Walmart lovin', or how I learned to stop worrying and love the roll

[Bobbo]

OK, I bought a Rolleicord III for pretty cheap a couple of months ago. I also dumped all of my 35mm rangefinders, too, as if I were to shoot film in the future, it would be to "go big or go home," but because of work needs (my "new" truck should probably be replaced here pretty soon), I've put off shooting it.

I finally ran a roll of color film (3-year-expired Fuji Pro400H somebody gave me), and I dropped it off at my local Walmart. I wrote in the special instructions area this exactly: "120 film C41 process. Develop only, do not cut."

Two weeks later, it comes back. I'm sooo upset right now... they cut my film into strips of 2, and now it wont' fit in my 3-wide binder sheets .

Nah, I'm not really upset. I'm just super-stoked it came out to (drumroll, please)... $0.84. Yes, that's less than the cheap box of M&M's I munched on while at work this afternoon. At 7 cents a shot, I'm wondering if I could get a medium format digital back for $3,500 (that's 50,000 frames at 7 cents each). I don't think so .

B&H Photo has 6 different 120 C41 films from $4-$5 a roll (Including Illford's XP2, so I can get my B&W fix). With processing, that's a) an awful lot cheaper than any 35mm color film, and b) an awful lot cheaper than any B&W 120 film I could develop myself. The wait, for me, is more tolerable than the mess I generally create in my kitchen... I don't have a darkroom space, so everything's to be scanned on my Epson 3170.

That's it, I'm getting a cheap, beater 2 1/4 SLR to start carrying with me while driving around for work. Now I just need to decide between a Mamiya M645 or some 6x6 camera (not a Hassy)... but I have noticed the Fuji 645 rangefinders and the like, so I may look at those, too.

[batterytypehah!]

I'm with you all the way but you can't mention the W-word around here without somebody getting on their soapbox. Wait for it.

Speaking of waiting, I have a new bellows for my GS645 coming soon. I intend to take advantage of the Wally World/Fuji service for as long as it lasts.

[raid]

The price varies from week to week at Walmart, and it is not them but the company that develops the film. For me, it varied from $1.80 to $4.80 for no reason at all,

[JayC]

I tried Rite Aid again. My 120 slides came back uncut as requested, but at $8.99.

[batterytypehah!]

I haven't had any 120 done since October but it was $1.81 including 12 prints at the time. Develop only has been consistently $0.84. I suspect mine go to the same facility as Bobbo's, which should be Fuji in Albany NY.

[Bobbo]

Originally Posted by batterytypehah!

I haven't had any 120 done since October but it was $1.81 including 12 prints at the time. Develop only has been consistently $0.84. I suspect mine go to the same facility as Bobbo's, which should be Fuji in Albany NY.

Albany's only a 4-hour drive from here, and I doubt there is another lab closer these days. Very likely our film is roller processor buddies, hehe. Does it usually take 2 weeks for you, as well? Mine was sent out on the 14th, processed on the 20th and back in Walmart by Thursday.

The real reason I posted is because I haven't found any recent discussions at other forums about this (as in most are 3-4 years old), so I figured I'd pop a thread off saying "yes, Virginia, there really is 120 processing at commercial facilities... and it's dirt-freaking-cheap!"

Not a big fan of Walmart myself, or even the whole global interdependence model of mass production, really (I'd pay 30-percent more to support workers who make less in a month than I do in mileage checks alone). I do like Walmart more than Kmart, however (the other choice around these parts -- we're so rural Target would have an aneurysm, hehe). You'd be surprised, however, the services you can get there if you know where to look...

[patois]

Better than walmart is 120processing.com and they will follow your instructions to the letter.

[batterytypehah!]

Originally Posted by Bobbo

Albany's only a 4-hour drive from here, and I doubt there is another lab closer these days. Very likely our film is roller processor buddies, hehe. Does it usually take 2 weeks for you, as well? Mine was sent out on the 14th, processed on the 20th and back in Walmart by Thursday.

I don't even bother checking on my order until the two week mark. Maybe the first couple of times, only to find that yes it does take two weeks.

@ patois - Maybe they are, maybe they're not. I haven't tried them, and I have no interest until the Walmart deal runs out. Depending on how much you value the convenience and the scans, $10 may be a good price, but I would rather shoot 12 times as much and do my own scanning. I'm at the plaza where our Walmart is located pretty often, anyway, so the mail versus drive aspect hardly matters to me.

Personally, I'm not convinced that smaller is better when it comes to C-41 labs (as well as E-6). These processes were designed from the ground up for high volume. The bigger and more automated the lab, the better, IMO.

[Joe Vitessa]

I use Rite-Aid for 120 C-41 processing so I don't have to give money to Wal-Mart. The film goes to the same place and costs the same, but it's actually cheaper for prints and processing ($.88 a roll for 12 cute 4X4 prints) vs. $4.89 or so for processing only. Yeah, weird. Turnaround is closer to a week than two for me.

[batterytypehah!]

^Really? Sounds awesome. Where are you located, if I may ask?

[JayC]

Originally Posted by Joe Vitessa

I use Rite-Aid for 120 C-41 processing so I don't have to give money to Wal-Mart. The film goes to the same place and costs the same, but it's actually cheaper for prints and processing ($.88 a roll for 12 cute 4X4 prints) vs. $4.89 or so for processing only. Yeah, weird. Turnaround is closer to a week than two for me.

Do you or anyone else have a link or printout of official pricing? I am tired of the random prices I am getting from my Rite-Aid. I know they don't do the pricing, but it would be nice to have something to fall back on if I want to dispute the price.

[Bobbo]

Originally Posted by patois

Better than walmart is 120processing.com and they will follow your instructions to the letter.

An interesting choice, but it's not worth the cost of buying and developing 3 rolls of film, IMHO. I don't need to spend $17 ($5 a roll for film, $1 to ship it there, $10 to process, $1 to not cut my negs) for the exact same thing. I don't have that kind of money. That kind of pricing is what put me off 120 film in the first place.

Good to know it's about 2 weeks for everyone (gives me a better way to plan now), Battery. As far as the wait goes, I remember using York processing when there wasn't a 1-hour lab in my area. I'm not in a big hurry, it's not like I'm using it for work (which if everyone hasn't picked up yet, I'm a small-town daily newspaper reporter). The evils of 1-hour labs and digital went and got us all in a big damn hurry .

I think Walmart can have my $0.84 to pay the local girl behind the counter to walk 10 feet, open a drawer and hand me my film (At minimum wage, that's 12 cents a minute, it took her 5 minutes to find the misfiled film and check me out). Gov. Cuomo can have 3 cents to pay himself, the Cattaraugus County Legislature can have 3 cents to help make up for the Cuomo property tax cap and the Town of Allegany can have a cent to buy a fraction of an ounce of blacktop to fill the pothole out front.

[filmfan]

Luckily, where I live in MA I have to actually search the internet to find the nearest Walmart because in 15 years of living in this area, I have never seen one... this is a rarity in this country.
Anyways, now I am searching for a Walmart to process my C-41 120 film backlog. Thanks for the heads up!

[charjohncarter]

Similar Walmart experience, sometimes cut sometimes not, the price varies, but always low. I do just C-41 and E-6 with them and it has been consistent, and at least not scratched; so far. Now if I could get a large group of friends that would give me free 120 film (like the poster)(even expired) I would be happy.

[sanmich]

I had a crazy experience with walmart back then:
asked for 6~7 uncut Kodachrome rolls.
I got everything mounted with a printed note in each and every envelope mentioning that because of automation they can't get the slides uncut (right, it was dwayne anyway...). And of course they couldn't refrain from processing and just give me back the rolls with the little note.
instead of a few pages I have a filer full of them now.
Man did I cursed...

[Beemermark]

Originally Posted by raid

The price varies from week to week at Walmart, and it is not them but the company that develops the film. For me, it varied from $1.80 to $4.80 for no reason at all,

True, but still cheaper than other mail order place (nobody local anymore). Never had to pay more than about $2.00, except when they include prints (I think the instructions get separated from the film at some point).

Don't think they've ever screwed the film up. The important point is that Wal-Mart doesn't process the film. They send it one of those big mail order houses.

[Phil_F_NM]

Originally Posted by Bobbo

Town of Allegany can have a cent to buy a fraction of an ounce of blacktop to fill the pothole out front.

You're paying way too much for asphalt.

Phil Forrest

[Aristophanes]

Dwayne's does a big chunk of Walmart's US photo processing.

I believe local Wal-marts can vary the price.

[Robert Lai]

Wal-mart is the reason I shoot so much 120 C-41 these days. Even 35mm is uneconomical compared to this pricing, and I don't want the prints anyway as I scan my films. For E-6, I still send to a custom lab which is not too expensive. Walmart charges me about $9 or so for E-6 120.

[isoterica]

I took my film to a local Osco Drug store to process.. same instructions, not only did they cut my film, they cut it through the center of some frames. I was so mad and of course.. nothing can be done. Since I don't know how to develop yet I pay a little more to go to a camera store and have them do it.. the proper way.

[Robert Lai]

I used to use Osco when they had their own C-41 line in each store, and I was testing a camera. Now, they want $8 to just develop a roll of C-41 (no prints). So, I wait and send my 35mm to Dwayne's directly.

[batterytypehah!]

Originally Posted by sanmich

I had a crazy experience with walmart back then:
asked for 6~7 uncut Kodachrome rolls.
I got everything mounted with a printed note in each and every envelope mentioning that because of automation they can't get the slides uncut (right, it was dwayne anyway...). And of course they couldn't refrain from processing and just give me back the rolls with the little note.
instead of a few pages I have a filer full of them now.
Man did I cursed...

You cursed because of what? Did Dwayne's even offer uncut Kodachrome service at the time? And if so, what made you think you could get the same service for less through Walmart?

That's just how it works. You want Dwayne's level of service, well, pay their prices. You want to save money, go to Walmart and accept it's one size fits all.

[Bobbo]

So... just finally got the scanner hooked back up (don't mind the dust, under maintenance ). No wierd color casts from the old film, no scratches... yeah, I'm happy, hah.

[sanmich]

Originally Posted by batterytypehah!

You cursed because of what? Did Dwayne's even offer uncut Kodachrome service at the time? And if so, what made you think you could get the same service for less through Walmart?

That's just how it works. You want Dwayne's level of service, well, pay their prices. You want to save money, go to Walmart and accept it's one size fits all.

Yes, Dwayne was offering the "service" of not cutting and not mounting the slides. (free of charge mind you)

What really pissed me at the time is that if Walmart were unable to do whatever I was asking, they should have declined the processing. Simple as that...

[daveleo]

The local Walmart here does NOT handle 120 film. I went there yesterday and asked the photo guy. He said "no , try CVS "

Neither of our local drug stores (CVS, Walgreens, who handle film) handle 120 rolls.

Too too bad, my hopes were up there.