Botched processing : what should I do ?

[lhg]

Yesterday I picked up three rolls of processed NPZ-800 with no

prints and was surprised to get horrible results in my scanner.

Taking a closer look at the negs, it appeared clearly that the

development had been mishandled : the whole thing was veiled,

looking like a blend of a negative and a non processed film like the

leaders that stick out of the rolls before you load them.

 

The difference is very obvious when comparing side-by-side the non

exposed parts of these negs and other negs from my archives.

 

I immidiately went back to the shop, where they merely admitted that

it was "slightly underdeveloped", sounding like it was just a slight

variation in the results within acceptable limits. They told me

that prints could still be made of it and made four 4x6s in front of

me that had no contrast or color saturation whatsoever, and told me

yeah, you see, just push the contrast in PS and everything is swell.

 

Taken aback by their apparent lack of concern I told them I would

try and tweak my scanner settings and went away. Trying again to

work on it yesterday night all I could realize is the extent of the

damages. The cruel thing is that I still can see that I had

spectacular pics of an airshow on these films.

 

Does anybody have any advice of what should be my next moves if

any ? Should I expect any form of compensation ?

[steve_levine]

Your next move is to find a lab that knows what they are doing.

[jtk]

A real lab would offer you fresh film, nothing more. No real lab would say "slight underdevelopment." There's no such thing with color film unless there's been a big screwup.

 

How was the film processed? What kind of machine? If a photographer doesn't know, any problems are really his fault.

[stephen hazelton]

Give 'em a hard time.

 

If you read the fine print on the processing envelope, it probably limits their liability to replacement film. Not good for you, but keeps processing costs down. But do keep after them, maybe you'll get your replacement film plus some, etc.

 

The irritating thing is people like this that won't own up to their mistakes. I've goofed up on stuff like this, so know it can be done. But labs tend to try to weasel out of it, in the hopes their customers are too ignorant to know the difference. Qualex cross-processed my slide film, then put on a sticker saying the film was underexposed. Wolfe Labs ruined a roll of IR film, then tried to say the film was overexposed. Grrrrr.

[john_shriver]

A good lab may be able to re-do some of the processing steps and improve the results, sounds like it could be a failure in bleaching or fixing. Then stick with the good lab -- you get what you pay for in this business.

[ilkka_nissila]

It would help people if you'd just say what the name of the lab is and where it is located so that we can watch out and stay away from it.

[rowland_mowrey]

Loic;

 

Read the agreement on the bag that the film was sent out in. It usually spells out their liability if they mess up the process. At the miniumum they owe you a roll of free film.

 

Ron Mowrey

[nikos peri]

Sorry for your loss, but the first answer is the best answer: start hunting for another lab. Slight underdevelopment indeed... Reminds of a thread one lab worker wrote about them screwing up and completely reticulating a film, and then telling the customer he should never leave his camera in the car. <p>

That's also why I shoot slides... When they cut them down the middle, it's hard for them to argue it was my fault! ;-)