't criticizing capitalism, but, instead, the damage done when one actor in a capitalist structure becomes so powerful that it can distort the market at will.
I've no doubt everything you say about Walmart is true, from your perspective. Your personal experience is not mirrored by others in towns and neighborhoods damaged by Walmart. Extrapolating personal experience and opinion into broad cause-and-effect explanations of large-scale problems is usually a mistake.
If you do take your business to Walmart because of the way you are treated there, rather than their prices, you are an unusual Walmart customer. Walmart's entire focus is on attracting business with low prices. That's why people shop there.
kuzano
Veteran
I happily take my 120 to Walmart....
I happily take my 120 to Walmart....
The clerks at Walmart don't have any idea what I'm doing, but I fill out the Fuji "Send In Only" envelopes.
Walmart sends it to Fuji and what Fuji doesn't develop they send to Dwaynes. Takes about 10 days...E6 or C41. Happy with the results and It's very inexpensive. Two years now. Won't make any difference if Walmart stops processing film in-store. They will still be doing "Send Only" processing.
I had to spend a few minutes with the photo department manager and explain the process to her, but it's cool now and ongoing.
In a previous post on this, I attached pics of how to fill out the "Send Only" envelopes from Fuji. They are available at the photo counter, or the Fuji Kiosk.
I happily take my 120 to Walmart....
The clerks at Walmart don't have any idea what I'm doing, but I fill out the Fuji "Send In Only" envelopes.
Walmart sends it to Fuji and what Fuji doesn't develop they send to Dwaynes. Takes about 10 days...E6 or C41. Happy with the results and It's very inexpensive. Two years now. Won't make any difference if Walmart stops processing film in-store. They will still be doing "Send Only" processing.
I had to spend a few minutes with the photo department manager and explain the process to her, but it's cool now and ongoing.
In a previous post on this, I attached pics of how to fill out the "Send Only" envelopes from Fuji. They are available at the photo counter, or the Fuji Kiosk.
amateriat
We're all light!
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