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Thread: Which labs still make traditional optical enlargements from 4x5 color negatives?

  1. #21
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Which labs still make traditional optical enlargements from 4x5 color negatives?

    I had quite a few conversations with the owner of one of the labs I can't remember the name of, because he was my customer even though I was not his. In that case, he developed hypersensitivity to Ciba bleach and had to throw in the towel. In another case, RA4 chem was the long-term culprit. That's why I develop color in drums outdoors in mild weather - one of the advantages of not being on the clock in this respect. People might think that inkjet has solved all those sensitivity issues; but I think it's just a matter of time till glycol sensitivities show up. That's why the EPA is trying to get polyglycols out of architectural paints. But it's darn hard to keep ordinary paint machine pigments from drying out and clogging without them, and unimaginable when tiny inkjet nozzles are involved. So it's probably not a good idea to have a whole bunch of huge inkjet prints laying around drying out without decent ventilation; but I know that happens in certain places. And glycol outgasses rather slowly, over weeks in fact. But one way or another, where there's a will, there's a way, and color printing will go on somehow regardless. Even dye transfer printing is making a firm commercial revival on limited scale for those lucky few who can afford that kind of labor intensive service. I'm having very good results at the moment with Portra internegs from old 8x10 chromes; but it's somewhat labor intensive too due to the masks and similar intermediate steps necessary for optimal results. My recent color shooting is all done directly onto color neg film instead, which needs masking only once in awhile.

  2. #22
    http://www.spiritsofsilver.com tgtaylor's Avatar
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    Re: Which labs still make traditional optical enlargements from 4x5 color negatives?

    ...Traditional businesses of all varieties are being forced out - bookstores, shoe repair shops, long-term restaurants, woodshops, picture frame suppliers; techie gentrification is running amuk. Quaint business neighborhoods are now turning into tall dark walled canyons of high priced condos with hyper-expensive ground floor retail space leases...
    And the Mall is now a thing of the past. Last week I found myself at Hilltop Mall (https://hilltopbythebaysf.com/ with a hour to kill so I spent it walking through the mall. I was shocked! All the store fronts were vacant and those that remained were huddled in a common location sharing essentially zero foot traffic.

    Thomas

  3. #23

    Re: Which labs still make traditional optical enlargements from 4x5 color negatives?

    I used to do 4x5 enlargements onto RA4 16x20 paper. With the Kodak RA4 you can do it in trays at room temp. I’ve resumed shooting some Hasselblad negatives and it has reminded me how much better wet prints from a good negative looked than any sort of scan. A sharp Ektar 100 35mm negative could be enlarged to 16x20 without breaking a sweat. Plus the new Endura Metallic paper looks worlds better than inkjet glossy stuff.

    I actually still have a pile of Kodak cut sheets that I bought when they announced the discontinuation of the sheets. Probably mostly toast by now, unfortunately.

    It was not supremely difficult to do these prints and was quite fun. Might be a cool hobby to get a setup for 20x25 prints from 4x5 negatives and offer that as a service. Wonder if it would generate enough revenue to pay for a space.

  4. #24

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    Re: Which labs still make traditional optical enlargements from 4x5 color negatives?

    There was nothing quiet like a beautiful large Cibachrome print from Fuji 50 sheet film. They worked so well together and oftimes one did not need a contrast mask for top quality in the print.
    ” Never attribute to inspiration that which can be adequately explained by delusion”.

  5. #25

    Re: Which labs still make traditional optical enlargements from 4x5 color negatives?

    Wow -such a simple question and such a stream of roundabout non-answers.

    LTI in nyc
    Icon in LA

  6. #26

    Re: Which labs still make traditional optical enlargements from 4x5 color negatives?

    also Griffin Editions in nyc

  7. #27

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    Re: Which labs still make traditional optical enlargements from 4x5 color negatives?

    +1 for The Icon in LA. I have used them for years and never been disappointed. There used to be 15 labs that did LF C41 & E6 in LA. They are the last man standing.

  8. #28
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Which labs still make traditional optical enlargements from 4x5 color negatives?

    Huh? The Darkroom still does C41 and E6 in the LA area, clear up to 8x10 film size, that is, in San Clemente nearby, and offers printing too. There are labs still going here in Norcal too.

  9. #29

    Re: Which labs still make traditional optical enlargements from 4x5 color negatives?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chester McCheeserton View Post
    Wow -such a simple question and such a stream of roundabout non-answers.

    LTI in nyc
    Icon in LA
    Interesting — Icon does digital prints up to 48 inches and analog enlargements.

  10. #30

    Re: Which labs still make traditional optical enlargements from 4x5 color negatives?

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew Wiley View Post
    Huh? The Darkroom still does C41 and E6 in the LA area, clear up to 8x10 film size, that is, in San Clemente nearby, and offers printing too. There are labs still going here in Norcal too.
    By doing C-41 and E6 do you mean processing film? Because I don't see anything on the Darkroom website about making optical C-prints. When they refer to "Color files are printed on traditional wet-process Kodak Royal silver halide color paper" I am 99% sure those are done on a Noritsu or similar type digital printer, which scans the film and outputs like a mini lightjet. If they were doing analog printing by hand at an enlarger they would advertise that service.

    huh.

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