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Photo Forum / Film Photography / Large Format / July 2003

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Is it becoming harder to get sheet film processed?

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Jim Waggener - 27 Jul 2003 00:04 GMT
I send all my E6 to a local lab but am concerned that they will drop it.
Have any of your local labs shut down or converted to digital only?
Peter Williams - 27 Jul 2003 08:51 GMT
> I send all my E6 to a local lab but am concerned that they will drop it.
> Have any of your local labs shut down or converted to digital only?

None in my area, but I wouldn't be too overly concerned.  A lot of the big
E-6 machines are geared to take all formats, 35 through 4x5, and any
intelligent lab owner buys all the various carriers for the formats (some
don't even require special equipment - just attach the leader card in a
different way).  What wouldn't suprise me is if they cut back how often they
run some of the film sizes; they may only run 4x5 once per week if volume
falls, but I doubt that will happen for a while.  Too many commercial
shooters still doing 4x5 slide (particularly the architectural guys), and
most machines these days are configurable so that you can run a set of 4x5
with or just after 35mm or 120.

Re: labs converting totally to digital. I've got one local lab that's gone
BIG into digital, but they haven't dropped anything on the film side.  They
just do lots more film scanning and push people towards digital services
(which is one reason I deal with the OTHER lab in town, that still
understands what an Ilfochrome print is and will only go digital if you
specifically request it).  Personally, I think the labs that are going
totally digital are idiots, and I wouldn't consider any such lab
"professional" or worth dealing with.  There are MANY applications where
digital hasn't caught up, and isn't better than film.  Additionally, there
are many MF shooters (and LF folks) who still work with negs because digital
hasn't caught up to that level of quality yet.  Forcing the issue and going
totally digital (and forcing customers along with you) is dumb.

A good pro lab (IMHO) is one that keeps on the cutting edge of digital, and
has a good digital department, but also maintains all the classic processes.
One lab in town understands this and offers all the traditional film
services you'd expect, plus full professional digital services upon request.
The other is trying to force the digital issue with Fuji Frontier crap and
severely oversharpened Lightjet images, and only prints traditionally if you
make a fuss.  Guess which one is annoying more local pros and amateurs...

-PBW
Ralph Barker - 29 Jul 2003 18:23 GMT
Yes. I had been using a lab in Santa Clara for years, and was surprised
one day last year when he said he was no longer doing E-6. So, I now
take E-6 film to another lab that only handles 35mm and 120. They send
any 4x5 film to a regional lab. So, what was a two-day turnaround
locally is now a week or more.

> I send all my E6 to a local lab but am concerned that they will drop it.
> Have any of your local labs shut down or converted to digital only?
Norman Worth - 30 Jul 2003 05:02 GMT
I can get 4X5 E6 and C41 processed locally witout any problems, but 8X10 is
impossible - I'll have to learn to do it myself.

> I send all my E6 to a local lab but am concerned that they will drop it.
> Have any of your local labs shut down or converted to digital only?
 
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