What may kill film

too many confuse dead new film camera sales to mean that film is dead... is suspect there are millions of film cameras out there eating more film now than ever before...
 
Well, if I can put in my two cents here. I used to get crap from Walmart processing, but ya know what, I've complained to the dept. mgr., and to the store mgr., telling them that you're wasting my time and they're losing money having to redo them, and now my prints come out very sharp and with great color. When I pick up my film, if it's not to my liking, I have them do it over again by hand, and perhaps they get tired of me complaing to them, cause now the prints come out just great. Always remember, the squeaky axle gets the grease! Now everytime I go in they remark to me how much they enjoy looking at my pictures, especially those from Russia/Ukraine - so, perhaps this reminds them to do a good job, at least on mine!!!
 
Last edited:
Consumer processing is the downfall of film. There are a million ways to cut corners from underreplenished chemistry, wash stabilizer instead of wash, debris in the chemicals, dirty tanks, air drying in the store. The list goes on forever and that is just the film processing.

Doing it right costs money and few know the difference and are willing to pay for it.

Photography is perfect, yet few ever see perfect resultls and most do not know they are being screwed.

Kodak tried to fix this with APS format. I went to a pro presentation at Kodak before it came out. Every pro in the audience told them they were not going to sell this. Turned out to be true. Another Kodak bo bo.

People now just do digi and put them in the computer. The computer image is better than what comers from the drugstore so they are happy.

Crappy film processing is killing film.
 
I haven't had one print made in over a year. I take too many photos, and having too many prints would require room for storage. I get scans only now.
I agree with the statement that ebay is playing a positive role in keeping film based photography equipment accessible to everyone.

Raid
 
toyotadesigner said:
Would be interesting to read your answers here :D

Don't think digital. Think molecular. A stellar experience.
Click to expand...
The film market is in decline, soon it will be a niche in most of the world, just ask anyone who works in a photo shop how much film processing they do now compared to a couple of years ago and you have your trend, clear and simple. I shoot mostly film, so I'm not celebrating this, just noting it. It seems odd to me to deny the obvious. Film will never die out, but it'll never again be the mainstream, and that was the only point I was making, I wasn't proposing some thesis about the superiority of digital. It's already quite difficult to find any high street shop in central London with the facilities to process b&w film (apart from C41), and the photo shop in easy reach of where I work in the centre of London only stocks Tri-X because I asked them to, I'm the only regular customer for it that they have. This is London remember, a major city full of photographers.

Things are different at the moment outside the industrialised West, where film and music cassette tapes still sell in quantity. It's only a matter of time though...

Ian
 
Last edited:
Fujifilm is certainly bringing it on to a new level! :D Fujichrome Provia 400X and new Velvia 50! :D

I can not wait to try Provia 400X! for some low light, night photography.

I am in love with chrome ! :D

F3HP loaded with chrome, sweet! :D

MArk
Quito, EC
 
I seldom see people looking at prints anymore, film or digital.

Viewing photos on a PC monitor or even the tiny LCD screen
of a digicam or cellphone apparently suffices for most now.

Chris
 
Doesn't everyone get scans to CD from the "Wallies" for computer proofing and sharing plus short term storage? Then some prints, if desired. :)

Half hour processing and scanning for less than $5 is a "no brainer" for me and ......... those 5 Pacs of film (new sensors) are pretty cheap too. :)

Scratches the "digital itch" for me. :D Regards.
 
Too bad the scans from the locals are kind of nasty-my own are better.

The ultimate reason for my photography is prints or slides for display or show. The monitor is where I do my final cull, and I regularly delete scans.
 
As you may know I work on mail processing equipment for the US Postal Service.
Some envelopes get mangled in the sorting machines and spill their contents.
I find digital camera memory cards regularly when cleaning the machines.
Further proof that people can't be bothered printing their pictures anymore...

Chris
 
I don't go near Walmart. I develop and print all my black and white and send color to a lab in Tucson. Doesn't cost much as long as I don't ask them to send it back (Bisbee is 90 miles from Tucson). If I do, their shipping cost can equal the film processing cost. So if you specify "local pickup" they hold it until you show up.

Or, I send color neg film to Photo Works in Seattle, and for about $12.50 they process the film, provide a 5X7 contact sheet, a set of 5X7 prints, and a roll of fresh film. Not bad.
 
toyotadesigner said:
We are getting closer!

What about this: Let's start a thread where everyone can post his/her good and reliable lab for b&w, slides, C41, together with a rating?
Click to expand...

In the UK, Peak Imaging - a mail service - superb quality.

I do all my own b&w and C41 now - I'd be bankrupt otherwise. ;)
(I worked out that if I paid street prices for film and processing here, i could buy a new Nikon D200 every three months)

But I did use Walmart back in January during a US trip - results were pretty good.
 
mc_vancouver said:
What's not only killing film prints but killing AMERICA, CANADA and the rest of the world is Wal Mart. It is irony to the nth degree that this so-called all-American company is throwing thousands of merchants and their employees and small manufacturers out of work in favor of cheap Chinese imports. I don't blame the Chinese, I blame everyone who shops at Wal Mart. There are plenty of fine labs still around which do excellent work. You pay a little more, you support a local business, and you get a better product.
Click to expand...

Sorry, that is just NOT the facts. Walmart exists because people want medioce items at good costs. I can't blame them. They serve a good purpose. As far as small business goes, well, either be great or die. I have a store two doors down from a Walmart selling produce (so does Walmart). My business grows an average of 35% a year. Why? My stuff is local and fresh and my staff are knowledgable and personable. I love Walmart. They bring me traffic. God bless America, Canada and so on.:cool:
 
By the way I would never use Walmart for film developing. But I do sometimes buy film there. I use a pro lab for negs then scan and do my own printing.
 
toyotadesigner said:
We are getting closer!

What about this: Let's start a thread where everyone can post his/her good and reliable lab for b&w, slides, C41, together with a rating?

Example:
Mediterraneo
address: soandso street, 9, city, zip, phone
E6/slides/chromes: excellent
b&w: very good
C41: excellent
extras: analog enlargements up to 60x90 cm
24 hour processing
bring in and pick up only

This way we can set up a database or a look up table for all film users. Of course everybody from all over the world should post his/her recommendations so that we all will benefit from this project when on a travel to another country.

Sounds like a plan?
Click to expand...

Wal Mart
Almost worldwide or coming soon to a location near you :)
One hour or less 35mm (SF) C41 machine processing/scanning to CD.

A worlwide trip for me would include Kodachrome/120 Astia/120 Portra mailed to Duane's for processing.

Regards.
 
Has it actually got worse?

Has it actually got worse?

I've had enough of the "will film survive?" and "will (average) people return to film?" arguments. The answers are: "Yes" and "No."

I'm shooting a lot of flim right now and non-specialist lab processing doesn't seem any better or worse than 20 years ago. Hasn't it ALWAYS been pretty lame? For anything serious, I haven't trusted drugstore-type processing since the advent of the minilab, when they stopped sending everything out to Kodak. Right now I have a really good relationship with the minilab crew at my local Costco, who are getting me nice, usable scans on CD, but I have to work at it.

I agree that putting together a sticky thread on who/where the best labs are would be one of the most useful things RFF could be doing.
 
mc_vancouver said:
What's not only killing film prints but killing AMERICA, CANADA and the rest of the world is Wal Mart. It is irony to the nth degree that this so-called all-American company is throwing thousands of merchants and their employees and small manufacturers out of work in favor of cheap Chinese imports. I don't blame the Chinese, I blame everyone who shops at Wal Mart. There are plenty of fine labs still around which do excellent work. You pay a little more, you support a local business, and you get a better product.
Click to expand...
Amen. I for one will never set foot in a Walmart store, period.
 
Read the Walmart piece in a recent issue of the New Yorker. I like the part where they tell a US vendor, we won't buy your product anymore until you relocate your manufacturing facility to China so we don't have to pay so much for your stuff.

Bye, bye, American jobs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top