george_schafer Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 <p>I've never got my photos processed at CVS before, but I am not going back if I can help it.<br>So I went to CVS with four rolls of Kodak since they were the only Kodak processor in town, and I'm hoping to start building up a portfolio from the negatives I had developed there.<br>First there wasn't anybody at the photo center. I suspect that they don't even have a full-time photo person manning the machines, because I called the photo center yesterday and nobody picked up the phone. It took less time to search Google for the press release talking about a CVS/Kodak partnership after hopelessly scouring their website than to call their photo center and ask if they used Kodak chemicals!<br>The person who ended up helping me didn't even know how to open a disposable camera (before you ask, no I'm not using a disposable camera to build up a portfolio).<br>To top it off, I had to order a set of prints along with the processing the film. I couldn't get a CD instead, I HAD to buy the prints. Prints are useless to me! I've had terrible luck with getting negatives scanned at 1 hour photo centers. But no! So they're gouging me for prints I'm going to throw away anyway! I'd rather pay a little more just to get the film processed.<br>What is the business model for these places? "Do anything you can to piss off your customers who know anything about photography"? They have machines where I can order prints from a data CD, and print them out instantly, if I wanted them. It must not be that big of a deal since my grandmother knows how to use those machines!<br>Film is dying a slow, painful death and places like this aren't helping! Save film from these incompetent fools! I would be much happier if they just streamlined and improved the processing and scanning bit.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_502260 Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 <p>CVS is not the place to take film for consistent and high quality film processing. Their work ranges from excellent (rarely) to dreadful (more common). What's good about CVS? Their house brand film is made by Fuji and when it's on sale it's a good buy. It was just on sale here for $4.99 for a four pack of the 200 film and $5.99 for a four pack of the 400 film. I had a roll of the 400 film processed today (not at CVS) and the results were very good. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andylynn Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 <p>Yeah, the CVS people are hit or miss. There are one or two near me who are good, and one or two I've watched feed film through the scanner from the ground using bare hands. (They certainly do run process-and-CD-only jobs, it's a bit over $5, but nothing I can request gets me scans over 2MP.) I'd say it's much more important to find a good, knowledgeable person working the lab than one that uses Kodak chemistry - the lab I go to when I want to pay a bit more for a good job uses Fuji and they do an equally good job on Kodak or Fuji film (and they handle Ektar and Portra films brilliantly).</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrydressler Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>In the light of the World I hate to say this but the girls I use at Wal-Mart do a great job for me as I got to know them and they just got new machines... Also they are not afraid to Xpro film for me.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_schafer Posted October 27, 2009 Author Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>Agreed. Fortunately I wasn't paying for this and I really wasn't counting on these photos being great. They're just a warm up because it's been awhile since I shot color film. Still, in the future I think I'm going to stay away from Kodak because Fuji labs seem to be more common, and I'm willing to bed that means at least one of them has to be competent.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrydressler Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>Well I never bed the girls but that is an idea... :)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_schafer Posted October 27, 2009 Author Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>LOL! To BET, even!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrydressler Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>:)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samn Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>I'm currently using CVS for index card only processing. I have a good relationship with the 2 girls in the department, they know me and I have not had a single problem. I don't rush them and if they are not there I come back later.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew_newton Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>Find a place like Target and try them out. I have a Target near me where I get consistently good results. I have a rare negative that gets clipped a tiny bit on an edge, but its less then 1 in 3 rolls will have maybe a single negative that loses 2-5% off the edge, never worse then that. Not a single roll damaged out of probably 50 or 60 I've had them develop. Next day processing is $.99 and I don't have to get prints from them (I ususally do anyway).</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_parrott Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>While I can see how nice it would be to have a place to personally take film to be processed, no such place exists in this area, except for places like mentioned, i.e. CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, etc. Not meaning to be harsh, but frankly, what do you expect taking your film to a drugstore or department store? I simply will not do it. If I have a toothache, I go to a good dentist, not to an interior decorator that has a dentists chair in the corner. There are PLENTY of pro labs all over the country where you can send film and have it done RIGHT. I simply cannot understand using film, then taking it to some kid in a drugstore for something as important as processing. It defeats the whole purpose of using film. In my mind, you might as well use digital if you are not going to follow ALL steps in doing the film process correctly. Sorry for MY rant.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgelfand Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>Another vote for Costco. They do a very good job; at least the South Sacramento store does.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mt4x4 Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>C-41 = Our local Walmart does an excellent job. Process only takes about 10 minutes and costs under $2. The people working there are actually very knowledgeable.<br> Anything else, I send off. The Fuji prepaid packets are very convenient. Yes...you get stuck with prints, but the overall price on them is still less than the local shop that will process slide film.</p> <p>My opinion, if you are shooting color negative (C-41) give your local Walmart a shot at a roll. They are generally busy enough to have full time staff and the film they sell is generally really well priced (Fuji and Kodak varieties). I like to scan at home.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daverhaas Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>CVS is hit or miss at best... I did 520 prints (proofs from a wedding) there at one setting last summer... The lady running the photo machine was also doing the cash register and restocking at the front of the store and this was at 2:00 in the afternoon. She indicated that I may have to come back in as the machine sometimes balks at that volume of prints at once. Fortunately - it took... but I wasn't wowed by the quality of the prints... of course for 15 cents per...I wasn't complaining too loud.</p> <p>I would never - ever have a roll of film developed there... I've seen them butcher other folks film...</p> <p>However - their on-line order / large print system works pretty well and delivers decent quality if you're not in a rush.</p> <p>Dave</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew_newton Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>Steve, for some of use money is an issue. I use film in part because I don't wish to spend the large amount of money for a dSLR and probably new lenses (or just adapt existing ones). I do use film in part because I love film, but if I was looking at spending $10-20 a roll in total processing, instead of around $4-5 I'd have to shoot a heck of a lot less or just move to digital. I get good results, ymmv, but why switch to something much more expensive when so far (knock on wood) I've gotten excellent results with no real issues. Its like switching to a toyota because you've heard your ford has had reliabity issues...even if you've never experienced any problems. Those problems might exist, but if you've never had them, why fix something that isn't broken???</p> <p>Oh and I wouldn't have them print enlargements for me, that I would send the negative to a pro lab, or in my case I scan it at home and send the digital file off for printing then.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew_newton Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>I meant switching to a pro lab from the local bigbox store processing (IE the bigbox store processing is cheap and works well for me/haven't had any issues).</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrivyscriv Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>larry - how often to you xpro at walmart? are they worth it?<br> last time i took some velvia in there, the tech got all fidgety and said the last roll they xpro'd on request turned out competely blank.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_asprey2 Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>I use Costco and I'm in Australia. I mail my film to them and they send it back. Sure its more expensive with the mailing costs. I could get it done here but the locals won't do an inexpensive hi res scan.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAPster Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>I tried a small town CVS pharmacy to process one roll of Kodak BW, and I'll never do it again. Every other picture in the set was marred with some kind of drip or stain. I was disgusted. So now I take any 35mm film I need developed to my local RITE AID and pop them in a FUJI LAB envelope. Within a short time a courior shows up and takes them to a regional FUIJI LAB and they process and print them and I get the picture CD as well. I've been pleased with the 4x6 glossy prints I get back.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_keller Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>I have a lot of experience with these kinds of labs as a ex field service tech for a photo lab manufacturer. It is more about the operators then the equipment or chemistry. If you can find a lab wether it be a CVS, or other weed store that has knowlegable people who care then you should be allright. I would ask them how often they test the chemicals especially the film machine. If labs have a low turn over of chemistry it just goes bad in the tank. So it has to be replaced after a few weeks because it just becomes exausted from lack of replenishment. Hope this info helps you. Oh and when using a new lab always drop of a test roll first. I recently used a Pro lab and they ruined all my film (sheet film) that I took them because it got wet in the night drop box. They told me after I picked it up I should put the film in a zip lock bag because their drop box leaks when it rains. No note on box about it or on web site.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrydressler Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>Once in a blue moon but I never had a problem.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick_mont Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>The neg processing at my local CVS is really nice, consistant and clean. The printing however, is aweful.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael s. Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>Costco film experiences vary as well. I'm generally a big fan of the store, but locally I cannot recommend Costco for serious film processing. </p> <p>Back when I was shooting quite a bit of film, processing was hit or miss -- both in the days when they sent it out and when I began to have it processed and scanned there, on premises.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_bellayr Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>I use a professional lab but it takes about 35 minutes via car to get there. If you do not have a professional lab nearby look into finding one on the internet. Others have used them with excellent results.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonja_greene Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 <p>Never CVS, I had two bad experiences in a row and I did care for that. Walgreen's give you small, med .jpg, large .tiff files on CD for as little over $5.00. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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