Ilford's dev, print & scan service

[Deleted member 21335]

Hello filmies. I wanted to start a thread for this to ask if anyone had used this service?

Having used Canadian Film Lab (formerly UKFL) for all my dev & scan recently, I thought I would give a local company a try for my general walking around snaps.
I today got my first prints from a roll of HP5 back that I sent on Monday so I am very impressed with the speed of service and free postage. Posted Monday, prints back through the door Friday. The box is lovely for storage, the prints are lovely, sharp, the ones I exposed well look really good. I didn't pay for scans and @srichards did say that the quality wasn't the best with the scanning which puts me off for the extra cost in the future. So I am very conflicted what to do going forwards in the future. I have tried scanning the print and the negative on my V700 and the scan of the print looked horribly soft whilst the negative was a little better but then I have to start adjusting those to match the print as well as dust spotting, etc. It's very laborious.

So I guess my options are....

1. Continue to use CFL with whom I have a great relationship, give great scans adjusted to my preferences leaving minimal editing but no prints, no cool box, not a local company. I could of course print the ones I like afterwards at the likes of DSCL.

2. Use Ilford for all my 35mm B&W and enjoy receiving a box full of prints which are lovely to look through and just not worry about showing them digitally.

3. Try a lab like Carmencita who basically combine the above. They would dev, scan and send proof prints but because of the postage to Spain, the const would increase considerably.

Does anyone have any examples of scans direct from Ilford please?

Sorry for the long post,

Gareth

 

[Nod]

The obvious answer is "Suck it and see" for yourself, Gareth! Only you can make the call as to whether their scanning is up to your expectations for the cost. Do they scan the negs themselves or do they scan the prints they do from the negs? If the former, I'd get them scanned at at least the resolution needed for a 12x8 print and if the latter, I'd probably get them done elsewhere or take the time to do decent scans at home. I always treated 6x4 prints as proofs to decide which to scan myself. As for adjusting scans to match lab prints, surely one of the points of scanning and PP is to get results that YOU like rather than what a lab THINKS you'll like?

 

[Deleted member 21335]

The obvious answer is "Suck it and see" for yourself, Gareth! Only you can make the call as to whether their scanning is up to your expectations for the cost. Do they scan the negs themselves or do they scan the prints they do from the negs? If the former, I'd get them scanned at at least the resolution needed for a 12x8 print and if the latter, I'd probably get them done elsewhere or take the time to do decent scans at home. I always treated 6x4 prints as proofs to decide which to scan myself. As for adjusting scans to match lab prints, surely one of the points of scanning and PP is to get results that YOU like rather than what a lab THINKS you'll like?

Thanks Nod. Some good points there. I dunno what to do. I think at the moment, I am being a sucker for having a lovely box of prints through my door to flick through. It's very nice.

 

[Nod]

That's why I 1. have an A3+ printer here and 2. rarely share photos on the forum - my pass around holiday albums are A4 and the really good shots get the full A3+ treatment! If all people want to do is post the shots on here or instagram, an instamatic or a 1MP digital is enough!

 

[Deleted member 21335]

That's why I 1. have an A3+ printer here and 2. rarely share photos on the forum - my pass around holiday albums are A4 and the really good shots get the full A3+ treatment! If all people want to do is post the shots on here or instagram, an instamatic or a 1MP digital is enough!

You make a valid point there. I am leaning toward continuing with CFL and just printing the ones I like, I think. Which is kind of a shame as I LOVE this little box here. Then, future plan is build a home dark room. I have a perfect outbuilding with water feed all ready to go. Just needs clearing, dark proofing and then build some stuff in there.

 

[srichards]

Found the ones I had. They were taken at Black Country Living Museum on the dynax. Wanged up to flickr after spending time rotating any that needed it. Don't think I did anything else.

BCLM with Delta 400

I don't know whether it's Delta 400 that's the issue though. I just find quite a few of them a bit meh. I paid for custom scans of 6mbit and they look like they're 2mbit ones anyway even though I paid for a better scan. Never bothered chasing them by the look of it either.

Fillmdev and Tri-X is another story.


Ironbridge by Suzy Richards, on Flickr

I don't have to mess with the FilmDev ones at all really. JPG no sharpening is my usual

 

[skysh4rk]

1. Continue to use CFL with whom I have a great relationship, give great scans adjusted to my preferences leaving minimal editing but no prints, no cool box, not a local company. I could of course print the ones I like afterwards at the likes of DSCL.

This is, no question, the only viable option for me.

I have used both Ilford and Carmencita. They're fine, but can't compare to CFL.

 

[Nod]

Which is kind of a shame as I LOVE this little box here.

Keep the cool box and put decent prints from CFL in it - no one apart from you will ever know!

 

[ChrisR]

You don't get the lovely box of prints, but I'd suggest sending a roll to Filmdev and see how you like it. Black and white is done in XTOL, and for me the quality is excellent. I only used UKFL once, for some E6 scans, and I can't say they were that much better than the comparator scans I got from Photo Express in Hull.

There are quite a few other labs that do dev and print, but pretty much all of them do a digital print from a scan, so perhaps not the same sort of quality you'd get from Ilford's prints...

I presume you know about the nifty price estimator? It's due an update (I have some of the updated info, just not uploaded it yet), but still useful...

 

[Deleted member 21335]

You don't get the lovely box of prints, but I'd suggest sending a roll to Filmdev and see how you like it. Black and white is done in XTOL, and for me the quality is excellent. I only used UKFL once, for some E6 scans, and I can't say they were that much better than the comparator scans I got from Photo Express in Hull.

There are quite a few other labs that do dev and print, but pretty much all of them do a digital print from a scan, so perhaps not the same sort of quality you'd get from Ilford's prints...

I presume you know about the nifty price estimator? It's due an update (I have some of the updated info, just not uploaded it yet), but still useful...

Yeah I have seen the price estimator, thanks Chris.

As for film dev, I see there's a mandatory £3 for having your negs posted back with every roll (am I reading their site correctly?) Which makes the price £10 for medium scans with C41. The existing relationship I have with Canadian film lab means I wouldn't consider them at that price to be honest, not for saving £1. Also, I have never paid £3.40 to post up to ten rolls of film to CFL's UK address. My package always goes as a large letter. The only time it was more was when I shot weddings and I had to use a box but then I paid for recorded delivery.

This is, no question, the only viable option for me.

I have used both Ilford and Carmencita. They're fine, but can't compare to CFL.

Thanks for the replies, but after thinking about it I think RJ is right and I will be sticking with the first option but being more proactive to have my photos printed. I have only used Carmencita twice and the colours were definitely off on one set of scans I got back which was a shame. Perhaps because I don't have a profile set up with them like I do with CFL.

 

[srichards]

Quite a few have posted to filmdev as large letter and been caught by royal mail and charged extra for small parcel.

Filmdev only charge for recorded delivery on how ever many you send in a batch. Normal return first class for negs is included. That section isn't per roll it's per order.

 

[Deleted member 21335]

Quite a few have posted to filmdev as large letter and been caught by royal mail and charged extra for small parcel.

Filmdev only charge for recorded delivery on how ever many you send in a batch. Normal return first class for negs is included. That section isn't per roll it's per order.

Interesting that you say they have been 'caught'. I have sent literally hundreds of rolls in up to batches of 10 (my last order currently with CFL), taken them into the post office, watched them put them through the slot and charge me for a large letter. Never had a problem at all. I am not saying FIlmdev don't offer a good, well priced service, but IMO having a good relationship with a lab is very important so I will continue to use CFL for the foreseeable future rather than save a couple of £.

 

[ChrisR]

Maybe you're using 120 rather than 135? My local post office occasionally tries to put my 135 through the slot and it definitely won't fit. But for one or two rolls I usually put them in a plastic envelope wrapped in alfoil rather than there plastic pot and drop it in a letter box, and it usually gets there fine. If not, you suffer a delay of a few days, Filmdev get charged £3 and charge that back to you, and you're only a few pence out of pocket.

The other part of Filmdev's business is wedding photography, and I'm pretty sure if you talked to them they would scan according to a look you wanted to achieve. Their biggest advantage from my point of view is not cost (though that's welcome) but getting the scans to download often the day after I post them. When I've used other labs in the past and had to wait a couple of weeks I found it very frustrating.

 

[Peter B]

@gazmorton2000 I just googled CFL out of interest. You may want to be aware of this message

Canadian Film Lab Order Form
***Important service update: please note, as of today (2nd May) we will be closing for a few weeks and any orders that are already in the lab or are currently on their way to us, will be processed as usual. However we would ask that you please don’t send in any more orders as of today, until we reopen. If you are reading this and haven’t used our lab before and wish to be kept informed of our re-opening, please do drop us a line at hello@canadianfilmlab.com and we will keep you updated. We will automatically inform all existing clients of our re-opening date.

We don’t take this decision lightly, and we are committed to reopening the lab again as soon as we can, but we have decided that we need to temporarily close the lab for a few weeks in order to recover from significant health issues. We had hoped that we would be able to manage this whilst continuing to run our business, but unfortunately this is not possible just at the current time.

http://canadianfilmlab.com/canadian-film-lab-order-form/

 

[Deleted member 21335]

Maybe you're using 120 rather than 135? My local post office occasionally tries to put my 135 through the slot and it definitely won't fit. But for one or two rolls I usually put them in a plastic envelope wrapped in alfoil rather than there plastic pot and drop it in a letter box, and it usually gets there fine. If not, you suffer a delay of a few days, Filmdev get charged £3 and charge that back to you, and you're only a few pence out of pocket.

The other part of Filmdev's business is wedding photography, and I'm pretty sure if you talked to them they would scan according to a look you wanted to achieve. Their biggest advantage from my point of view is not cost (though that's welcome) but getting the scans to download often the day after I post them. When I've used other labs in the past and had to wait a couple of weeks I found it very frustrating.

Definitely sending both 35mm and 120 film in the same envelope as a large letter. Posted 3 x 35mm and 7 x 120 in the last batch. Should be back any day now. Also, I don't mind waiting a little while for the scans...it detaches me from what I've just shot so I can look at it a bit more objectively.

@gazmorton2000 I just googled CFL out of interest. You may want to be aware of this message


http://canadianfilmlab.com/canadian-film-lab-order-form/

I knew about that but thanks. I got their email the other day. Such a shame but hopefully they will be back before long. I will have a few rolls to send to them when they are back.

Another reason for me not sticking with this service fro Ilford is, as much as I like B&W, I am predominantly a colour kind of guy I think.

 

[FujiLove]

Everyone’s opinion is going to be different depending on how much time and money they have to spend, their tolerance of, and ability at scanning, whether they have access to a darkroom etc. But if I were in your shoes, I’d keep using CFL for my colour work and do all the B&W at home. A roll of black and white costs me about 75p to develop and I have full control of the printing process, which is vital for B&W. No matter how good the printing service is, they are only going to be churning out straight ‘average’ prints. They won’t be able to interpret the negative like you could, so the prints will be nowhere near as good as they could be.

I used to think I was a ‘mostly colour’ photographer until I got into wet darkroom printing. Now I’ve reached the point where I’m reluctant to load colour film because I’m worried about missing out on the full-on black and white darkroom printing possibilities.

Get that shed converted...you could have most of it done by the end of the bank holiday

 

[Deleted member 21335]

Everyone’s opinion is going to be different depending on how much time and money they have to spend, their tolerance of, and ability at scanning, whether they have access to a darkroom etc. But if I were in your shoes, I’d keep using CFL for my colour work and do all the B&W at home. A roll of black and white costs me about 75p to develop and I have full control of the printing process, which is vital for B&W. No matter how good the printing service is, they are only going to be churning out straight ‘average’ prints. They won’t be able to interpret the negative like you could, so the prints will be nowhere near as good as they could be.

I used to think I was a ‘mostly colour’ photographer until I got into wet darkroom printing. Now I’ve reached the point where I’m reluctant to load colour film because I’m worried about missing out on the full-on black and white darkroom printing possibilities.

Get that shed converted...you could have most of it done by the end of the bank holiday

Ha, don't tempt me!I have the perfect outbuilding for it attached to the house.

I develop B&W myself sometimes but it's the digitising process that lets me down. I have a V700, but never mastered it whereas I have a friend who has one and his results are VERY good. He has the better scanning holders and ANR glass, though.

 

[skysh4rk]

I only used UKFL once, for some E6 scans, and I can't say they were that much better than the comparator scans I got from Photo Express in Hull.

You aren't really going to see much of an advantage sending CFL one roll of E6. It's their quality and consistency from photo to photo, roll to roll for colour negative that is their strength for me.

That said, I've also begun sending them most of my black and white too, as I just don't have the time to develop and darkroom print my black and white rolls at the moment and I'm not into scanning and cloning out dust.