Photography and film questions

[pastorables]

I recently carried two rolls of Advantix (APS) film to Wal-Mart for one hour developing. They called me an hour later to share that one roll was ready, but that the machine was down for the second roll.

When I went to pick up the processed pictures the next day, they apologized for the inconvenience of having to wait on my film. What they didn't share was that only 12 of 25 on the second roll processed and many of them are compromised.

My questions are:

1. Why did the indoor pictures develop, although poorly, and the outdoor pictures, the best of the roll, were not returned at all?

2. Is there any hope of recovering those prints which were not returned, possibly not even developed?

I do still have the APS cartridges.

pa

[Susie Hamilton]

I bought a picture mate machine last year. I print my own pics from my mem card. I do not use an outside source for my pics. I can adjust the specs b4 printing.

[TW]

pa,
In all probability your pictures are lost. You might try taking the cartridges to a good photo lab, but I wouldn't put to much hope in recovering them. This is why, when working with film cameras, I never use the one hour quickies. Always take them to a real photo lab, the people are better trained, they have better equipment, and you will get better results. The labs that I have delt with have always explained why certain pictures didn't develop or print right. I know that the one hour places are cheaper, but what have you saved if you don't get your pictures?


TW

[Penny]

always take them to a real photo lab

LIKE????

I used wal-mart 2 day service and never have had any issues.

[TW]

always take them to a real photo lab

LIKE????

I used wal-mart 2 day service and never have had any issues.

Penny you will need to search for them in the yellow pages of your phone book. I have found that the chain labs, such as the ones in drug stores and WalMart are the bottom of the barrel. Yes you can get your photos quickly, if you are real lucky you'll get all of them. The labs in the mall, such as Wolf's Camera are a step up, but they still aren't trained or equipped to handle "problem negatives." Most every city still has a real photo lab somewhere, you just have to find them. When I lived in Nashville, and prior to going digital, I dealt only with a company named Chromatics. They are a full service commercial lab. In all the years that I had dealings with them, they always explained why this negative or that negative didn't develop. Add to which, if I had under exposed a picture, they could compensate for that when printing the picture. I never had a complaint about their service. The independent labs tend to do a better job because their future as a business depends upon satisfied customers returning for more of their service. It's their only service, they can't afford to lose customers. The chain labs don't really care, if WalMart didn't have a photo shop it really wouldn't matter to the WalMart company, they are not reliant on the photos for the bulk of their business.


TW

[fezzik]

always take them to a real photo lab

LIKE????

I used wal-mart 2 day service and never have had any issues.

Walmart and other similar stores are paying people (many times teenagers) a fairly low wage to process your film. The extent of their knowledge is typically to know where the on/off button is on the processor. If the machine malfunctions, you have no hope of getting quality pictures.

Go to Ritz or Wolf. They have them pretty spread out. That's the most common chain that I would trust with my film. If that isn't available, call a local film studio and get a recommendation from them. Professional photogs know where to go (even if they do their own in their shop).

[MacUser]

DeVille Camera located in Jackson MS is where I used to have all my high quality transparencies and film work done that was of professional nature.

That was a few years back...

[TC]

I have spent the biggest part of my life shooting 35mm or 70mm film. I am old school in that if I want a tint, I normally grab a fliter. I got to where I was spending way too much money on testing stuff. I got so worried after every wedding I did that something would happen to the film. So much to the point I got ulcers. So I had had enough that I had gotten rid of my 645 and all but one of my 35mm. When the Intro of a Digital SLR that was somewhat reasonable priced I got back into the photog business But since I have started again with all digital. I don't any film cameras at all anymore.

I said all that to tell you a little of my background. I love film but it is so easy to screw up film. your can might have a small light leak, it could exposed as the can is opened. You could have a light leak in your camera as well as you can get some rookie that just screws up and exposes your film.

Sorry to say but unless something new is out there there is NOTHING that can be done if the film is exposed. Once the film is fixed (one of the final steps in processing) that is it. That is one reason why most have gone to digital, One because there is no film processing, so that saves you money but it also takes one person out of the process. Two because you can see instantly for the most part you will know if you got something or not. You can lose some with a bad card but it is all in the card you use. My cameras for the most part all use compact flash, they are bigger which means I don't lose them as easy but they are more stable and less chance to be cracked or broken.

so really if you can find a good, reliable place to develop your film stick with them they can be your best friend. I always find out when the Manager usually works and I get a relationship with that person, they for the most part are the best at working the developers and printers.

One last thing. I want to a trade show in Vegas a few years ago and met up with some people in the business I know. I talked to them about different things. One was that they had a meeting with Kodak and Fuji and was told my both that most of the large formats will be discontinued with in the next 5 to 7 years (about 3 years ago) the reason is most can use a high res digital and will never see the difference in the film and digital. Also the it is not cost effective anymore to make the developer. It is considered toxic in some area and there are a ton of rules they have to go by. SO both of them will only be doing 35mm and they will be cutting production drastically. The cost of 35 mm cameras will start to go up and only film fanatics will be buying them. Kodak and Fuji are both gearing towards consumer Digital camera, and putting most of the their Rand D into printers and papers.

Sorry about your film, I for one know how bad it feels when your film comes back Black.

[RamboPreacher]

stopped listening to 8traks, cassettes (My reel to reel is still in the attic, I think), albums, most CD's and MD's too.

[TC]

it is so sad, I have analog TV's that are just about useless. I have a 2" tv that I can't give away. I bought a big screen TV, 54 Projection because the plasma was way too much. 6 months later LCD and now my 2300 TV is a dinosaur. I have a 36 in Sony trinitron true flat tube tv. still one of the best pictures I have ever seen, but it weighs a ton and is 24 inches from the back to the front.

I need to get enough money to be on the cutting edge instead of buying stuff that is on the way out in 48 hours.

[Paully_44]

stopped listening to 8traks, cassettes (My reel to reel is still in the attic, I think), albums, most CD's and MD's too.

me too.


whats film?