Yes, another question about cheap mail-order film processing

<p>James...<br>

Thanks for leaving my post. Just trying to help Kayla out.<br>

Walter...The Fuji plants in South Carolina and Oregon do Walmart's work (with the exception of slides and other odd work that goes to Dwaynes via Fuji). Although some of the work might travel on WalMart's trucks, it's primarily couriers that do the routing for the photofinishing. The problem is that as volume diminishes the fixed costs of routing remain the same (or rise with fuel costs)</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I will wholeheartedly endorse the services provided by The Darkroom. I've used them many times. Never disappointed.</p>

<p>York/Clark - don't bother - sad story.</p>

<p>I have been using York/Clark for years and years. Earlier this year they "revamped" their website which means they took the emphasis off of film processing and instead are now pushing coffee cups, t-shirts, and other crap that nobody wants. They have buried the fact that they still process film way down in the fine print of the website somewhere. At about this same time their new website was unveiled, their film processing service started getting sloppy, slow and undependable. As I said, I have been using them for years and have always been very happy with them. But this year they scratched the negatives on my vacation pics, they sent the prints and negs back to me for SOMEONE ELSE's order (I forwarded the pics to the person they belonged to), and I'm currently waiting to prints back for a roll I sent in for processing over 3 weeks ago. This is truly a sad situation because York/Clark has been an excellent provider of low cost film processing for a long, long time. It's a shame that the good reputation built over the years by this company has deteriorated so badly and so rapidly.</p>

<p>I think what we're seeing in this industry is that only the film processors who really provide quality products and good customer service will survive. I will not send York/Clark any more orders. I've discovered that my local Walgreens will develop my negs and cut me a CD in an hour for about the same price that York/Clark charges to do this service in 3 weeks or more. Or if I can wait a week for my finished product, I use one of the following mail order processors that all do great work and provide A+ customer service: The Darkroom (in San Clemente), SF Photoworks (in San Francisco) or Marin Filmworks (in San Rafael). I'm sure there are other good ones out there too. </p>

<p>An open letter to York/Clark senior management,</p>

<p>Dear Sirs,</p>

<p>You're ruining your business. You have a huge customer base who want (or have wanted) film processed, and now many of them want prints made from their digital images instead of or in addition to film processing. That should not be a problem for you guys. But frankly your customer service and product quality went down the crapper this this year. SO I have a couple of suggestions of how you can get your operation back in shape: <br>

<br />1) Get the emphasis off of coffee mugs, t-shirts, bibs and other crap that nobody wants. Honestly, how much of that stuff can you expect to sell? Nobody I know gives a flying f**k about t-shirts with a picture of their kid picking his nose printed on it. What were you thinking? Yeah, you may sell some of that garbage, but it's not gonna be your bread and butter. </p>

<p>2) You have been THE low cost leader in film processing and printing for many years, and you have done a good job. But you've been pinched badly by the decrease in film processing business. As a result, you've cut back on resources devoted to your film processing operation. But I have it figured out. Here's what you need to do: take a look around the web and find out what other successful film processors are charging. And it's important you realize that other successful film processors DO exist. Then, raise your prices a bit so that you can afford to give your film processing division the attention it deserves. People will pay a bit more for film processing if you return to providing quality results and good customer service. Granted, volume for film processing has dropped off dramatically, but most industry rags I'm reading say that it's picking back up again somewhat. It will probably never be back to what it once was. But you guys have probably the largest database of film processing customers in the world. If you get your act together and start delivering a quality product again at a somewhat higher price, you could easily carve yourself a very nice niche in the new market. Is there ANY reason why you can't do this? </p>

<p>Come on boys. Giddy Up!</p>

<p> </p>

<p>So is The Darkroom and Swan Labs one and the same? (San Clemente?)</p>

<p>Is Saturday drop off and pick up an option?</p>

<p>Thanks, Bill Lynch - Mission Viejo.</p>

<p>One more lab located in Ohio<br /> Maybe that will save some time for people who mail film from the midwest.<br /> http://photoplaceonline.com/</p>

<p>William Thanks for the great list of labs to tryout.<br>

Here is one more I did not notice on your list.</p>

<h3 >ABC PhotoLab Mystic Connecticut</h3>

<p>http://abcphotolab.com/</p>

<p>Thanks Brian, I am not familiar with either of the two labs you listed, and I'm anxious to try them out. </p>

<p>W</p>

<p>ABC Photo Lab was started by former employees of Mystic Color Lab when the former company was sold to what it now Clark / York.<br>

Here is a link to a 2003 news story about ABC.<br>

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=20031204&id=lvcgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gnMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3228,558303</p>

 

<p>I just did a quick search and found another lab that I never tried.<br>

http://fromex.com/mail-order-film-processing.html<br>

Looks like there are LOTS of labs that will let you mail your film in. For people that do not have local service in town any more (like me) perhaps you can find a lab close to you. That way the film will only be in a the mail a day or so each way. I know when I dropped my film at the local lab I often did not go back and get it any sooner than that.<br>

<br />With the price of gas today I might even consider mailing my film to a lab on the other side of town.</p>

<p>^ Fromex in Long Beach California does beautiful work. They even processed and printed my 127 rolls.</p>

<p>Well who else can say something about a mail order lab?<br>

Let us make this post a resource for people looking for labs that are still out there doing quality work.<br>

Even if you have not used a lab but know it exists just post a link so we know it is out there.<br>

I know more than a few of the labs I have used in the past are no longer in business.<br>

We hear too much about what is gone with film photography.<br>

Lets talk about who is out there still working for us.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Another good one I found several weeks ago is Home Fair Camera in Larchmont, NY. I've used them a few times and they do really good work at a reasonable price. Their website is: http://www.homefaircamera.com/homepage.html. Sometimes they post on Ebay for film processing.</p>

<p>Another good mail order film processor: I've used these folks several and they do great, prompt work at very competitive prices: http://sharpphoto.net/</p>

<p>Update on a film processor I've already posted about I think: SF Photoworks does great work and the are real professionals. Recently they have added the option web upload of digital images when they process your film for you. This effectively cuts the amount of time in half it takes to mail in film processing and get the CD back. Thank you SF Photoworks!</p>

<p>http://www.photoworkssf.com/services-and-rates/film-processing</p>