 BetterPhoto Member |
?? how much $$ does it cost to get the average roll of film developed. P.S. where would you get them developed. at a photography shop maybe?
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Brendan Knell |
Well you can get them developed anywhere from a drugstore, but the quality will usaully not be great. Or you could go to somewhere that just photography, like Inkleys, and the quality should be great. I don't use film, so I couldn't tell you exactly, but I'm guessing around 5-10$ a roll.
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robert G. Fately |
Your question requires some detail - the cost for slides is very different than that for prints. If you're in the US, your local drugstore or Target/WalMart photo center probably charges on the order or $6-7 for a 24 exposure roll of print film. A pro lab will charge substantially more, but the difference in quality is usually quite obvious. Even though the basic C-41 developement process is the same, the pro lab has more accurate temperature controls, changes or refreshes their chemicals more often, and so forth - leading to far better looking prints. There is a well respected lab called A&I photo (www.aandi.com) - they do mail-order processing using mailers you can order directly from them or from B&H Photo. A&I's mailers cost something like $16 for a roll of C-41 print film (36 exposure). They also do E-6 pricessing, which is for slide film - their mailers for that cost about $7 (again for 36 exposures). Local drugstores etc. don't generally handle slides. Photo stores usually (not always, but usually) send their film out to a local lab (often the same lab that handles the film from the drigstores when you use the "overnight" service rather than the 1-hour service). The photo store just marks up the cost more, so they charge more than the drugstore for the same basic service. Of course, some photo shops do have in-house equipment - you need to ask. In that case, the photo store usually does a good job of keeping its gear and chemicals fresh and clean, and train the operators better than WalMart, so again their quality is better than the discount stores.
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BetterPhoto Member |
Two tips here. Check the date on any film you are purchasing. That four rolls for six dollars deal is probably too good to be true. And also, STEER CLEAR FROM RETAILERS like WalMart, Walgreens, any one hour photo printer/developer unless it is attached to a dedicated camera shop. Chris Walrath
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John P. Sandstedt |
The bottom line, here, is that most places are developing your color prints via machine. So, unless you take you megatives to a real pro labthat has a darkrrom and uses wet chemistry, everyone is doing the same thing. If you go to a one hour service [supermarket, Wal.Mart, etc.] you pay about $6.99 for a 24-27 exposure roll. There's a built in cost for filme development and then a per print charge. So, if you short change a rol, you'll pay proportionally less. Here is NJ, Stop and Shop offers developing for $4.99 mif you can wait about 24-48 hours. But, it's still maching developing/printing. If you go to a mail service like Clark Photo, you can pay as little as $2.99 for the 24 exposure roll. When, and if, I use such a service I ask for the premium service [sometime called Kodak] and pay $3.99 a roll. There is, of course, a handling charge per roll of film; you'll wind up paying about $5.50/roll and you'll have a wait of about a week. If you use Kodak mailers, available from Adorama and B and H [for example] you'll pay about $8.50. Kodak work will be done by Direct Photo, out of Maryland; Direct owns Clark and York Photo Labs [to name two services.] Some one hour labs at local photo shops will charge from $8.99 to $14.99 for a 24 exposure roll. Remember, their volume isn't as large as Wal-Mart's; yet, their equipment cost is comparable. And, their developing service is, usually, their bread and butter - not a loss leader. Slides follow the same procedure; however, almost all "local places" send out their work to a Kodak-type service. Prices vary. A point to note. Since almost all print work is done by machine, the issue is the manner of printing. Assuming fresh chmicals, there is little difference in the qualit yof the negatives. That's important if you scan your negatives and do your own printing at home. I wish I could just get a contact [index] print and the negatives from a one-hour service because that's what I'd rather do. Then, my printing cost would reflect only the images I feel worth print - regardless of size.
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John P. Sandstedt |
The bottom line, here, is that most places are developing your color prints via machine. So, unless you take you megatives to a real pro labthat has a darkrrom and uses wet chemistry, everyone is doing the same thing. If you go to a one hour service [supermarket, Wal.Mart, etc.] you pay about $6.99 for a 24-27 exposure roll. There's a built in cost for filme development and then a per print charge. So, if you short change a rol, you'll pay proportionally less. Here is NJ, Stop and Shop offers developing for $4.99 mif you can wait about 24-48 hours. But, it's still maching developing/printing. If you go to a mail service like Clark Photo, you can pay as little as $2.99 for the 24 exposure roll. When, and if, I use such a service I ask for the premium service [sometime called Kodak] and pay $3.99 a roll. There is, of course, a handling charge per roll of film; you'll wind up paying about $5.50/roll and you'll have a wait of about a week. If you use Kodak mailers, available from Adorama and B and H [for example] you'll pay about $8.50. Kodak work will be done by Direct Photo, out of Maryland; Direct owns Clark and York Photo Labs [to name two services.] Some one hour labs at local photo shops will charge from $8.99 to $14.99 for a 24 exposure roll. Remember, their volume isn't as large as Wal-Mart's; yet, their equipment cost is comparable. And, their developing service is, usually, their bread and butter - not a loss leader. Slides follow the same procedure; however, almost all "local places" send out their work to a Kodak-type service. Prices vary. A point to note. Since almost all print work is done by machine, the issue is the manner of printing. Assuming fresh chmicals, there is little difference in the qualit yof the negatives. That's important if you scan your negatives and do your own printing at home. I wish I could just get a contact [index] print and the negatives from a one-hour service because that's what I'd rather do. Then, my printing cost would reflect only the images I feel worth print - regardless of size.
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robert G. Fately |
A point to note on John S's (duplicated) point to note: the assumption that there are fresh chemicals is a dangerous one. The two main difference between the drugstores and the pro labs are 1) how the operators are trained and 2) how often they replenish the chemistry. Well, and 2b) how well they maintain the machinery. So while WalMart and Ritz Camera stores both use the same Fuji Frontier systems, believe me when I tell you that by and large Ritz will produce better results. The people who run the equipment at photo-oriented stores are, generally speaking, more 'into' photography and better trained than the minimum wage clerks at the discounters. There are, of course, exceptions, but on average the quality is better at places that know what they're doing. I've had strips of negatives ruined at a drugstore operation because the clerk used a squeegee with some foreign element wedged in it to swipe dry the negatives - and left a scratch through the entire strip. Nice, eh? So, again, there are real differences between the discounters and the 'pros' - and as always, some are better than others in either millieu - so basically it will be a matter of trying a few rolls at various places convenient to you and seeing how you fare.
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John P. Sandstedt |
But Ritz one hour service isn't done by "pros."
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John P. Sandstedt |
But Ritz one hour service isn't done by "pros."
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robert G. Fately |
Yes, John. Yes John. But Ritz's people are invariably better trained on how to use the systems, and Ritz undoubtably refreshes their chemistry more often. That's the only point I was trying to make. But Ritz's people are invariably better trained on how to use the systems, and Ritz undoubtably refreshes their chemistry more often. That's the only point I was trying to make. (see? I can state everything twice, too!)
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Will Turner |
"But Ritz's people are invariably better trained on how to use the systems, and Ritz undoubtably refreshes their chemistry more often.." Not where I live. I wouldn't let my worst enemy go to Ritz. Had a friend insisted on sharing print/develop costs on some of our camping trips, he would take the exposed film back to Ritz in the big city and they came back two different occasions months apart with all kinds of strange blobs on the negatives and ruined prints. Presented with a complaint by my friend, Ritz of course blamed 'whoever took them'. I was so incensed I insisted on taking back control of all film developed to my local lab, who found the film had been misprocessed. Ritz is never allowed to touch any film of mine, ever. Heck, the local one-hour Walgreens does a much better job. Since the imposition of my 'no-Ritz' rule, no problems at all since then.
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Bob Cammarata |
Find a pro lab or "real" photo shop locally who does their processing in-house and get to know them. When you've become a regular customer they will treat you differently and give your print or slide film the careful attention it deserves. You won't get that kind of service at any drug store/department store-type venue.
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BetterPhoto Member |
I gotta tell ya that more and more when I press the two pieces of paper together on my development/print envelope or even just hand over my cartridges/rolls to somebody, I cannot trust them to properly handle my film anymore. Walmart runs my film over sandpaper before developing. Others finish exposing the negatives for me. I have some of the items, developing tanks, film roll holders, I'm tired of the crap that photo retailers are throwing at us. I called a new developer a year ago and asked if they sold fixers and such and the response was "Aw, you don't wanna do that." Yeah, I know. Because it would put you out of business and expose you for the fraud you are! Sorry, a little venting. I am going to open my own DARKROOM!!!!! Chris Walrath
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Jay A. Grantham |
Chris.. the makers of digital cameras are taking over the world of film processing.. they are simply trying to push you towards their products. Eventually, they will take over the manufacuring of the chemicals that are required to process your own film.. that's the next step. *disclaimer* this is meant to be a joke (taken lightly) I am not suggesting that there is any kind of conspiracy, or that anyone would actually do anything hurtful or mean to anyone on purpose.. specifically members or visitors of this website.
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BetterPhoto Member |
No. I see, Jay. Yezzzzzzzz. They will take over the rfineries and plant detenation devices into the sideburns of Elvis clones so people can say that they saw Elvis tampering with the tanks but upon further review threr will be no proof. Oh, conniving digital freaks. They will be the end of us all. (I got it) Chris
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
The machines don't keep reusing the chemicals like a home b&w developer. They continuously run through from the storage tanks. That's something that has been a kinda universal reason that stores give to a customer when they ask why something came out bad from another place. Instead of saying "I don't know" they say "maybe their chemicals were old". They mix them in the tanks and pump them through. A little bit gets used up, a little bit gets pumped in. The thing about training, it's more an issue of what the people, including the manager, feel like they won't let slide by. One place tries to do a good job, another hopes maybe they won't notice the short cut negative.
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