Medium format photo lab help needed
January 9, 2008 1:31 PM Subscribe
What is the correct way to deal with a professional photo lab for medium format photography?
Just gotten into medium format film photography recently having purchased an old Yashica mat TLR camera. My question is dealing with the laboratory when processing my photos. (I'm not interested in developing film myself at the moment.)
What do I ask for exactly when I bring my exposed film into the lab? I am fortunate to live on the West side of Manhattan where there are many professional quality photo labs that develop and process 120 film but am not certain how I'm supposed to approach them. I took home a pricelist from one of the photo labs and am a bit overwhelmed by its contents (proof sheets, scans, work prints, dupes, etc)
Do I just hand over my film and say I want this developed as if I would any old 1-hour fotomat kind of place? Or because I am using medium format film, does this require any special information to be given to the lab technician?
Perhaps someone can tell me what I should basically ask for and what I need not worry about.
Thanks.
Just gotten into medium format film photography recently having purchased an old Yashica mat TLR camera. My question is dealing with the laboratory when processing my photos. (I'm not interested in developing film myself at the moment.)
What do I ask for exactly when I bring my exposed film into the lab? I am fortunate to live on the West side of Manhattan where there are many professional quality photo labs that develop and process 120 film but am not certain how I'm supposed to approach them. I took home a pricelist from one of the photo labs and am a bit overwhelmed by its contents (proof sheets, scans, work prints, dupes, etc)
Do I just hand over my film and say I want this developed as if I would any old 1-hour fotomat kind of place? Or because I am using medium format film, does this require any special information to be given to the lab technician?
Perhaps someone can tell me what I should basically ask for and what I need not worry about.
Thanks.
You cam is most likely in the 6x6 format...
Just ask them for a proof sheet and/or scans...this way you can look at the images and not have to have each one printed. Also are you shooting BW or color, or color slide? If color slide or BW, they will ask if you want it pushed or pulled, if you did not do any special metering, you should not need those services.
I highly reccomend these folks, i have used them for years and love their work, yes they charge a bit more, but it worth it IMHO
Duggal
posted by photodegas at 1:47 PM on January 9, 2008
Just ask them for a proof sheet and/or scans...this way you can look at the images and not have to have each one printed. Also are you shooting BW or color, or color slide? If color slide or BW, they will ask if you want it pushed or pulled, if you did not do any special metering, you should not need those services.
I highly reccomend these folks, i have used them for years and love their work, yes they charge a bit more, but it worth it IMHO
Duggal
posted by photodegas at 1:47 PM on January 9, 2008
What do I ask for exactly when I bring my exposed film into the lab?
Well, what exactly do you want?
The simplest thing you can ask them for is just development. They'll develop the negative or positive and return it to you somehow.
You'll want to ask them exactly how they're going to return it to you. It's been about 10 years since I had any 120 developed but at the time the standard was to put it, uncut, into a sleeve and return it to you in a loose roll.
If you want contact sheets then you'll have to ask for that. I'd think that would imply they'll have to cut it unless the state of the art has changed such that they can do them a la the 35mm mini-contact sheets that developers have taken to providing.
All that said, I'd suggest you just tell them you're new to 120 and don't know what you're asking for beyond development. Maybe NYC processors or 21st century shops are different but I always found all the shops I used to be very helpful and polite in explaining their services to me and most kept some samples of what you could choose from handy to show you.
As I said, I don't shoot medium format (or film at all) anymore but I did pick up a Canon 8400 scanner a few years ago to scan my old 645 shots. You might find that to be a cost effective way to deal with your shots since you could get the minimum service and then examine and decide what to print after scanning.
posted by phearlez at 2:04 PM on January 9, 2008
Well, what exactly do you want?
The simplest thing you can ask them for is just development. They'll develop the negative or positive and return it to you somehow.
You'll want to ask them exactly how they're going to return it to you. It's been about 10 years since I had any 120 developed but at the time the standard was to put it, uncut, into a sleeve and return it to you in a loose roll.
If you want contact sheets then you'll have to ask for that. I'd think that would imply they'll have to cut it unless the state of the art has changed such that they can do them a la the 35mm mini-contact sheets that developers have taken to providing.
All that said, I'd suggest you just tell them you're new to 120 and don't know what you're asking for beyond development. Maybe NYC processors or 21st century shops are different but I always found all the shops I used to be very helpful and polite in explaining their services to me and most kept some samples of what you could choose from handy to show you.
As I said, I don't shoot medium format (or film at all) anymore but I did pick up a Canon 8400 scanner a few years ago to scan my old 645 shots. You might find that to be a cost effective way to deal with your shots since you could get the minimum service and then examine and decide what to print after scanning.
posted by phearlez at 2:04 PM on January 9, 2008
The only difference between your medium format film and "regular" 35mm film is its size and packaging. If the photolab offers development service for medium format film (120, 220, etc.), they'll know what to do with it. You'll probably end up having to wait longer, as most labs aren't setup for rapid turnaround of non-35mm film. This is a good thing, since they way 1-hour labs turn your film around so quickly is to use warmer than normal developer chemistry. The warmer chemistry will develop the film faster, but also produce grainier negatives.
Just go in and say, "I'd like this film developed, one print of each" and you'll be fine. They'll may ask you what size you want your prints at if they offer different sizes for standard development. They may also ask if you want the negative printed full frame or cropped. Full framed means the entire surface area of the negative is printed, leaving a border on two sides of the paper. Cropped means part of the image is cut off to fit on standard paper sizes (5x7, 8x10, etc.)
Get prices up front, as some film lab are second cousins to the scammy camera shops you're no doubt familiar with.
Terms
Proof Sheets: Also known as a contact sheet. This is a single print, usually 8x10, of an entire sheet of negatives. It's a nice way to get a quick idea of what your negatives look like, and if you're on a budget it's sometimes cheaper than getting an entire roll of prints (sometimes)
Scans: Scanning your film or prints into digital format. Four or five years ago most places did a piss poor job of this. If you're interested in scanning some of your images for use online, go out and buy the cheapest flatbed scanner you can and skip the lab doing this ($60 - $90)
Work Prints: A fancy name for "prints". The opposite of work print is finished print. A work print goes in your album with your negatives, a finished print gets mounted and goes into the art show. Less time is spent developing a work print, but it still should be exposed correctly.
Dupes: A second copy of each print. Loved by new parents. Don't get 'em unless you know you want to share your prints.
posted by alana at 2:09 PM on January 9, 2008
Just go in and say, "I'd like this film developed, one print of each" and you'll be fine. They'll may ask you what size you want your prints at if they offer different sizes for standard development. They may also ask if you want the negative printed full frame or cropped. Full framed means the entire surface area of the negative is printed, leaving a border on two sides of the paper. Cropped means part of the image is cut off to fit on standard paper sizes (5x7, 8x10, etc.)
Get prices up front, as some film lab are second cousins to the scammy camera shops you're no doubt familiar with.
Terms
Proof Sheets: Also known as a contact sheet. This is a single print, usually 8x10, of an entire sheet of negatives. It's a nice way to get a quick idea of what your negatives look like, and if you're on a budget it's sometimes cheaper than getting an entire roll of prints (sometimes)
Scans: Scanning your film or prints into digital format. Four or five years ago most places did a piss poor job of this. If you're interested in scanning some of your images for use online, go out and buy the cheapest flatbed scanner you can and skip the lab doing this ($60 - $90)
Work Prints: A fancy name for "prints". The opposite of work print is finished print. A work print goes in your album with your negatives, a finished print gets mounted and goes into the art show. Less time is spent developing a work print, but it still should be exposed correctly.
Dupes: A second copy of each print. Loved by new parents. Don't get 'em unless you know you want to share your prints.
posted by alana at 2:09 PM on January 9, 2008
They will probably say "Normal?" which means -- "Do I develop this normally, as opposed to push or pull a stop?". They may ask if you want the negatives cut or not... for example if you are shooting 6x12 or 6x17 you may prefer to cut your own negs because you know what kind of sleeves they're goin in. They will want to know if you need a contact sheet and if so what size. They may offer to scan the negs for you.
So I tend to walk in and say "Fifteen C41 220, Normal, develop only and don't cut the negs please" because I shoot odd sized frames and scan everything myself on an Imacon.
Or you might say "Fifteen C41 220, push one stop, 11x17 proof sheet and scans please". Then they will ask how big scans you want and so on.
Prices and quality vary enormously. If you have a problem with a lab... dirty negs being a classic C41 problem, TELL THEM as they may need to clean out the whole line. A good lab is happy when you complain (if you complain about something that's actually wrong).
posted by unSane at 2:31 PM on January 9, 2008
So I tend to walk in and say "Fifteen C41 220, Normal, develop only and don't cut the negs please" because I shoot odd sized frames and scan everything myself on an Imacon.
Or you might say "Fifteen C41 220, push one stop, 11x17 proof sheet and scans please". Then they will ask how big scans you want and so on.
Prices and quality vary enormously. If you have a problem with a lab... dirty negs being a classic C41 problem, TELL THEM as they may need to clean out the whole line. A good lab is happy when you complain (if you complain about something that's actually wrong).
posted by unSane at 2:31 PM on January 9, 2008
Just as a heads up--
I just had a roll of b/w 120 film developed and printed at c-lab (warning loud music and REALLY bad site) on broadway and bleecker. The turn-around time was a few hours. This is normal for them.
Color takes 3 days usually.
posted by modernsquid at 2:36 PM on January 9, 2008
I just had a roll of b/w 120 film developed and printed at c-lab (warning loud music and REALLY bad site) on broadway and bleecker. The turn-around time was a few hours. This is normal for them.
Color takes 3 days usually.
posted by modernsquid at 2:36 PM on January 9, 2008
Response by poster: Thank you guys, this has been very helpful for me.
posted by cazoo at 6:16 PM on January 9, 2008
posted by cazoo at 6:16 PM on January 9, 2008
There are basically four or five things you might be questioned about (depending on the company)--they can process your film, process it special (push/pull), they can make contact sheets, and they can print your film--sometimes with spotting services (adjustments like dodging and burning).
Development you'll definitely want, otherwise you can't do the other options. They might ask you if you have any special developer preference. Developer is the chemical agent used to fix the film so it can be viewed in daylight without ruining it (technically there's developer, stop bath and fixer, but that's not important right now). I would just go with whatever their standard solution is, since 9.9 times out of 10 that's what you'll want. Some film types have special requirements in this area (TMAX requires TMAX RS, for instance). You probably won't even be asked, so don't sweat it. Figure anywhere from $10-$20 for this.
They'll likely ask if you want contact sheets. This is where they put the film directly on a piece of photo paper and expose it... no enlargement--what you see is what you get. Unless you're either dirt-poor or you've got a fancy scanner and a lot of free time on your hands, it's usually a good idea to get contacts because looking at negatives is no fun. Figure another $5-10 for this.
Up to this point, you're looking at a 1 minute conversation. "Hi, I'd like to get this processed." "You want contacts?" "Yes, please." Done.
When you get to prints, that's where things take a sharp turn and the questions start rolling out. How big a print? Do you want custom burning and dodging? (selectively darkening or brightening parts of the print) Do you want a bleed? (should they print up to the edges, or ever-so-slightly past the edges?) What kind of paper (regular? fiber? etc.) What kind of process (regular? silver? etc.) Printing can get outrageous expensive... the low end is maybe $15-20, the high end... several hundreds.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:50 PM on January 9, 2008
Development you'll definitely want, otherwise you can't do the other options. They might ask you if you have any special developer preference. Developer is the chemical agent used to fix the film so it can be viewed in daylight without ruining it (technically there's developer, stop bath and fixer, but that's not important right now). I would just go with whatever their standard solution is, since 9.9 times out of 10 that's what you'll want. Some film types have special requirements in this area (TMAX requires TMAX RS, for instance). You probably won't even be asked, so don't sweat it. Figure anywhere from $10-$20 for this.
They'll likely ask if you want contact sheets. This is where they put the film directly on a piece of photo paper and expose it... no enlargement--what you see is what you get. Unless you're either dirt-poor or you've got a fancy scanner and a lot of free time on your hands, it's usually a good idea to get contacts because looking at negatives is no fun. Figure another $5-10 for this.
Up to this point, you're looking at a 1 minute conversation. "Hi, I'd like to get this processed." "You want contacts?" "Yes, please." Done.
When you get to prints, that's where things take a sharp turn and the questions start rolling out. How big a print? Do you want custom burning and dodging? (selectively darkening or brightening parts of the print) Do you want a bleed? (should they print up to the edges, or ever-so-slightly past the edges?) What kind of paper (regular? fiber? etc.) What kind of process (regular? silver? etc.) Printing can get outrageous expensive... the low end is maybe $15-20, the high end... several hundreds.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:50 PM on January 9, 2008
At the risk of a borderline derail, it occurs to me that if you're new to 120 film handling nobody may have ever given you a heads-up on this : that roll of 120 is protected from light solely by that paper on the tail that wraps around the roll a few times. Consequently it's sensitive to light in ways that 35mm cartridges are not * and you need to take some amount of care to keep them out of the sunlight when you transport them lest light leak in the edges.
You don't need to keep them in total darkness but I personally cultivated a habit of putting them in a small (lead-lined) airline transport bag after I shot and never changed rolls in direct sunlight if I could avoid it. Before I did that it wasn't uncommon for me to see a little exposure along the edges of my negatives, though I don't think I ever had it reach the actual image.
Anyway, sorry if this is old news to you.
*(though my old roll-your-own 35mm canisters always were a little iffy on the edges)
posted by phearlez at 12:19 PM on January 10, 2008
You don't need to keep them in total darkness but I personally cultivated a habit of putting them in a small (lead-lined) airline transport bag after I shot and never changed rolls in direct sunlight if I could avoid it. Before I did that it wasn't uncommon for me to see a little exposure along the edges of my negatives, though I don't think I ever had it reach the actual image.
Anyway, sorry if this is old news to you.
*(though my old roll-your-own 35mm canisters always were a little iffy on the edges)
posted by phearlez at 12:19 PM on January 10, 2008
In case it helps to know what others do... I ask for processing-only with uncut negatives. All the lab does is develop the film, and then hand me the strip. I then scan the negs into the computer and cut the strip in thirds to store in sleeves. This works out to be something like $3.50/roll. The cheapest price for processing and prints at my lab is something like $14/roll, and the prints are too tiny to scan, so the process-only comes in very handy.
posted by Hankins at 7:05 AM on January 13, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Hankins at 7:05 AM on January 13, 2008 [1 favorite]
« Older Help me with these french lyrics! | US Internet service providers - prices? options? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by spicynuts at 1:40 PM on January 9, 2008