 Brad silcott |
BIG photography issue. NEED HELP!!! Guys and Gals its been over just a year that I have posted up here and everytime I had a responce it worked great. Well now I need some serious help. The only "Camera Shop" with in a 75 mile radius closed. Every roll I have shot since January is just waiting for processing. I used to go to local drug stores as well as Wal-Mart. They are horrible. I was told it was my Camera or my mistake so I took a roll to a pro place and found out it was Wal-marts and others machines that where the quality issue. Does anybody know of any mail order place that does E-6 and C-41 proccessing? Also has anyone used Wolf or Ritz? and Does any know if Kodak still does proccessing? Thanks so much. This could be the end of my photography I just can't afford a DSLR.
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Mark Feldstein |
You'll likely be in a similar boat with Wolf or Ritz. Everyone I know whose ever used either one had bad experiences either immediately or soon after they started. BUT TAKE HEART !!! There are plenty of good and excellent professional labs that do E-6, C-41 AND black and white processing sent in by mail, UPS, Fed-Ex, Emery, etc. Two I've had nothing but great experience with for a lot of years are Gamma Photo Lab on East Erie St. in Chicago, http://www.gammaphoto.com and Isgo Photo Lab in Burbank. http://www.isgophoto.com Yes, they're both pro labs and they charge a bit more than Walmart, but you get what you pay for. Neither one of these labs has ever lost or trashed a roll or sheet of my film and I'm talking a LOT of film. Their printing is top shelf and their customer service crew are all knowledgeable, helpful and well-versed in photography. For special problems or concerns, each will have either the printer or one of the lab managers call you to figure it out. They really are great. Don't give up Brad. Check these guys out. Both have pricing posted on their sites and remember, you can find cheaper but I don't think you'll find better. As a third alternative locally if you have one, I can also highly recommend Costco for 35mm C-41 processing. Most of them are using Fuji Processors from what I understand. Their crew is well-trained on the equipment from pulling test strips every morning to checking chemistry, etc. They actually do a very nice job and again, have never damaged one of my negatives. If there's been a problem, they cheerfully reprint or reframe or whatever at no charge. But their machine operators do seem to really know what they're doing. Kinda refreshing in this day and age. Take it light.
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Brad silcott |
Oh man thanks. I do have a question for you though. When they say "Roll Film 135-24 Unmounted" they mean like 4x6 prints from 35mm film right?
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Sherri McGee |
Mark, I'm always on the lookout for a new lab. I checked out both sites. The Isgophoto site looks like the A&I site. Am I correct? B&H photo still sells A&I film mailers. I remember someone mentioning A&I had a name change but I can't remember what it is. I have some A&I mailers I need to use.
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
That means 24 exp roll uncut.
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Justin S. |
I say give the Wolf/Ritz Cameras a try. I'll Be the first to admit that there are some bad Wolf and Ritz cameras out there but not because all of them are like drug stores but because they have bad employees. 95% of Wolf/Ritz cameras pull the racks and clean them every night, dump chemistry, replinish with new chemistry, Dump stabilizer and replinish, scrub each rack individualy with a photowash soap solution, I mean alot of work goes into it. We stay a little over an hour every night cleaning the machines and get there to get the machines up and running an hour and a half early ever morning. In that time we re assemble the machines run test strips plot the results on graphs as well as in a computer. We are a photo specialty store and I absolutly love when people compare us to WAL-MART, WALGREENS, CVS, ECKERDS , SAMS CLUB, BJ's WHOLESALE, and Especialy COSTCO. If I had a dime for every time I've re-printed any of their work I would be a rich man. Then agian I can completly understand why people still go to those places... I mean, it is kind of convienent to ask the photo lab what Isle the tampons are on. I'm not trying to come off as an a$$ or anything but most of the time if someone gets bad prints back from one of our labs it's because they took bad photos, bought expired film, or have heat and/or light damage. Most of the employees at Wolf/Ritz are Photographers, In school for photography, Or just have a love for photography. Every Print that comes from those machines are treated as our own and have to pass our personal standards as well as Ritzs/Wolfs. I say test out all the places around you then go to a Wolf or Ritz and compare the prints. You'll see the differance...
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Autumn Hernandez |
Wow, you must live in my city because our "camera shop" just got closed down because Kitz put them out of business. I actually really like Kitz (well at least the one by me) because all of the people I have come into contact with actually knew their stuff. It's nice when they have an idea what they're talking about. Good luck!
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Brad silcott |
Ok so I have some options. Justin S. I was not comparing Ritz/Wolf with anything. The only reason I used those places walmart or drug store was because in this backwooded city I live in there where no other options. Until I found a small camera shop near by. I think I can see what you mean by BUT in my case that was what I was told a these drug stores it was always my fault. So just for fun when I found the Camera shop. I shot two rolls of 12. Same day,Same Camera and the Same 30 minute time frame. Took one to a local Eckerd drug store....One to the camera shop. Guess what the Camera shop roll didn't have junk of the negs or prints and it wasn't grainy. However the Drug store roll as usual had Sh!t all over it with a slight color cast down the center of the photo and I ask what happend and guess what they said it was. I had a diry camera, my lens was dirty,I must have bought expired film or light had gotten to it. So I may try Ritz or Wolf. But at this time in photograpy and life for me. I really don't need to try around a bunch of shops for right now I need something that is known to work. I have no doubt that Ritz/Wolf is a great shop. But I noted you said some of them. Around where I live we get the worst of everything so I am sure we have the shops that are like our drug stores and only clean the machines once everyday. Autumn, ANYWAY BESIDES ANY OF THE ABOVE If I were to get a roll of film done at the gamma photo place. How would I order 24 exp 35mm prints of 4x6?
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Look at that site and it's kinda confusing for the first time. Got the impression you'd be stuck with 5x7's(first one $21, each additional $4 if you get 20-30 of them) Check the left hand column and look at photo services. What you're looking for is this: http://www.gammaphoto.com/photofinishing-automated.html
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
That's the left column. Forgot to ask, where do you live that you get the worst of everything?
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Good lord. Right column.
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Brad silcott |
Thanks Gregory, I live in Rocky Mount,NC about 90 miles from Mayberry. Actually Mt Airy near the location of the Andy Griffin show was. Its not so bad but when it comes to hobbies and you hate hunting,drinking and agriculture. You are S.O.L. Every hobby I have had the business closed and nothing comes in to replace it. When you work so much to pay your way through college a little down time would be nice but not around here.
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Pat Worster |
I have had really good luck with adorama
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Mark Feldstein |
Well Sheri, the reason the A&I site looks strikingly similar to Isgo is because Isgo Lepejian bought A&I a couple of years ago, taking over their E-6 shop and shutting down (as far as I know) their K-14 Kodachrome processing. And for Brad, "Roll Film 135-24 Unmounted" they mean like 4x6 prints from 35mm film right?". Nope. That's usually a phrase applied to transparency film, (slides) unmounted vs. mounted for a projector. There are different grades of prints, however. Machine / Proof prints vs. custom grade prints as in enlargements or custom cropped, burned in, etc. As to what Justin mentioned: "95% of Wolf/Ritz cameras pull the racks and clean them every night, dump chemistry, replinish with new chemistry, Dump stabilizer and replinish, scrub each rack individualy with a photowash soap solution, I mean alot of work goes into it." I have no doubt that Wolf/Ritz employs some conscientious folks, you included, who make an effort to maintain the equipment and ensure the quality the processor was intended to produce. The problem is when you hit one of those 5% that don't. As a pro, I couldn't afford to be among that 5% and for non-pros, I don't think it's fair that they pay a premium price for mediocre work. knowhatimean?
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- Darren J. Gilcher Contact Darren J. Gilcher Darren J. Gilcher's Gallery |
What's wrong with hunting and drinking?
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Mark Feldstein |
"What's wrong with hunting and drinking" Nothing at all Darren. Just ask Dick Cheney. LOL !!!
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Speaking of Mayberry. Just saw the Andy Griffith episode where Barney had to watch the woman prisoner and got tricked and locked in the cell and Andy came back when she was just sneaking out the door. Got to give it to her, she's got some eyes.
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- Darren J. Gilcher Contact Darren J. Gilcher Darren J. Gilcher's Gallery |
Mark, Good one!
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Justin S. |
Brad, definatly give Wolf or Ritz a try.The reason I posted the I'm not trying to be an a$$ was because I knew it was going to come out the wrong way, but I didn't mean it with bad intentions. I wasn't trying to sound sarcastic or anything and I know you wasn't comparing us to drug stores. That part was more toward Mark (nothing agianst him) Who said "with Wolf/Ritz you will likly be in the same boat". Truth is, Wolf and Ritz uses chemical printing paper and actually do take care of the equipment Our prints are s'posed to have a 300 year life I believe a 200yr life guaranteed <- I cant spell... For the price you get a lot for your money. 95% of Wolf/Ritz's do take extreme care of the equipment. The other 5% are usually in sketchy areas closer to the city area of what ever state you in. The wolf I visited today was one of the bad wolfs down town where I live, their lab was down all day.... But the down town stores are usualy geared more toward sales than photofinishing (the good thing about those stores, they have the most toys to play with) The down town stores usualy have the worst customer service also. All and all, If you have one near you it is definatly worth a chance. You'll find out if it's good or bad in the first visit. Like I said earlier though, I really didn't mean for my previous coment to sound bad and/or sarcastic. I just wanted you to know that a lot of work goes into those labs and our prints really are superior to drug stores and dead even with most custom labs. Also you can work close with the Lab tech's at Wolf/Ritz to get your prints exactly how you want them. You will have to just dedicate the time to talk with us while we print your work over the usual just droping off and leaving. Once we get to know who you are we can make your prints to liking everytime without you even having to stay. I have many customers I know on a first name basis and know if they like the prints lighter,darker,more red,more yellow,more blue,desaturated a little,sharpened,softened,you name it but they have spent time to explane and show me what exactly they want to see. So I say if you have one around Brad, Give it a chance. Hang out and see if they will let you watch the whole set of procedures of developing(chances are they will) and printing, Then ask them to let you watch the amount of changes they do on you prints and if you wish make some suggestions on how you would like to see them. It's a ton of fun plus you get total control of your prints that way.
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Regular prints, I would say that wolf is good enough to specialty labs. A magazine once did a comparison test with one hour places and high price labs. Some showed the stereotype of slight offness to all(former eckerds was like that, always a little blue. Some came thru just as good. It's still paper, same chemicals, a machine that analyses the negative. Proof is in the prints you get.
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