Film Developing in the UK

Just noticed the excellent spreadsheet (y)

Easy ordering is also a help. I partly went for AG as you can make an order and print it off and stuff it in the envelope. Many of the rest are a pain as you have to fill in a form and calculate it yourself.
 
srichards said:
Just noticed the excellent spreadsheet (y)

Easy ordering is also a help. I partly went for AG as you can make an order and print it off and stuff it in the envelope. Many of the rest are a pain as you have to fill in a form and calculate it yourself.
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I do agree there; I made a Word version of the Photo Express order form, which means I can edit the form and print it off, rather than print and then write on it. Not good at writing these days! Photo Express also don't send you a return address label, which I reckon would cost them beans and be useful.

The Darkroom also have an internet ordering system; you get an email back which you print and stuff in with the film. They send a 1st class prepaid label back.

AG go one better: internet ordering, and they send a prepaid mailer. And, they're cheapest for BW process-only. But, my experience suggests you pay for that in the processing time. I'm trying to do a 52 and the POTY13, so I want things back ASAP.

From various email timings, looking at scan dates etc, I get the impression that AG's internal systems are not working efficiently. But I don't have real evidence of that.

I meant to add, a recent automatic email from AG included the following:
We aim to turn around processing and printing orders as fast as possible, depending on our workload and the nature of your order.

IMPORTANT - If you need your work returned super fast, or for a deadline, please do let us know - we can always prioritise it!

Usual turnaround times:
Develop only C41 & B&W - normally within 24 hours of receipt.
Develop only E6 - normally within 3-4 days of receipt.
C41 & B&W with scans or prints - normally within 2-3 days of receipt.
E6 with scans or prints - normally 4-5 days.
Prints only from File or Neg - Normally within 24 hours of receipt.

Other services please ask any time.
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ChrisR said:
I've been meaning to post on notes I've been taking on processing times. I've been keeping a record, a bit obsessive I know!

AG Photographic: 4 lots (mainly BW, half with scan), average 7.3 days. No obvious time reduction when scanning NOT included.

The Darkroom: 3 lots (one C41 with scan, two BW without scan), average 3.3 days, but the two BWs came back in 2 days.

Photo Express: 12 lots (all 35mm C41 with scan), average 2.8 days (max 5 days).

All of the AG lots were affected by weekends, almost all of the others were not (ie send on Monday, get back Wednesday or Thursday).
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I'll add a couple for you, mixed batches of c41 35mm and c41 120, dev and scan:

Westend Cameras 7 day from post day to return

Club 35 between three days and seven days, (usually at the three days end of the spectrum), they also have a free post address for delivery and usually send you a labelled up Jiffy bag ready for the next batch!
 
I think I'm going to stop using Club 35. The good news first: I sent a batch of films on a Tuesday at the start of last month to them for dev only. I paid the £1 extra for same day turnaround and I had the C-41 stuff back in my hands on Friday. All good there.

But I've also been using them for slide film and the stuff in that batch and in the last batch is sent to them was unsatisfactory. It was dirty and the 120 film in the latest batch had been put in their sleeves while still damp. Fortunately the only damage was to the rebate on two strips. They also charged me the £1 turnaround fee despite taking 3 weeks to send out the film. I had to call them and the instant response on the phone was that they were having problems with their slide mounting machine - I asked for unmounted strips. The previous slide batch was the same with regards to delay and needing to call up, though that time "the machine needs a service". One set of delays and poor excuses is an error, two is the start of a trend and one that I don't want to see if it continues.
 
Thats likely because they don't actually develop E-6 themselves, they have a 3rd party do it for them. I've only used them once for E-6 a few years ago and it took nearly 2 weeks for them to come back (as they only have them deved once a week) and whilst the quality wasn't bad, if I send them to Peak Imaging or The Darkroom I can have them back in 4 - 5 days with excellent quality for a similar price. I've never had a problem with Club 35 for C-41 though where they always have done an excellent job.
 
Just had 5 rolls of colour film back from AG, took about a week and a half. Turned out that an order I placed the day after was out of stock and they were going to combine the shipping so the negs were sitting in the lab. Suppose they could have informed me but I wasnt in any rush. As always the quality is top notch.
 
Had my first 2 rolls back from AG. Took about a week all in. Good clean negs and they cut them into 6s which is great.
 
Yes, I like the 6s, and the sleeves AG use are great. The Darkroom uses really tight sleeves that I don't like, but when I moaned they did tell me how to get them back in, which usually works (place them flat on the table, and tap the strip into place).
 
ChrisR said:
Yes, I like the 6s, and the sleeves AG use are great. The Darkroom uses really tight sleeves that I don't like, but when I moaned they did tell me how to get them back in, which usually works (place them flat on the table, and tap the strip into place).
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Waiting was the killer. Felt like a very long week!
 
lots of recommendations and positive things being said about Peak Imaging In this Thread - have to say, I've used 'em a few times and been very happy with the output...
 
Hi everybody, i'm just looking for the best place to get the negatives and a CD. I don't want prints. Has anybody ever used Sainsburys?
 
lapsang said:
Hi everybody, i'm just looking for the best place to get the negatives and a CD. I don't want prints. Has anybody ever used Sainsburys?
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Do you mean best or cheapest/most convenient?

This thread has a whole list of processors that will provide you with a good service at a variety of prices, if you're looking to just test your camera then try a supermarket service if it's something more important then try Peak or The Darkroom, although neither is particularly cheap when you include scanning.

I've not used Sainsbury's photo service but I can't imagine that they will be any better or worse than any of the other supermarket services.
 
RaglanSurf said:
Do you mean best or cheapest/most convenient?

This thread has a whole list of processors that will provide you with a good service at a variety of prices, if you're looking to just test your camera then try a supermarket service if it's something more important then try Peak or The Darkroom, although neither is particularly cheap when you include scanning.

I've not used Sainsbury's photo service but I can't imagine that they will be any better or worse than any of the other supermarket services.
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thanks. you've been very helpful so far on all my first posts!

can you get just negatives and a CD in an hour process from a supermarket or does that need sending away?
 
Depends if the shop has a machine. My local Asda is the only one with a mini lab so its the only place that can offer a one hour service.
 
lapsang said:
thanks. you've been very helpful so far on all my first posts!

can you get just negatives and a CD in an hour process from a supermarket or does that need sending away?
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I had some done in Tesco's yesterday, process and scanned to CD in an hour, most supermarkets, if they still have on-site processing, will do the same, although try to avoid taking your films in later in the day as they often have a cut off time for 1hr processing.
 
RaglanSurf said:
I had some done in Tesco's yesterday, process and scanned to CD in an hour, most supermarkets, if they still have on-site processing, will do the same, although try to avoid taking your films in later in the day as they often have a cut off time for 1hr processing.
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Lucky you....the massive Tesco at Watford started sending them out over a year ago.
 
excalibur2 said:
Lucky you....the massive Tesco at Watford started sending them out over a year ago.
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It's the Tescos at Twickenham so about the same distance to you from Watford and I'm pretty sure the one at Osterley still does them, which is even closer.
 
Hi chaps. Just got my first roll taken on my (rescued from the bin) olympus om2n. I went to snappy snaps in Lewisham and ordered negatives and a cd. The scans are VERY grainy and about 1mb each. I can post a couple of examples, surely I can get better results from this camera? !
 
Those scans are pretty poor, but that's just quick and dirty lab scans for you. Often, the post-processing sharpening they apply also makes it far more grainy than the shot is in reality.

That said, the second photo - the camera probably exposed for the landscape, so the two people would've been underexposed, so getting any detail in their clothes would be more grainy (the shot is unacceptably grainy anyway).
 
Yes agree with freecom2...in the first a fill in flash would be needed and the 2nd is a throw-away neg, unless the couple is important to you.
To save money it's best to get just the CD and with the decent shots you can then download the jpgs to be printed, What I haven't tried are those DIY printers at supermarkets maybe someone with a digital camera has used them, as it would seem you just put your camera's card in and choose your shots......h'mm but how do you put a jpg from your computer onto a card, maybe there is an adapter to do this.
 
Most supermarket printers wil accept a variety of cards and USB sticks, it's just a matter of copying the shots onto a suitable card.
 
excalibur2 said:
Yes agree with freecom2...in the first a fill in flash would be needed and the 2nd is a throw-away neg, unless the couple is important to you.
To save money it's best to get just the CD and with the decent shots you can then download the jpgs to be printed, What I haven't tried are those DIY printers at supermarkets maybe someone with a digital camera has used them, as it would seem you just put your camera's card in and choose your shots......h'mm but how do you put a jpg from your computer onto a card, maybe there is an adapter to do this.
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the second shot is exactly as I imagined it would be. The sun was on the way down and I just wanted a silhouette effect for my dad and wife.
 
freecom2 said:
Those scans are pretty poor, but that's just quick and dirty lab scans for you. Often, the post-processing sharpening they apply also makes it far more grainy than the shot is in reality.

That said, the second photo - the camera probably exposed for the landscape, so the two people would've been underexposed, so getting any detail in their clothes would be more grainy (the shot is unacceptably grainy anyway).
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would you recommend using a scanner to scan them myself?
 
lapsang said:
would you recommend using a scanner to scan them myself?
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Yes, but it depends on your budget - and it's usually a high initial cost (those of us who shoot film regularly can easily justify the cost, because it works out cheaper in the long run).
 
Sectionate said:
Snappy Snaps scans are poor in my experience.
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I've had variable experience from Snappy Snaps and I think they, like a lot of franchise operations, are more susceptible to quality variations than dedicated processing and scan companies.

It's often best to give these places a test roll to see how good they are and also talk to the operator, you can soon tell whether they know what they're doing.
 
Any supermarket/highstreet shop will be the same, varying in quality as it simply depends on the operators experience/training as to whether they just leave it in full auto or do some manual adjustments to get better quality.
 
just found out that sainsburys in sydenham (the saver centre) no longer process film :|
 
Any space for an international section? Found this little gem tucked away on 18th floor of an office building in Causeway Bay.

filme-home-hong-kong-2.jpg


http://thefilme.com/content/index.php/about-us
 
lapsang said:
just found out that sainsburys in sydenham (the saver centre) no longer process film :|
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Oh dear.......avoid shopping at Sainsburys in protest..if just 10 filmies boycott them and would have spent £100 a week that would mean they lose £50,000 sales in one year.
 
lapsang said:
just found out that sainsburys in sydenham (the saver centre) no longer process film :|
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Would guess its simply non economical. Aside from us, does any joe public still shoot film? Can't blame them. Still loads of alternatives.
 
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