Is C41 processing by a high end lab worth the money?

[rhaytana__tim_adams_]

I shoot 3 to 5 rolls a week of color negative film, get the rolls

processed by a while-u-wait shop and scan them into Photoshop. They

charge $3.50 a roll, do it in 20 minutes and have damaged frames on

only one out of the 150 - 200 rolls I've handed over to them.

 

But, a high end lab they're not. Fingerprints on the negatives once

in awhile. The other day a guy walked out of the store while I was

waiting, held the negatives up to the light and exclaimed 'This

isn't my roll!' ... within my earshot, fortunately, as the roll was

mine.

 

I could take the film to a high end lab, but then I'd have to pay

$6.50 a roll instead of $3.50 and would have to leave them overnight.

 

Is it worth it? What I've read here and elsewhere is that the

reason to choose a high end lab is that they're less likely to

damage one's work ... which the while-u-wait shop did just once.

Does image quality differ too, or does C41 processing yield pretty

much the same results the world over?

[steven_clark]

Is there anything in between? I get mine souped by a Replicolor for about that much and they seem to do a good job to me.

[rodrich]

First let me explain, 15 years ago I was in the film processing biz. I owned a small lab and studio and C41 is still the process for color neg.s. The answer to your question in yes and no. A mini lab can do as good a job with your pressious neg.s and a high end lab can screw them up. the inportant factor as with all service is are the operators compatent. I would sujest finding a local lab that is owner operated and one where you can talk to the owner and feel sure that he balances his chemicals daily and ensures that the film is handled with gloves ect...

[hal_bissinger]

Is it worth it? You be the judge. If your work isn't important enough that you can tolerate the possible finger prints, damage or loss then save yourself the three bucks. Not that this kind of stuff doesn't happen with a pro lab, it happens much less often if the lab is any good. You pay for consistant results and reliability and if you shoot a good percentage of "keepers" per roll I wouldn't want to take the chance of losing any.

[rhaytana__tim_adams_]

Thanks, Steven, Rod and Hal for your feedback. I think I'm going to try out a high end lab. For me the inconvenience may be more of a problem than the price difference, but if I see a consistent difference in the results ...

[rhaytana__tim_adams_]

As these online threads may be perused by curious Googlers years from now, I feel honor bound to add one more message regarding the results of this experiment with C41 processors. (Although years from now, maybe no one will care about anything related to film.)

 

I took several rolls to a high end lab. Big, big difference in ambience, professionalism of the staff, and the general packaging of what was returned to me. Difference in the clientele, too. Obvious professionals, people dropping off several dozen rolls of slide film at a time. Most of the lab's business is with E6 processing.

 

But differences in the results? Virtually none. Whatever they're doing in the while-u-wait shop seems to put a slight yellow cast in the negatives, easily removed in Photoshop.

 

To go to the high end shop, I have to bring the stuff over there, drop it off, go back, pick it up, and pay double.

 

For the while-u-wait, I take it in, wait 20 to 30 minutes, and pay half the price, for virtually the same results.

 

The while-u-wait shop damaged one roll, once, and -- as noted above -- almost made a present of my work to a wedding photographer. But for me, I think they make a lot more sense.

 

Consider it recorded for posterity, and here's hoping I don't regret the choice.

[rhaytana__tim_adams_]

I guess the photo gods didn't think that last comment of mine should go unchallenged. I posted the message above on 8/21. The next time I went to the hole in the wall referred to above -- the *very next time,* after having successfully processed 150 - 200 rolls there -- they wiped out two rolls. Work salvageable, but useless.

[canvas-printmaker]

C41 processing is only half the picture - a well maintained C41 processor which is checked regularly with a densitometer will process films correctly regardless of whether you pay a high price or not.

 

However, the same is not true for printing. To expect a lab charging half the price for prints to be able to produce as good a quality print as those who charge more is laughable. Ask yourself this:

 

Do they manually balance prints or are they printed on automatic?

For example try taking some fireworks pictures and then have them processed and printed at your half price lab. Do they come back with grey backgrounds or black backgrounds? My bet is they are grey as they are printed on automatic.

 

Similarly, can your half price lab print 35mm, 120, 5x4, slides, C41, E6 and traditional B&W?

 

Does the half price lab also have Digital ICE automatic dust & scratch removal?

 

What about scans - are they for low resolution web use or do you actually want scans which are high resloution printable images?

 

Comparing half price labs with dedicated professional labs is like comparing a professional photographer to a "Photo Me" machine - you get prints with both except the quality of one is far better than the other.

 

Alan Robertson

[mike_scarpitti]

Quite frankly $6.50 a roll is dirt cheap. Back in the 70's Kodak charged $14 a roll for 36 exp, and it was worth it. Send your stuff to a Kodak lab and see what you're missing!

[ilkka_nissila]

Mike, I think the poster is referring to processing only, no prints.

[rhaytana__tim_adams_]

Yep, I meant processing only. No way I'd hire a while-u-wait to do any important printing; for that, I go to a high end shop.

 

Still, thanks to one and all for your replies.