mark_uhde

Wal-Mart's with a Fuji Frontier system do an excellent job! Make the files 300dpi (any higher doesn't help, the system needs to scale it and it makes my local Wal-Mart's system REALLY slow to load) at the print size. 24-bit, RGB, TIFF, No ICC profile, Intel byte order, uncompressed. Soft proof (or convert to profile but don't embed the profile) for Dry Creek's profile for your local Wal-Mart, or if they don't have one for your Wal-Mart (they don't for mine), a generic Frontier 370 or 390 profile from Fujifilm UK will work.

"The Walmart prints were worth the amount they cost, IMO. They were decent, though neither Ritz nor Walmart gave as much dynamic range as the ink jets. "

 

Wal-Mart's Fuji Frontier systems can produce amazing prints. Are you soft proofing for it's reduced contrast range (simulate ink black and paper white in Photoshop) and adjusting accordingly? If you need a generic profile, www.drycreekphoto.com may have your local Wal-Mart, if not Fuji UK has generic profiles for the Frontier 370 and 390 printers Wal-Mart uses.

Too bad you can't edit posts, I needed to add that Seattle Filmworks (in my experience) gives Wal-Mart's send out Fujicolor lab a definite run for their money...

Oh, the worst lab is definitely Wal-Marts send out. Definitely not to be confused with the in-store lab which produces excellent results and treats the customer very well when there is a problem.

"What seemed strange was the the processed film was COMPLETELY blank. It didn't even have the film identification stip along the edges which is placed there by the manufacturer."

 

That's the bleach step in the C-41 process for ya :)

I just got some film reprints done by Wal-Mart (IN HOUSE, not the send out) and they came out absolutely beautiful, except for one. And the one was a pretty bad negative I can't even get to look right in Photoshop (but the place that printed it the first time got it pretty good)

First, get some better film! That MAX stuff is horrible. Kodak Portra and Agfa Optima are both really nice films. Kodak Portra 400UC and Portra 800 would probably fit your needs nicely :)

 

Wal-Mart is the only one I have experience with:

 

Wal-Mart - Fuji Crystal Archive, quite good prints, lustre finish (semi-matte). Occasional bad results (they mostly print full-auto, leaving some tricky shots for the machine) are happily reprinted.

No Walgreens here. Frontier is an amazing system, making for extremely high consistency. Prints (esp. from digital files) are the same with weeks between them. Highly advanced self-calibration. As always, even the best machine is operator-dependent. And ours are nice, mostly knowledgeable people. Would definately recommend, great alternative to a pro or semi-pro lab for most work.

The image on the colour paper is still made of colour dyes. It must be calibrated precisely to avoid this cast.

"I've used Walmart.com for reprints of jpegs from digital cameras and they have done a great job."

 

As does my local Wal-Mart. I've never tried Wal-Mart.com. It's the same price, same equipment, same prints and takes longer and you can't complain to the local lab manager if they don't turn out well. :)

 

As for 35mm - Wal-Mart no way! Primarily because they print of full auto. I need a place that puts more care into my prints. I go to a high-level consumer lab inside a locally owned camera store. Film developing is a huge portion of their business. $6.79 for a 24exp roll. Prints beautiful. In the very (and I mean VERY) rare case I've had a problem, they reprint no problem.

ONE HOUR SERVICE! The one-hour at most Wal-Mart's is, in my experience, superior. You can also yell at them about bad prints :) Both places run of full auto. Wal-Mart normally makes no corrections other than the auto "correction". Wal-Mart's one hour is still far better than their send out around here. And get to know the lab manager, that may change your experiences. But most of all - find a nice inexpensive "prosumer" level lab.

Some of that has got on the film later. Be sure you clean the film with canned "air" before scanning! And be careful you don't spray the canned air liquid on the film - it'll damage it.

"Maybe the airport X-ray killed my film."

 

It certainly didn't help. The airport X-ray WILL damage any and all film, regardless of speed. The extent varies. 400 and above - it can definitely be noticeable. Request hand inspection, but note that outside the US and Canada you may have a hard time - in the US and Canada it's your right! Also, the cosmic radiation in the airplane cabin doesn't help either...