who process negatives at grocery store?

[egpj]

"What I don't do, dosen't happen"

That means NOBODY screws up for me. I am a poor delegator, but my "stuff-ups" are minimal and because I am responsible, I am the first to know and can act promptly to correct a problem, if possible.

Nobody's service is faster than mine and I am even open on the week end.

PHILOSOPHY:
I tend to own the best gear money can buy, so why let some unskilled jerk in a grocery store stuff it all up in the processing?

If an unskilled jerk is going to stuff anything up, let it be me behind the camera!

I'll raise a pint in agreement to that Erl!

 

[keithslater]

I take my B&W to Wal-mart and use their send out service. Not to bad, but maybe my standards are low. For the price I am willing to take a risk. I went to our local family pharmacy the other day and they had a 1/2 price sale on film developing. I asked who they use and they said qualex. (Spelling?) They called for me, and they can develop 120 so I send out 7 rolls. Its going to be about $6 a roll for doubles. (12 to a roll) Can't beat that anywere. 2 week turn around. I looked at their service card, and they can also do half-frame, 126, and just about anything else.
Keith

 

[hoot]

Color film is dead. Nowadays, going through the hassle of using film only makes sense when you're shooting black and white... unless, of course, you're William Eggleston.

 

[dmr]

I went to our local family pharmacy the other day and they had a 1/2 price sale on film developing. I asked who they use and they said qualex. (Spelling?)

If I'm correct, Qualex is actually a division of Kodak. Lots of places around here use Qualex for things like send-out 2-day service. (I want that semi-instant gratification of same day.) 🙂 Honestly, I can't imagine that Qualex does anything special, and I'm sure they use something automated as much as the in-store mini-labs, just on a larger scale.

2 week turn around.

{>>SCREAM<<} LOL! I don't think I could stand to wait that long! The 5-day turnaround for Kodachrome (mail it Sunday, get it back Friday) is about the limit of my patience. 🙂 I'm addicted to that semi-instant gratification! 🙂

 

[keithslater]

It is a long wait, but my only other options are mail order, or the pro shop 20 miles away, and its going to cost $20 for one roll of 120.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I don't have a lot of respect for color print film, and the few times I've used it I went to Walmart or Walgreens. Now... Wallyworld's service may not be the best, but they do a good work. In my Walgreens the last time I brought some negs (asked for prints and scans in a CD), they butchered the negatives in the most atrocious way. My grocery shop does a decent job... but all the objects that are green color in my prints have turned out consistently unrealistic: grass and tree leaves look weird, like oversaturated.

My favorite film is slide... but my university lab is going to stop their developing service in December. I think I'll switch to Dwayne's then for Kodachrome, and Happy-D for everything else. But there's no return to the grocery shop for me.

 

[dmr]

but my university lab is going to stop their developing service in December. I think I'll switch to Dwayne's then for Kodachrome, and Happy-D for everything else.

Does your university lab actually do Kodachrome?

 

[sf]

who processes at a grocery store?

who processes at a grocery store?

No one that cares about the material. I used to work at a drug store camera department. A major chain. I would say that the actual development of the film is very sketchy - no care taken to really ensure proper development, and the machines do damage the film on a regular basis. The machines are poorly cleaned, most of the time (at least in comparison to how you would clean them if they were your own), the chemicals are never perfectly balanced, and the rollers are never free of grit. Really a sort of suicide trip for the negatives. if cost is the deciding factor, go for it, but it is like Russian Roulett.

The printing machines are scanners nowadays, but I did it the old way (chemical and three stage printing), and I would say that efficiency came before quality - always. No printer has the time to examine each frame and properly expose each frame individually.

Bottom line - find a shop that will dip 'n' dunk, custom develop, and hang dry your negatives - and print or scan them yourself. Or have them custom printed. The machines they use are clumsy and often destructive.

If you do B&W only, it is really easy to develop your negs yourself - and lots cheaper. And you can get quality from the negs that no shop will offer.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

DMR436... I wish my lab did Kodachrome! 🙄 Alas, they only do E-6, but they also do push-processing at no additional cost. Up to two stops sometimes, and it used to be processed the same day. Now, the bean-counters placed restrictions and they only process film twice a week. All of theml have BAs or MAs in fine arts, and they're all very knowledgeable. In fact, a staff photographer just won two prices (first and second) in a photo contest organized by the Association of University Photographers.

See... I'm sad to see them close! 🙁

 

[Graybeard]

You are corrrect. However, while slightly harder, processing Chromogenic b/w film at home is quite simple and easy, and you will get better results than at a "grocery store" lab. Processing kits are readily available. You use the same reel and tank you now have, as well as the same thermometer.

I must be missing something here.

Why go to the additional bother of processing chromogenic film at home when you will obtain equivalent or better results shooting and home processing a black and white emulsion?

My limited experience with chromogenic film is that the negative produced by Kodak's product are noticeably less sharp than any B&W film (same camera, outdoor shots at small aperture and high shutter speed).

 

[Erl]

I must be missing something here.

Why go to the additional bother of processing chromogenic film at home when you will obtain equivalent or better results shooting and home processing a black and white emulsion?

My limited experience with chromogenic film is that the negative produced by Kodak's product are noticeably less sharp than any B&W film (same camera, outdoor shots at small aperture and high shutter speed).

I don't think you are missing anything!

I have heard it claimed that chromogenic film is "grain free"; that is supposed to be an attraction. I would have thought that digital is a better alternative for "grain haters". Some also claim it scans better than true B/W, but my experience with B/W scanning is very positive, dependent on good software and operator skill, of course.

To my perception, chromogenic is simply a convenient device for labs that can't/won't process B/W.