XP2 Learning experience

Had an intesting learning experience with XP2 this week. I turned in some rolls to the local Kits Camera here. When I went to pick them up, I knew something was amiss when the packages looked like they had large flattened lumps in them! On opening them, I discovered that they had processed the negatives and rolled them loosely and stuffed them into the package with no protection. Then they must have been stacked with a bunch of other packages, because the rolls had all been flattened, causing folds on the negatives. When I made some prints, there were numerous small white specks where the emulsion had separated from the film. Kits didn't charge for the developing, but of course these were priceless shots from a backpack trip to the Olympic Beaches. Lesson learned:make sure the people developing your 120 film are very familiar with that format! I would appreciate any advice about how to touch up the spots on my prints. Thanks, John Gaasland.

Ouch! I have my 120 XP-2 done at a local processor who I know is careful and I hand him one of my 120 photo file pages to put it in when I give him the film to process. Theoretically any color lab can do it but I stick with him because I trust him to do good work.

I know that nearly all D&P establishments try to claim "cost of film only" damage waivers, but this has been challenged in the courts successfully quite a few times (at least in UK). Try for a better settlement with the (I hesitate to dignify it with the name) Lab. Possibly involving them paying for the Negs to be scanned and electronically retouched and then printed, or turned into trannys, I don't think you can get computer output as negatives.

There is absolutely no excuse for this kind of carelessness, after all you wouldn't expect to take your car in for a routine service and accept it back with the doors all scratched and dented !

Commiserations, Pete.

Pete,

I take my Lexus to a Lexus dealer to be serviced, I would be afraid to take it to KMART, they might scratch the doors. When I invest in Canon Eos Bodies and Canon L Lenses, research areas of the world to travel, and spend thousands of dollars traveling each year, lugging around a tripod, crawling around looking for unique photo opportunities, why in the world would I even remotly even consider getting the film developed at KMART? Or Kits? Sorry guys, I don't shoot MF.

I happened on to this site and my Canon stuff is very expensive.

That is highly unfortunate -- but then Kits is a regular consumer camera chain that offers 1 hr processing for the masses, located in malls, etc. If you are doing MF photography presumably you are serious about your work. If you dont have access to a darkroom to process your 120/220 yourself, then take it to a good custom lab, of which there are several in the Seattle area -- Ivey Searite is one I know my Dad has brought his business to for years (don't know about the spelling). Places like this deal with professionals all the time, will push film, etc., and put a premium on customer service. Yes, its a little more expensive but then, your photos are priceless!