USA - shortage of E6 and C41 chemicals at commercial labs?

[jaredangle]

Has anyone heard of an ongoing shortage of E6 and C41 chemicals at commercial labs in the United States?

My lab in Washington DC (Dodge Chrome) told me that due to an ongoing shortage of processing chemicals (including a delivery backlog from their supplier), processing times for E6 and C41 films (roll and sheet) are about 3 weeks instead of the usual 2-5 days. Has anybody seen this nationwide, or is it just an east coast or mid-Atlantic problem?

Everything is still getting processed without any quality issues, just longer wait times.

 

[wlewisiii]

Nope. My last rolls were done same day. Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

 

[armadsen]

The lab I use (walking distance from my house) has been processing film just as quickly as they usually do.

Another lab in town told me last week that they had just gotten a large new batch of Fuji E-6 chemicals.

 

[Dan]

Has anyone heard of an ongoing shortage of E6 and C41 chemicals at commercial labs in the United States?

My lab in Washington DC (Dodge Chrome) told me that due to an ongoing shortage of processing chemicals (including a delivery backlog from their supplier), processing times for E6 and C41 films (roll and sheet) are about 3 weeks instead of the usual 2-5 days. Has anybody seen this nationwide, or is it just an east coast or mid-Atlantic problem?

Everything is still getting processed without any quality issues, just longer wait times.

I just checked Full Circle's website in Baltimore and their C-41 is next day; E6 is 7-10 days (not in-house).
You can mail them film.

Film Services – Full Circle Fine Art

fullcirclefineart.com

 

[wes loder]

Dwaynes hadthis problem recently. Weeks wait instead of days. What is going on?

 

[ChrisPlatt]

I knew a commercial printer (offset) 20 years ago.
He said this was often the case with Kodak products.

Years ago I asked my local photo retailer/photo finisher about a product.
He insisted it had been discontinued by the manufacturer. It was not.
I continued to buy the product elsewhere. I never shopped there again.

Chris

 

[Retro-Grouch]

Dwaynes hadthis problem recently. Weeks wait instead of days. What is going on?

I use Dwayne's for E6. Over the past several years, turnaround times have been longer, usually two to three weeks. During and after COVID, "supply chain issues" became the catchword and excuse for every sort of bungling and inefficiency, and it's still being used (see Fuji's transparency film production, or lack of it, for example). I can't say this is the situation with Dwayne's, but I have come to accept that these longer turnaround times are their "new normal". At least their quality control is still excellent; we in the film community have to be grateful for what we do have.

 

[armadsen]

I feel very lucky. I rode my bicycle over to my lab to drop off some E-6 film yesterday. It was ready for pickup before noon today. It’s one of two labs in my (not huge!) city doing E-6 processing, and one of 5 doing C-41.