First rate E6 and C41 labs in USA?

**Justin Black** · 1-Mar-2009, 00:52

Calypso and Photocraft for E-6. Chrome (DC) or A&I (LA) for C-41, and Black & White (Arlington, VA) for, guess what, b&w.

**Richard Edic** · 1-Mar-2009, 08:39

Another endorsement of Edgar Praus- http://www.4photolab.com/
Consistent flawless quality that you can trust.

**Bruce Watson** · 10-Mar-2009, 15:46

Loyalty ain't what it used to be. Sigh...

I just picked up five sheets of 5x4 that I left at J. W. Photo Labs for C-41 processing (no proof prints, just film processing). The bill came to over $20.00. They have jumped from $2.00/5x4 sheet to $3.75/sheet, sometime in the last month or so.

What can one say? The only conclusion I can draw from a near doubling of price during a major recession is that Mr. White wants out of the C-41 business. Probably all film processing.

I guess this is my reward for talking them up and trying to keep business flowing their way. Well, friends don't let friends get ripped off for film processing. So, as much as it pains me to do it, I withdraw my endorsement of J. W. Photo Labs for film processing. While they still do good work, they have priced themselves out of the market.

**Henry Ambrose** · 10-Mar-2009, 17:52

Oh boy........

Bruce, where are you gonna take your film - down the street to WalMart?

As quantities of film being developed in a given lab drop below a certain level the cost per sheet goes up dramatically. My great local lab is on a 4 day work week and only runs C41 three days a week. These folks used to do multiple runs of E6 and C41 everyday so I got two hour turn-around just a short walk from my studio.

Those days are gone, gone, gone.

Everyone, be glad if you have a local lab that does reliable work and support them as best you can. Or you'll be packing up Fedex boxes for film processing and won't that be convenient and cheap?

**brianam** · 18-Mar-2009, 23:29

Newlab, in San Francisco. they run E6 and C41 only, no silver.
http://www.newlab.com/

Still no shortage of pro labs here in SF, and I've tried several. These folks are very consistent for me, and very quick.

**Bruce Watson** · 19-Mar-2009, 07:30

Originally Posted by Henry Ambrose

Oh boy........

Bruce, where are you gonna take your film - down the street to WalMart?

Not bloody likely.

I was thinking either send it out of state to a lab that actually wants the work, or processing it myself since I have the equipment (Jobo CPP-2, 3010 tank). With my local pro lab asking nearly $4.00 per 5x4 sheet for processing, doing it myself becomes fairly attractive.

**Jrewt** · 19-Mar-2009, 09:15

I have just started shooting 4x5 c41 and was going to try a run myself with the arista liquid kit, have any of you tried them? I have a cpp2 and drum so it can't be all that difficult. Also, I think 1liter does 32 sheets, so for 20$ you can't really beat that!

**tgtaylor** · 19-Mar-2009, 10:30

Another vote for doing it yourself in a Jobo.

For several years I brought my E-6 to labs here in the SF Bay: Color 2000, Calypso, and NewLabs. Color 2000 and Calypso were the best (in that order) with the latter having the best prices ($1.45/sheet 4x5, $4.10/roll 120). However, since I have been processing E-6 and C-41 in my CPA-2, I will never again use a lab as I feel that the results that I have been getting are at least as good as the best lab and probably better as I use fresh chemistry. Also the cost of home processing is well below that of the lab.

Thomas

**epraus** · 23-Mar-2009, 15:57

Run a E6 control strip in a JOBO every day for a week and then see how much you like it!
You'll be amazed by the inconsistancy.

**mccormickstudio** · 23-Mar-2009, 22:32

For c41 there is a big difference between 4x5 and 8x10. If you're shooting 8x10, I think there are only a few US labs consistently doing proper work (i.e., not ruining your negs). Lightwaves in SF is tremendously expensive, but guarantees 8x10 c41 at $12.50/sheet. Precision Imaging in Chicago has not failed me at about $4.50 a sheet for 8x10 c41.