Where to process? Scan?

[julie_a.]

<p>I just dug out my old film camera after 15 plus years. <br>

Where can I get the film processed? Will the company that processes them also scan them so I can store or share? <br>

Also, how are most people working with film in this digital age? Are they normally "worked on" after scanning or left in their all-natural film glory? <br>

Thanks for any info!</p>

[Member69643]

<p>Try <a href="http://thedarkroom.com">thedarkroom.com</a> for fast turnaround and great customer service. Ten bucks gets you a CD scan and only 5 dollars more for a set of prints too.</p>

[bgelfand]

<p>First, where in the world do you live? Photo.net is a worldwide community. If you live in the U.S., do you live near a metropolitan area or in a rural area? I am not asking for a specific address, just a general area i.e. San Francisco Bay area, a farm in Iowa, a cabin in Alaska. It will make a difference. Most urban areas have places that still develop color and will scan it for you. If you are in a rural area, mail order is you only viable choice, other than do-it-yourself.</p>

<p>I shoot mostly film. I process my own black and white and print in a wet darkroom (so that is not much help for you, unfortunately). I have my color developed only at Costco. I scan it myself, post process in Photoshop CS5, and upload to Costco for printing. I live near Sacramento, CA and know of at least two other local stores that process and scan color film.</p>

<p>To save shipping costs, I suggest you look in the Yellow Pages or online for stores in your area that both process and scan.</p>

[SCL]

<p>My local Jewel Food Store posted a sign last week "Bye Bye 35mm". I talked to the clerk who told me that the company was removing their 35mm processing machines and they wanted to alert their customers. I'm near a large metropolitan center, but color processing is getting to be a pain, and I'm doing all my B&W myself. The local Walmart reluctantly is still processing color neg. (sent out), but doesn't return the negatives. Not sure about slides...they did some for me 3 months ago, but the clerk told me the soon they would be out of the 35mm processing loop. The local photo shops have all closed...so, outside of the mail order route, it is either a trip into the city or a lab about 20 miles away. Dang - just when I was feeling good about my collected 35mm cameras! Hopefully, Julie, you'll have a place near you which can do it all with satisfactory results.</p>

[lachaine]

<p>I'm lucky because we still have a good local lab where I live. I would probably stop using my old film cameras if it ever closes.</p>

<p>Standard minilabs make decent enough scans from colour negs, as long as they aren't too far off in terms of exposure. But most labs only scan as JPEGS, so you shouldn't expect to do any more than basic post-processing on them (keeping in mind that they will probably have performed some kind of auto-colour and levels on them, and so both the blacks and the whites will already have been clipped). Even so, I wouldn't expect them to be good for anything other than small prints. Some places do offer high res scans at extra cost.</p>

<p>Black and white film is another story. You really need to scan those yourself, in my opinion.</p>

<p>I scan all my own negs on a 10-year old Canoscan flatbed... but that's really only for web use. Scanning them myself allows me to scan as TIFF files without any auto-processing of any kind. I do that afterwards in my image editor (Picture Window Pro). If I ever want a print, I would have it done some other way.</p>

<p>Whatever way it's done, it gets expensive if it's anything more than an occasional roll of film.</p>

[dave_redmann]

<p><em>Also, how are most people working with film in this digital age? Are they normally "worked on" after scanning or left in their all-natural film glory?</em></p>

<p>Once scanning is part of the workflow, there is nothing "all-natural" about it. The scanner and scanning software necessarily have an effect. In many cases, the scanner and/or scanning software may have an automatic mode that produces good results most of the time, but you should not hesitate to edit film scans just like you do pictures from digital cameras. In fact, most truly unedited film scans don't look too good.</p>

<p>With black and white film, if you have the space and desire to set up a home darkroom, that is not a terribly difficult or expensive thing to do. Then you can print the film at home with an enlarger, instead of using a scanner and computer. (And you can develop B&W film pretty nearly anywhere, even without a darkroom.) I suppose you might consider such a process "all natural"--if you can conveniently ignore the grades of the paper affecting the contrast, the exposure of the enlarger affecting the density, etc.! You can also process and print color at home, but the skill, logistical, cost, and health / safety issues are all bigger than with B&W.</p>

 

[lenny_eiger]

<p>Let's see.... As others have said, B& W film processing is pretty easy. Color processing is as well, it's not as temperature sensitive as its been made out to be, however the chemistry is a lot more expensive. If you get your film developed by a lab, you can also get it scanned. That's true, but the scan is usually not very good. I scan and print professionally for a living. One of the hard things about these forums is trying to answer the question the person is asking without knowing them. For example, when you dug out your old camera, was it a 35mm or something larger? Is your goal to make 8x10 prints of your family and friends, or are you an experienced artist with an eye towards 16x20 prints, or even larger? Color or B&W? Snapshots or exhibition prints? There's no suggestion that one side or another is better, but these things matter.</p>

<p>The cheap scans that a lab gives you might do fine up to 5x7 prints, or maybe even 8x10, if you aren't too persnickety. Beyond that, they aren't much good, they aren't for serious artists. I would say that all digital files that come out of a scanner are worked on. You don't have to, but there's always that idea to add a little saturation or to change the way it looks ever so slightly, etc. Just like in the darkroom. Most people use PhotoShop.</p>

<p>Hope this helps...</p>

[julie_a.]

<p>Ok, sorry, guess I need to add details: I am in Chicago, but I have no problem sending them out or paying a little more if I may get better results that way (especially since many of you say the scanning will not come out too great). My camera is an old Nikon fe2 35mm and I'm not sure that I will make large high quality prints, but I'd like the option. </p>

 

[julie_a.]

<p>Oh, and I do not have room to build a darkroom nor am I committed enough yet to at this time.</p>

[donbright]

<p>Here's the link to: http://www.northcoastphoto.com/<br /> They are very diligent in taking care of your Photographic needs, and when they return your film its clean! No dirt.</p>

[wblynch]

<p>First try your local Costco. Ours still has film processing and printing but many no longer do.</p>

<p>I can get a roll of 35mm color film developed, printed and great quality scans on a cd for less than $8 in an hour or two.</p>

<p>I will use them as long as they keep it going.</p>

 

[mfophotos]

<p>If you are in downtown Chicago, Central Camera can do it, I believe:</p>

<p><a title="Central Camera- since 1899 by mfophotos, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5300/5541655368_9768c077d8.jpg" alt="Central Camera- since 1899" width="337" height="500" /></a></p>

[lachaine]

Start by starting. No matter what you do now, you will have the negatives should you want better scans later for whatever reason. There is

no need to be thinking about every contingency ahead of time. Just get the lab to develop and scan medium resolution, no prints. It doesn't

matter much if you later decide not to actually use those scans. They don't cost that much, and you can see what you got as soon as you

get them on you computer... kind of like a digital contact sheet. You might even find they are more than good enough to meet your needs.

[c_watson1]

<p>Agree with Pierre. I'm using Fujifilm Canada for $5 35mm process/scan only service with no complaints(aside from 7-10 day turnaround). Cheap acceptable quality process/print service a la Costco vanished 2-3 years ago in my area. Wish Fujifilm Canada would process/scan 120--their Frontier machines can do it--but no dice so far. This seems to be the new reality for this film shooter.</p>

[bob_himmelright]

<p>For test rolls, costco is the place to go! Under $2 for the negs, then 10cents a print at time of processing. Base 16(3072x2048) scans to disk at $2.99!</p>

[schristian1]

<p>I have the same question. I am in the Phoenix, AZ area and it seems we are down to one real camera store and they are an hours drive away. Anyone know of any processors in my town or a good place to send out? I need to have 120 and 35mm done. Black and White I can probably do myself. It has been a long time since I did that.</p>

[leon_knight]

<p>Anyone know what the turnaround time is for film development and scanning at <em>the darkroom.com?</em></p>