Barcelona Labs?

[samcomet]

Friends - Looking for a B&W lab in Barcelona...and while we are on the topic a good supplier for B&W ISO 3200 (Kodak OR ILFORD)...any thoughts? thanks and cheers! sam

[Henry Alive]

Hi Sam:
This Photo Store is one of the best in Barcelona. (http://www.arpi.es/Productos.asp?Menu=S&IdDiv=GLOB) I think they should help you.
Henry.

[TheFlyingCamera]

There's another good one whose name escapes me a block or so off the other end of Las Ramblas. They have better prices on film, I think, but I don't know that they have as large a selection as ARPI. Make sure when you visit ARPI that you go upstairs to the camera museum on the 6th floor. There are two ARPI outlets on Las Ramblas- make sure you go to the one closer to the harbor. The one further up is basically a digital camera outlet.

[samcomet]

Thanks for your thoughts, both of you. Got into Barcelona last night and went down to ARPI to drop film in for processing and contacts this morn...very very nice folk there and the cost of processing and contacts were considerably less than in Paris, Berlin or Prague. Hope the quality is just as good. It's a four day turnaround but hey I 'm here for a month so its of no consequence. Will look in on the gallery & museum when I go back to pick up my job and purchase some more film; again thank you both very much for your thoughts! cheers! sam

[pedropolis]

The other place mentioned mentioned by TFC i think must be Casanova, they have two stores as well, casanova foto and casanova professional, they are quite close to one another, about a block away. I visited them both for the first time a few weeks ago and was quite impressed, their film is much cheaper and better stocked than arpi, but i dont know about the processing.

arpi is a great place, the floor with all the second hand camera gear makes me drool and the museum is definitely worth a visit but since my last trip over a couple of years ago i noticed that the film and darkroom section is smaller and less well stocked. one refrigeration unit that previously was full of film and instant stock is now given over to inkjet cartridges and another was almost empty. also one fridge full of large ilford paper was actually switched off and noticeably warm!

anyway, I hope you enjoy your stay in bcn, its an amazing city, one i never tire of returning to. while your there if you get the chance be sure to visit the exhibition: "Prague, Paris, Barcelona. Photographic Modernity from 1918 to 1948" at MNAC, i spent hours there wandering around with my brother, time well spent!

take care
pete

[samcomet]

Pete - Boy oh boy I do have to say that the exhibition was outta sight!!! It is sooo cool that the tickets give you 2 days entrance so we can go back one more time to scope the images. The thing that I was thrilled about the most was that these are not ALL the USUAL SUSPECTS, but a lot of "sorta known" photgs; to me at least. While I may be on the wrong side of half a century; it was a pleasure to look at folks work that was well before I was born. Going to go back during the week. Thanks again!! BTW for what it is worth ARPI sure has a limited supply of B&W stock and the staff in the Pro Dept really feel like they don't much give a damn. NOT like they are rude or anything....but they shrug their shoulders when asked if T-Max or Delta 3200 will be available....."Not my department" seemed to be the non verbal "shrug". Pity that as they could earn some $$$ from me. Anyway anyone who ever shot silver should see the show in Barcelona at the Modern Art Museum "Prague, Paris & Barcelona"!!!!

[samcomet]

Friends for what it is worth I took my negs (B&W Delta & TMax 3200) to be developed at ARPI. They sent them out to be done (Fujilab) and they came back incredibly thin. NOT HAPPY! Tried Casanova at the top of the Rambla and they too came back incredibly thin (I suspect same Fujilab). Again NOT HAPPY! I was told in both places it was MY fault; although two cameras both giving same metering, two different filmstocks etc. etc. Took the next bunch to Sabate who hand processed and they were perfect but quite expensive (as one would expect). They advised me of a new lab near them in the Gracia area who did B&W machine process & contacts who are cheaper than ARPI & Casanova by a few euros per roll. Will amend this thread when I get results. By all means avoid ARPI and CASANOVA as their attitude is that the customer must be at fault. My negs are salvageable certainly digitally, but I will wait til I get back to Oz to see if they are printable in the darkroom. Be warned!! Cheers all, sam

[peri24]

iīm so sad that i havenīt seen your post before!!!!!!!!
I donīt know how can anyone recomended Arpi or Casanova for developing anything!!! JESUSCHRIST!!!
I lived in Barcelona 10 years and i still have many contacts and friends there.
My first recomendation for a good Lab is EGM they are more or less the best lab in Spain, they are used to deal with professionals and you can ask for anything, if things havenīt change past months they are the only lab that stills develop E6 around Barcelona. For Black and white i donīt know if they still do it (i guess so) but in that case you have COPIA (the one you have mention in Gracia) the one and only true black and white lab around. I am not a huge fan, in fact they have that attiude that if you are not a common client your work will not have special attention if you know what i mean, but i have never see a bad or damage negative or print from them, when i was there they were using xtol all the way.
If still you find them quite expensive there is a special trick, you can go to primer plano, they are a small lab but nice people the good thing is they send all E6 to EGM and all BW to COPIA, and itīs cheaper than go yourself to the other labs!!, the only drawback is you lose direct contact with who is gonna develop your stuff but that for bulletproof stuff doesnīt matter that much. In your case i will go directly. But never ever go again to camera shops to develop anything!!!
There is more labs around, some are good, some are shit, some must be closing down now, but if you need to know anything more contact me!

btw. if you need to buy film you will see there arenīt great options in Barcelona, all i can say is that i was buying from germany or usa since 5 years ago, but in case you need few rolls go to Casanova, at premium price of course!

[samcomet]

Hola! PM about to be sent!!!! Muchos gracias amigo. sam

[samcomet]

OK all and sundry who may read this thread......COPIA the lab in Barcelona that I found is about 8 euros cheaper per roll and about 100% better than all of the others. I walked into the shop front and could smell the developer and fixer (v. good sign). The girl behind the counter got the bloke who does the processing to come and look at my issues. Of the 20 odd rolls that I had left to process he suggested that I do 1 and if happy do the rest. I am a very happy chappie and can unconditionally recommend these folks. Per roll of B&W with contacts, 11 euros + change. Do not bother going anywhere else in Barca this is the only joint worth looking at - mind you I ONLY did B&W but if their results for me are indicative of their colour work then try them out. cheers for now, sam