It's a pity...prospective Contax G2 buyer troubles.

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maxpace

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It's pity...

I almost bought the G2 based on the stellar reviews here and photo.net. And then tried to get the film (Slides and color negatives) developed here in midtown manhattan. Surprise, surprise...very few people do it, and the cost is $10-15/roll, basic quality scan is $10/roll. If this is the situation in midtown NYC, I can imagine the issues when traveling.

What are my options? I've rented this camera and love using it (though I'm yet to see the results). Had also used the digital M9, which is good, but just love this one.

What are my options? Contax G aficionados please respond.

EDIT: By Options, I mean are there certain cameras (with or without lens adapters) that Contax G lovers like? And BTW, I was qouted $18/roll for developing B/W film.

Many Thanks,
Max
 
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No real other option as I see it. There used to be a pro lab one hour from where I live that I would have develop my color work. But they closed their film processing years ago. Mailers are another option, A&I out in California, but the cost is still there. I think this is a main reason why film died so quick, less people shoot it, less process it, and we go round and round we go. You could always buy a Jobo type set up and do it yourself, but that is not an easy way to go. Black and white is a bunch easier.
As for scanning, there are not many companies left making decent home units anymore either. Epson flat bed is so-so for 35mm, nikon is done, Minolta is dead. You got either the Plusteks or Pacific image, or hunt down a used scanner. Be prepared though, used nikons going for 3x,4x, 10x their original value. Its crazy.
I prefer digital for color, I was always a B&W guy. That is much easier to self process and scan or use a traditional darkroom.
 
That's just the deal unless you're willing to learn to develop your own B&W film, or just get your color negs developed and scan them yourself w/ a quality film scanner. To most of us the extra money and time is worth it for the quality.
 
I use a local lab that offers 26 megapixel scans (they also offer lower-res but the cost savings makes the ultra high res the best choice.) The same can be had from NCPS in CA. The results are impressive.
 
I second the NCPS recommendation. If you can live with the additional delay because of shipping transcon and possibly waiting to have several rolls to process to spread out the cost of shipping, then it's a good option. I think a roll processes and scanned (hi-res) comes out to about $15. They do B&W, C-41 and E6.
 
Story is Manhattan isn't cheap place?

With prices like that I'd go digital in a eyeblink - if we speak about c41 and e6. B&W is another story, easy and not that expensive to do at home.
 
Here in center city Philadelphia I go to a CVS and have bw400cn film, a C41 process, developed for $2.50 a roll. At times, when they aren't busy I get it done in less than a half an hour, while I walk around the store. I scan the negs on a V700 scanner at 3200 DPI into Photoshop and print 11X14 or 16X20 in an Epson 3800. I cannot see a difference, in fact I think they are better than I could do years ago with a Componon lens on an Omega enlarger. I use a Contax G2 with 4 Zeiss lenses 90, 45, 35 and 28 MM. Absolutely lovely. The cost over digital, given I have the printer and scanner is the cost of film and processing. In my case less than 6 bucks. For that I shoot with one of the finest 35MM camera and lenses ever and I've owned my share of Leicas. It's a no brainer.
Astigmat
 
Color film processing.

Color film processing.

If you like Fuji transparency film, you can buy the Fuji Processing Mailers at B&H for about $5.50. I usually ship at least 4 films in one envelope (with the mailers inside) to Dwayne's lab in Kansas that does all the Fuji processing. It usually cost me $2 for the shipping. The processed transparencies are back in Seattle within a week . I think the address of the lab is on the mailers. (Instead of Dwayne's it says Fuji Processing. The Velvia is worth waiting a week.)
 
I have to agree with the above posters ....... cheapest is B&W at home and scanned......... best is Velvia but it has it's price.

Using film is not the cheapest media to use but the price of a Contax G system is by far cheaper than a equally IQ dSLR and high end lenses.

Choice is you can pay it up front for digital or pay as you go with film. High quality photography isn't cheap either way.
 
Process prices in Thailand are very acceptable at $3 for E6 and C-41 and $2 for B+W. 4 hour turn round. Scan myself with Minolta Multi Pro.

For digital I use my G lenses on a GF1

All in all I'm very happy with whole situation and from my dead cold hands will my G2 depart.
 
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Several options I've used:

1) Develop and scan myself. Tetenal 3-bath C41 and Kodak 6-bath E6 is not hard at all. Scan with a V700 or other film scanner.

2) Develop and scan at Samy's, my local shop in CA. $14 for C41 process and scan at medium resolution. Slides go out to A&I here in town and those are $25 to process and scan.

3) Develop elsewhere, scan at home. Send your slides to Dwayne's via the Fuji mailer or Samy's in Santa Barbara (samys805.com) - either way it's $5. Then scan at home.
 
BW400CN.

Dunk, neg only, scan to cd - ~$6.00 at my neighborhood Walgreens. The Fuji Frontier does a good job.

Tri-X.

Buy a bulk roll & empty cassetts. Then, a changing bag, daylight tank & reels, Diafine. Take roll to local Walgreens for scanning. $50 - $75 to get set up, $3 per roll after that.

I do both depending on my mood.

Willliam
 
I also live in midtown Manhattan, and have a G2 kit, among other film cameras. I started processing my own b+w last year, not having done it for 20 years. I'd recommend it, if only to get CONSISTENT processing. I was tired of having negs look very different based on whatever developer the different labs used. Also had doubts that they were actually pushing my film when requested - i'd get almost unusable negs sometimes, with no other explanations....

But, if you're shooting color, don't expect to be able to walk into a corner store like in the 'old days.' I couldn't even get C41 done in an hour when i was testing the G2 upon purchase. Had to walk around for a few hours.... Everyone's gone digital.

What i've done with 'real' film, though, is to send it to MVlabs, Duggal, or Baboo, 68 Degrees, or any of a number of other professional labs in Manhattan. Instead of traveling to the lab, i use a courier service. Get an account with someone like Chick Chack, and they deliver/pick up stuff within Manhattan for about $7 a trip. Not cheap, but if you send in a batch of stuff, it's not so bad. I figure my time is worth more than the $14.

I've never tried the B&H (or Adorama?) mailers. Maybe i'll give that a shot soon. Thanks for that reminder.
 
Some great responses from everyone, thanks a ton.

I'll be trying several of the suggested options, from mailers to getting it developed at the local CVS/Walgreens. Not sure if I'm prepared (or have the know-how) to develop myself yet, but looking into that.
 
Wow that's scary pricing - that's as much as I pay here in Australia.

I'm spending a long period in Manhatta at the end of the year and was hoping to get cheap processing...

Guess I'll have to mail.
 
@axiom - Followed your link to the B&H page for Tetanal E-6. A note on that page says the product has been discontinued by the manufacturer, and is no longer available.
 
I mail to Samy's for $5 to ship over a dozen rolls in a USPS flat rate box and $5 per roll to develop. I'm out in the burbs, so a LIRR ticket will cost me more than it would to mail things out and way more time.
 
In manhattan go to MANHATTAN COLOR LABS
4 W 20th St
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10011
Neighborhood: Flatiron
(212) 807-7373

They are $5 a roll e6, c41, b+w for dev.
7 days till 10pm.
I use them for some of my professional work.

Also in midtown is cameraland that does 35mm dev and scan to cd for $10. I have not used them myself.
 
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