How often do you use a lab?
What is the ratio of what you process to what you have a lab process?
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How often do you use a lab?
What is the ratio of what you process to what you have a lab process?
Once I discovered how easy it was to do your own color, and have superior results, as well as the given savings, I resolved to never use a lab again if I could help it. At least if I screw it up, it's my screw up.
Plus, it saves on cash... Significantly.
Started doing my own colour and never looked back....until this week. Had shot some 220 Portra at a wedding and trusted it to the lab because I thought my chemistry was pretty much spent. Came back with two holes in it and a wad of black goo in the middle of a frame. Needless to say, I am very upset. Apparently the roll jammed in the machine, but that does not excuse the debris on it.
I used to process bw and C41 at home and take the slides to a nearby lab. But after the price hike in processing slides I took the plunge and bought a E-6 tetenal kit. Now all processing are done in-house. What bothered me about the local lab, besides the cost of processing, was the actual trip to drop in and pick up plus the rising parking charges. I could send the films by mail but that's at least a week or two before getting them back.
I only use a lab for C-41 (about 10% of my work) and E-6 (about 2% of my work), but that's about it.
I use a lab for C41 and E6, probably once a month. The last two orders have both been lost on the courier, the first one took three weeks to arrive, and the latest order I just heard this afternoon has been located, and will be with me on the 21st. It was despatched on the 21st of December.
Love the lab, hate the couriers.
I'm lucky -- I live in a mid-sized city (for Japan anyway), and can get colour neg and reversal done within an hour (35mm and 120) and since I don't shoot a lot of colour -- probably about 10% of my total film output -- it makes more sense to use them.
I'm actually interested in processing my own colour film but would rather support the local film labs while they are still available and very affordable.
C41 development only, currently colour is about 90% of my work. I prefer to spend my limited free time printing, not developing.
I use a lab for all my work.