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blaised · Joined: 09 May 2005 Posts: 18 Location: New York

Where is the best (and pretty inexpensive) place to have 4x5 sheet film and MF film developed?

Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2144 Location: New Jersey

400d · Joined: 17 Apr 2005 Posts: 11 Location: Newark, NJ

I don't think there is mailer available for 4x5.

In NYC, there is L&I on 12 w17th street, $2.25 per 4x5 sheet, 120 $5, 220 $10; they are professional and the quality is good. And I heard there is this lab call color resource, never been to it and I don't even know the address, but it has a good rep.

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

When I send in 4x5 film I just send it in its triple box, and tend to put it back in its plastic dark rap that it came in. So far, and I am new at this myself, I have had the boxes returned with the developed film inside in individual protector sleeves minus the little plastic packaging. I suppose it depends on the lab, but I have used three here in my area and all have returned my triple boxes, though I do write my name on them etc... I ship both 120 roll and 4x5 in Priority mail boxes, what they call, "video tape" size with a littel stuffing to keep it snug. So far, so good.
Stephen

glennfromwy · Joined: 29 Nov 2001 Posts: 903 Location: S.W. Wyoming

The best and least expensive processing is done by the photographer. It takes very little outlay, you learn to get what you want and can be done anywhere. No darkroom necessary.

_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

At least with B&W I would have to agree that the only way is to develop yourself. It is the only way to learn and then learn to control the process. Labs only ever have caused unnecesarry grief with my B&W films, though when I started a couple years ago I thought it would have been the opposite. Thus one can control the entire process from exposure to print, but only if willing to expereince the trial and errors and an awful lot of testing. On the other hand, I also shoot color, and I did not wish to bring a whole other set of chemicals and process equipment into my small work space, so I send the E-6 and C-41 stuff to the lab, often in the mail before I even get home from a trip or don't feel like driving cross town, which I detest. So while I have had bad results at the labs with B&W developing, and quickly learned to do a better and cleaner job of it myself, I have had only minimal problems with the color and honestly do not know anyone who develops thier own color, though I am sure some people do.
regards,
Stephen

RichS · Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2005 6:03 am Post subject:

I _used_ to do color at home a long time ago. Anyone remember the Beseler 2-step chemicals?

Color negs & prints were not only fun back then, but very easy. As I remember, I used the Beseler 2-step and a set from Unicolor. I honestly don't remember which was for neg or print. That's at least 35 years ago... And if I could find such easy chemicals nowadays, I'd try my hand at LF color too. Back then it was 35mm only for me... I never should have let that saleman talk me out of the Speed and into a Minolta....

But deffinitely, B&W is a wonderful home process. Simple, easy, needs only very limited space and equipment, and just plain fun to do. And if all else fails, or you just want a big print, you can always send a finished neg out to a lab to let them print it...

t.r.sanford · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 3:58 pm Post subject:

I think the Beseler 2-step "time-and-temperature" chemistry was made by Tetenal, and it may still be around under the Tetenal brand. It was, indeed, easy and fun, but it's not a practical economic proposition unless you shoot a lot of film in a short period of time.

If one has a workspace that can be made entirely dark (not necessarily a darkroom), it's quite simple to process small quantities of sheetfilm in three trays. It's a very low-cost way of finding out whether this is something you want to do.

RichS · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 6:38 pm Post subject:

Funny, I always thought that "tetenal" was the name of a developer made by someone else

That's what happens when you're happy with what you're doing and have little interest in other things...

But thanks for that info. If all goes as planned and I finally have my darkroom set up in a couple of months, I would love to try color again. I'm a big fan of simple & easy, and the two-step certainly fit my way of doing things

I'll have to do some searching around now...