6x6 lab cropping?

[nehril]

I just got into the 6x6 game with a Rolleicord, and it's lots of fun.

However, I recently sent some 120 film to a pro lab for

process/proof, and the 5"x5" prints were not full frame! I lost a bit

of image on each side (a few percent, perhaps.) This made a

difference in a few pictures since I had composed right to the edge.

 

Now, I understand why 35mm prints are necessarily not full frame

(though I don't understand why they don't offer print sizes in the

right aspect ratio), but are "cropped" 6x6 images to be expected from

a lab? Or should I find another lab?

[eric friedemann]

The only way to get a "full frame" print, whether from 6x6cm or 35mm, is to make the print in an enlarger using a full frame negative carrier- custom printing by lab standards. Most enlarger carriers are not full frame and crop off a bit of the image on all four sides. Added to that, you loses a bit more of the image in that the image will slightly lap out over the edge of the easel in printing. The same is also true of machine printing.

 

Without spending a bundle on having all of your images custom-printed, get to know the camera and the accuracy of the viewfinder. When you are used to shooting the camera and the image area of the prints you get back from the lab, you will learn to leave a little extra room around the edges of the frame to compensate.

[ernie_gec]

Philip:

 

There is no question but that too much of the negative often goes missing in the lab. It's infuriating to see a proof that clips off more than 1/8th of an inch all around the negative. This may be a necessary byproduct of automation, but it means the "proof" is an incomplete reflection of what was photographed.

[russell_britt]

All you need to do is order contact proofs! Usually its cheaper, some labs can even enlarge contact proofs with a 8X10 enlarger.Better yet print them yourself.All labs crop some unless you pay extra for enlarger prints and give instructions on printing.