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AWT · Joined: 05 Sep 2002 Posts: 57 Location: Upstate SC

The 3 pro labs in my area do not handle 4x5 b&w film. Anyone on this forum have experience with places where I can send this stuff to?

I'm not interested in doing my own developing for a number of reasons (health, space, $$, time).

Thanks in advance!

RichS · Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2003 1:17 pm Post subject:

AWT · Joined: 05 Sep 2002 Posts: 57 Location: Upstate SC

Yeah, I was kinda "whelmed" at the lack of resplies myself.

Thanks for the tip. I don't get any of the "dead tree" mags, but maybe I'll see what's on the 'Net and be the Guinea pig.

Nick · Joined: 16 Oct 2002 Posts: 494

I think part of the problem is B&W tends to be a bit more of a crap shoot then either C-41 or E-6. All the choices the lab can make tends to make it harder to find exactly what a person might want. This assumes the lab is actually a good B&W lab. I know that several labs up here handle B&W but I've no idea if they do a good job. The other issue is the cost. By the time you've had 200 sheets done by the local labs you could have bought a used small Jobo setup. By the time you've done 300 you might have bought a brand new one. The same system would also handle E-6/C-41. Not to mention anything smaller then 4x5.

Try posting to rec.photo.equipment.large-format on usenet. I'm sure you'll get a few answers. Then send a few tests to each to figure out which one you like best.

xyzphoto · Joined: 03 Jan 2002 Posts: 47 Location: Oklahoma

On the Photo.net website:
subtopic "List of all forums"
subtopic "B & W photo. film and
processing",
there is some discussion of what some users think of certain labs.

sobahguy · Joined: 09 Oct 2001 Posts: 173 Location: Massachusetts

Also from photo.net user recommendation threads, I found positive listings for a place called Worldwide Camera in Savannah,GA which may or may not be an option for you depending on what area of SC you are in and i'm unsure if they do mail processing.

I will be contacting them in the coming month as I have a well-deserved vacation on the horizon and we'll be going to the Beaufort/Battery Creek/Parris Island SC area and maybe they'll be able to do some processing for me while we are down there, unless i can find something closer than the one-hour drive to Savannah.

Hope this helps.

Micah in NC · Joined: 26 Jun 2003 Posts: 94 Location: North Carolina

Yeah,
I'd like to know if you have luck at the GA lab; I'm not terribly far away here in western N.C., but I'd still have to mail order (if they even do that).

Maybe I'll stick to my plan to try Scala in 4x5 first before Plus-X, T-Max, etc....

--Micah in NC

AWT · Joined: 05 Sep 2002 Posts: 57 Location: Upstate SC

Thanks to all for everyone's help. I'll give the place in Savannah a call. I live in the Upstate of SC, about as far from Savannah as you can be and still be in SC, but GA is a good deal closer than CA!

Normally I wouldn't think of shooting B&W, but I wanted to do some old-style Hollywood-type shots of my wife's dance comrades at a recent show.

Rdwest1369 · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 12 Location: north Dallas