Any harm in having film developed at a 1 hour place

[drazin]

id like to develop myself, but i live in a small apt and have no room.

is there any harm getting development done at a local 1-2 hour photo place (not a drugstore/pharmacy) ?

[Stephanie Brim]

As long as they're good, not really. You have to be very careful, though.

[sirius]

I find it depends what you want to do with your photo. If it is a straight forward exposure then they usually turn out great. Scans to CD tend to be overshapened for screen viewing. I've had some dusk shots get too much contrast added to them because all the photos go through an auto processing. It also depends on the quality of the set-up. There should be a room that is separate from the rest of the building where they can control humidity and dust, though some machines are well sealed. My local grocery does film but the negs look destroyed: over-contrasty (old chemicals?), scratched negs with dust and hair on them, colour casts to my b/w. Oh "the horror"! The London Drugs (I'm a Canuck) in the nearest large town does a nice job.

[Peter A (NYC)]

I do it all the time cuz I have to. Main problem is scratched negs.

[drazin]

@Peter You live in NYC? me too. where do you get your stuff developed? I usually goto Digital C Lab on 36th but they suck at scanning so i only get prints there.

[erikhaugsby]

Scratches are the biggest issue for me, though with DigitalIce I'm not too worried about the minor ones.
I haven't really noticed issues with high contrast, though it's been a while since I've had film developed at a professional place (I don't shoot more than a roll of color a month, if that).

[nikon_sam]

I go to a 1 Hour place all the time for C-41...I have a place and I know the people there and they know me...They know what I want and if I don't get it I will have them do it again...
I know these people...I spend alot of time in there...I talk with them about photography and other things...they are friends.
It takes a bit of time to get to this level but well worth it...be more than a customer to them...

[shadowfox]

Depends on what you mean by harm

Does it harm the negatives? No
Does it harm the quality? Not really, scratches that I've seen can be taken care easily by the scanning software, or some judicious clone-brush action. NOTE: the word "judicious" is the key here, I abhor cloning that alters the content of a photo in any perceivable way (eg. removing a telephone pole/line).

Now, what I find as an advantage is that development by lab (ie. machine) is extremely consistent exposure-wise, that way I can experiment with various film to get different effects and results with one less variable.

[rich815]

Originally Posted by drazin

id like to develop myself, but i live in a small apt and have no room.

is there any harm getting development done at a local 1-2 hour photo place (not a drugstore/pharmacy) ?

Are you talking color or B&W? I'm guessing B&W when you say "I'd like to develop myself' as not that many people develop color themselves at home. If so, then most (all?) 1-hour labs do not develop traditional B&W emulsions.

[Scarpia]

In general labs with Fuji Frontier machines do the best work all things being equal which they are not always. During the summer when I am upstate I use WalMart in Queensbury NY. They have a well trained and dedicated crew and not only do an excellent job but cheaply as well. When I was in Nashville in May, the WalMart ther charged 60% more than the one in Queensbury. Back in NYC my local guy in a store which sells CD's, DVD's videotapes, etc used to do a pretty good job but lately seems to be using vintage chemicals and his work has deteriorated to the point where I have to find another processor.
Most drugstore chains use Noritsu equipment which is not as consistant but can be very good. Changing the chemicals on a regular basis seems to be the key as well as adjusting the machine as needed by sampling the output. At drugstore chains the person who operates the machine is also putting items on shelves, scanning coupons, etc. not a good omen for consistant output.
Kurt M.

[Chris101]

I'm thinking you are talking about black and white stuff too.If that is the case, you don't need any special space requirements to develop it. I do mine in a 6x10 foot bathroom, and hang it in the shower overnight to dry. All the chemicals store nicely in a box made to hold several reems of printer paper. I also use a changing bag, so the need for a light tigh room isn't there either.

The problem with one hour shops is that you are stuck with xp2 or cn400bw for black and white film. For color, I always use one hour shops, cause I'm just that impatient!

[nikon_sam]

If it's B&W you're talking about you're better off doing it yourself...
As Chris101 states it doesn't take up much space to store equipment/chemicals...
The cost saving of doing it at home will more than pay for the equipment needed...
If you're scanning the negs and not interested in wet printing then you're done...

[Dektol Dan]

If you need a quick verification of test shots, or just are in a giant hurry go ahead and risk it. If not, never!

You risk:
1.) Giant scratches, especially if the operators hand cut the strips in other than the 4 the machine spits out.
2.) Handling of the film when wet (oh yes, they'll tell you it was dry...), and cinch scratches if they reutrn your film to you in a roll.
3.) Out of date chemicals (clumped grain, I mean REALLY clumped to the point where your nice blue sky is mottled).
4.) An afternoon spotting dust, (so you think digital ICE saves you time...Ha!)

You gain:
1.) From negatives, detail in the shadows that don't turn into speckles of noise when scanning (and you thought it was your scanner...NOT NECESSARILY).
2.) As many as half the exposures requiring no spotting at all and minimal with the rest.
3.) Professionally cut and loaded film into archival sleeves.

Downside: time and expense.
If you supply your own sleeves it costs $1 more per roll to have specialty house process your film. They will generally ask for at least four hours (but you can be lucky). They may be across town, gas isn't cheap and you have to go and go again! Many do business by mail, and in my area that is often cheaper than the gas. Plan for a 3 day turn around if mailing.

I wait until I have 3, or a half dozen rolls and then have them all done at once.

I truely believe that most folks think digital looks better because 90% of film processing done today is crappy, marginal or failing in quality.

I shoot film because lens and film choice is my color palette. Second rate processing clearly washes that definition all away.

[Thardy]

I had previously bragged on Pnet about a service that Wal-mart photo provides. They send B&W, E-6, and all non-35mm film to a Fuji process facility, who then sends it off to Dwaynes in Kansas. I always wondered why it took so long (until I found out it went to Kansas).

Well the B&W, E-6, and 120 processing had been beautiful, until i just got some 35mm B&W back. I can't even believe the same place processed them.....one roll was plastered with dust.

It must have been one bad run because I sent the film in 2 orders then picked them all up at the same time.

It's just disappointing because I don't think I have the patience to clone out all the dust in Photoshop. The roll was a remnant from a trip to Paris (hey look what I found!) A nice surprise turns to CRAP....good thing I had my dslr with me , and used it.

[dmr]

I've found that the biggest issue with one hour photo places is consistency. It seems to vary from shop to shop, shift to shift, and person to person. Sometimes you get somebody who knows what he/she is doing, other times you get a total ditz, and often you get a competent button-pusher who knows very little outside of pushing buttons.

Originally Posted by Scarpia

In general labs with Fuji Frontier machines do the best work all things being equal which they are not always.

The Walgreens I go to usually uses a Frontier 550, and this is the most consistent shop I've found. One other which is semi-convenient for me uses a Frontier 350, but they tend to have blown highlights in the scans.

During the summer when I am upstate I use WalMart in Queensbury NY.

I think I'm going to give up on Wally World. They use the Frontier machines, but they seem to be catch and miss. Last week a guy I work with was making a run to Wally World so I asked him to drop off a few rolls for a DO/CD. Most of them were fine, but two of the rolls, OMG, dust to the max! I had to photoshop them with the healing tool just to get them presentable for web display!

From their spotty processing, to their disorganized merchandize to the business practices, to the snotty Joe Mannix wannabe security guy I had a problem with, I think I'm going to take what business I do with them elsewhere.

[sepiareverb]

I have a local shop that does very good work, but I prefer to get proofsheets and they won't do that. I also find that I don't spend all that much more sending the film to a NYC pro lab. Besides the proofsheet I also get films cut into strips of 6, and much more consistency. Downside is that even the Pro labs seem to be working less, so turnaround time has increased.

[kshapero]

I go to a specific Walgreens that has a Fuji Frontier rig. Somebody told me that they work best with Fuji film. So I use Superia 400 and Reala 100 and get very good results. For B+W I use Kodak C-41 with pretty good results. For now I am OK.

[amateriat]

If we're talking conventional b/w film here, I do the souping myself. If we're talking C41 film, I work it on a "two-tier" system:

-The really critial stuff gets taken to a pro lab in Manhattan. For me, that's Manhattan Color Lab on West 20th Street (off Fifth Avenue). A very solid lab overall.

- For "everything else", there's the corner Rite Aid, whose photo department seems to suffer minimal turnover, usually a good sign in terms of management. I've rarely had a roll come back scratched or gritty, though that might be in part because I have the film handed back to me uncut, without printing or scanning. It's cheaper for me this way, too.


- Barrett

[kshapero]

Originally Posted by amateriat

If we're talking conventional b/w film here, I do the souping myself. If we're talking C41 film, I work it on a "two-tier" system:

-The really critial stuff gets taken to a pro lab in Manhattan. For me, that manhattan Color Lab on West 20th Street (off Fifth Avenue). A very solid lab overall.

- For "everything else", there's the corner Rite Aid, whose photo department, seems to suffer minimal turnover, which is usually a good sign in terms of management. I've rarely had a roll come back scratched or gritty, though that might be because I have the film handed back to me uncut, without printing or scanning. It's cheaper for me this way, too.


- Barrett

And then what scanner do you use for the negs?

[drazin]

Heres a few i just got done at this 1 hr place. bad prints decent scans a bit over exposed. What filter should i use or what should i do when i shoot in bright sunlight like this?






Rest Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dankste...7600967297678/

i think some are too over exposed..but i always did what the light meter told me.

[Scarpia]

There's no accounting for taste. I think they are perfectly exposed.
Kurt M.

[shadowfox]

Originally Posted by dmr

I've found that the biggest issue with one hour photo places is consistency. It seems to vary from shop to shop, shift to shift, and person to person. Sometimes you get somebody who knows what he/she is doing, other times you get a total ditz, and often you get a competent button-pusher who knows very little outside of pushing buttons.

I have 4 lab technicians (different shifts) working at my local Sams. I know them by name by now, surely they all can't be savvy, experienced photo developers, in fact, I chatted with them enough to know that only one is.

Yet, for almost the past year of two rolls per week average, I've never seen a negative that is mangled, scratched beyond repair, or messed up in general. And yes, the machine broke down once or twice, but that only means my film stays there overnight, not messed up afterwards.

And the results are consistent, for instance, when I developed two similar rolls, one at 200ASA, the other at 160ASA, I can tell the difference.

So either I'm extremely lucky to have access to the best minilab out there (super unlikely), or we probably ought to give them a bit more credit.

[nikon_sam]

Drazin,

Maybe a Warming Filter...maybe...they look good to me...the exposure is well balanced for everything that's in there...what did you meter off of...

[amateriat]

Originally Posted by kshapero

And then what scanner do you use for the negs?

I've been using a Minolta 5400 for the last several years, and have loved the results. I have used various film scanners with success before this one. There are all manner of film scanners, new and used, at various price points, that can do a good job. There's a bit of alchemy involved, between the hardware (not just the scanner, but the computer/monitor you lash it to), the software, and the experience brought to bear upon all of the above. All this may sound a bit daunting, but it shouldn't be.


- Barrett

[amateriat]

Drazin: What's not to like about these pics?


- Barrett