Dwayne's Photo vs. Clark Color

<p>Since the local Costco stores stopped handling 35mm colour negative film, I have been using two labs: Dwayne's Photo Service in Parsons, Kan., and Clark Color Labs in Hampton Park, Md. For jobs of 5 or less rolls of 36-exposure 35mm film, Clark was generally cheaper; for more than 5 rolls, Dwayne's was cheaper, primarily on account of the shipping costs.</p>

<p>A 36-exposure roll developed with a set of 4" x 6" prints from Clark is $6·50, and $3 per roll to burn a CD, plus return shipping charges of $2·50 per roll. Sending the rolls to Clark is free by way of prepaid mailers. So one roll comes to $12.</p>

<p>Dwayne's price for that same 36-exposure roll with a set of 4" x 6" prints was $6·99, and $2·99 for the CD, plus return postage of $4·50 for the first roll, 50¢ for each additional roll. Thus one 36-exposure roll was $14·48, plus you have to pay the cost of shipping to the lab.</p>

<p>So Dwayne's would be a good buy for 5 or more rolls on account of the shipping costs. Dwayne's scans are of a higher resolution — don't recall exactly the pixel count — and are printed on Fuji Crystal Archive paper, whereas Clark uses Kodak paper. I prefer the look of the Crystal Archive paper rather than Kodak's, but admittedly that's subjective.</p>

<p>Because I prefer the Fuji paper, I sent 5 36-exposure rolls to Dwayne's. I received the e-mailed invoice and was surprised to learn that they jacked up their prices considerably. A single 36-exposure roll with a set of 4" x 6" prints is now $9 — an increase of 28¾ percent — but the CD only went up 1¢ to $3; the return postage, however, was increased from $4·50 a roll to $5, but additional rolls remain at 50¢ each.</p>

<p>Thus my 5-roll order with Dwayne's is now $67, plus I had to pay $2·86 in postage shipping it out, a total of $69·86. Before their price increase, the total to Dwayne's would have been $56·40, plus $2·86 postage out, a total of $59·26 — an overall increase of 17·8 percent.</p>

<p>That same order with Clark Color Labs would come to $62·40, but with no shipping costs out to the lab. So even with the higher shipping costs per roil of $2·50 each with Clark, they are now cheaper than Dwayne's. That 28¾-percent increase per roll on D&P negates the lower shipping costs with Dwayne's.</p>

<p>I have to decide if the extra cost is worth it for the higher-res scans and Fuji Crystal Archive paper of Dwayne's. For simple family snaps, I don't think so. And for anything critical I can go into Manhattan to Luster Photo & Digital or The Color House. Also gives Uncle Karl an excuse to drop in on my grand niece, who lives in the East Village.</p>

<p>Curious as to what labs others have been using and your experience with the pricing and quality.</p>

After my Costco stopped film I started using The

Darkroom in San Clemente CA. Prepaid mailers,

decent pricing, good scans, good prints, negs

returned with a CD and reference print. About $5

for return of up to 5 rolls. Images posted to online

site if one wants to see or download faster than the

mail. Email messages to confirm receipt,

processing completion, and return mailing.

Tracking numbers, both coming and going. Never a

worry with these folks!

<p> I do my own now and I have no complaints. But If it is a matter of price then I always will pay extra because I feel I am special.</p>

Three and a half years ago, my wife and I returned from a three week walking trip in western Scotland, and I sent off the

two print film rolls I shot to Clark (everything else was in slides, and those went to Dwayne's). One of the print rolls had

been changed out after three exposures and put pack into the camera during the time it was shot. That's a pretty easy

technique; you mark the last frame shot, rewind the film, then put it back in and advance (with the shutter blocked off) to

one frame past where you were.

 

I really should have looked for a "develop only/no cut" option, because the developed roll came back from Clark with

every frame physically aligned for the last part of the roll only. The first three frames were physically cut in half, with prints

to accompany them. Clearly, no human being ever looked at the roll or the prints. Dunno if Dwayne's would ever do

something that knuckleheaded, but Clark won't get another chance from me.

I have used The Darkroom for both color and black & white many times with excellent results. Their enhanced scans satisfied my needs. I'm satisfied to the

point that I'm now debating whether to order more chemicals for developing my 35mm and 120 films at home versus using The Darkroom all the time, since I

don't shoot film regularly, especially in the winter.

<p>I am happy with Dwayne's prices for 120. A color roll developed and printed on 5x7 glossies is dirt cheap compared to what my local lab would charge for that. I have also used TheDarkroom.com for APS and 110 and they seem to do a good job - but it's hard to tell with the aging film stocks.</p>

<p>35mm I mostly develop and scan. Having a decent scanner helps.</p>

<p>"Clearly, no human being ever looked at the roll or the prints."<br /><br />That's almost certainly correct. It's also how they are able to offer such low prices. Back when I regularly shot film, the professional lab I used was CPQ Colorchrome. There was never ever the slightest scratch, piece of dust, miscut negative, fingerprint or any other problem. Each proof was perfectly exposed and color balanced and good enough to sell as a finished photo itself. But developing and printing a 36-exposure roll was about $35. And that was 15 years ago.<br /><br />Back in the day, Clark was a mass market "photo finisher" that inserted their postage-paid mailers in the Sunday newspaper, along with all the weekly sale circulars and coupons, and catered to developing snapshots for customers more concerned about price than quality. <br /><br />I wouldn't trust a paying job to Clark, or Dwayne's for that matter. But I wouldn't pay $35 to get family snapshots developed either. I think Karl hits it on the head that Clark might be fine for snapshots but that critical work justifies the cost of a professional lab.</p>

<p>I haven't used Clark's in at least 6 years, Dwayne's for at least 2. I now use North Coast Photo.</p>

<p>http://www.northcoastphoto.com/index.html</p>

<p>They get all my 35mm C-41, 120 C41, and 120 E6. Next shipment will include a roll of 220 C-41 to see how they do. I like their scans.</p>

<p>Seems like it's time for me to check out The Darkroom and North Coast. I haven't had any disasters with Clark or Dwayne's, except some scratched negatives. But anything critical I schlepp into Manhattan to a professional lab -- better safe than sorry. </p>

<p>I briefly scanned The Darkroom and North Coast websites and it's not clear whether their digital prints are dry inkjet prints or whether they are wet printed on real photo paper. </p>

<p>I once had some negatives cut through the image, though I don't remember it from reloading a roll. For most, it shouldn't be so hard for a machine to recognize the boundary.</p>

<p>I believe it was from Qualex, but it was long enough ago that I am not so sure.<br>

I asked for free copy negatives from the prints, and they did that. Seems fair to me, though the quality is likely a lot less than the originals. Mostly family snapshots done on VPS. That was before PhotoCD, which I often got after they were available.</p>

<p>Dye sublimation seems to be the competing technology to wet processing.</p>

<p>I have found that local pro labs for C41 and E6 develop only, no scan or print, are more affordable than mail order, as it avoids shipping charges. (If I wait until I am going in the right direction.)</p>

<p>For cities big enough to keep a lab open, we should try to keep them in business.</p>

<p>Moon Photo, not so far away, charges $7.50 for C41 (35mm or 120) developing, and $10 to scan an uncut roll, to 4 or 5 MB JPEGs. That last one I did, I scanned myself, but $10 is probably a good price for that resolution. </p>

<p>The lab i use does wet processing.</p>

<p>Glen,</p>

<p>I'd support a local lab if there was one. I'm south of Atlanta and it's a 50 minute drive each way - longer in traffic. Forces me to use the Post Office.</p>

<p>There's just not enough demand for a pro lab where I live. WalMart does a good size volume making prints but their C-41 machine is long gone.</p>