Topic: Walmart processing

[DaveO]

     Has anyone tried processing color film at Walmart now that they send the film out. How does it compare to the high end processors like NCPS? I've heard that they send it out to Fuji, is that true?

[Francois]

You mean they stopped in store developing for 35mm in the States?

[Diane Peterson]

I know they don't process where I live..just thought it was another disaster of living in a third world state..I can only say that cause I think I'm the only one on filmwasters that lives in Idaho....guess you can tell i'm not a fan...I get some of my color stuff processed at Cost Co and they do a good job..they know me by now so they follow my instructions...thats a good thing...and it costs $1.76....just developing...

[DaveO]

     Thanks for the reply. There is no Costco anywhere nearby. One is going to be built in Knoxville which is 60 miles away. Are they a one hour lab or days?

DaveO

[sapata]

they follow my instructions...and it costs $1.76....just developing...

[tkmedia]

re walmart.
majority of "new" walmarts dont do any film processing.
"Old" walmarts do processing on site. some do mail out on "odd" formats.
old walmarts no longer do processing on site if there is not enough demand. some still do mail out.
old walmarts with processor problems, will no longer do processing in the future once it breaks no more.

target used to be good, but that was when they had non target employees in the photo labs. they used to contract the labs out.

[Randy B]

Never used Walmart.  But Costco and CVS (USA) do the processing onsite in my town.  From my experience CVS is poor quality, pretty terrible scans and they really manhandle the film.  Fingerprints and scratches and the like.  Costco is a little better, the scans are okay for the price and the processing has been pretty okay.

I'd never take anything I cared about to a local drugstore type place though, too many bad experiences in the few times I've used them.  NCPS does great work, the scans especially are some of the best lab scans I've seen.  But NCPS is way more expensive, so I guess it boils down to the basics of you get what you pay for. 

I've heard lots of people who have had consistent great luck with the work at their local 1 hour photo type places.  So I guess it varies.  I tend to like either doing it myself or sending to a decent lab, if its worth doing it's worth doing right I guess.  Unless its just some crap shots or a test roll.

[rkbry]

From my experience CVS is poor quality, pretty terrible scans and they really manhandle the film.  Fingerprints and scratches and the like.

That's been my experience with CVS as well. The techs just don't care. And it's quite pricey for the "quality."

I mail my C41 stuff (or B&W I don't want to muck up) to Photoworks in SF now, and it costs a bit less than CVS. The only downside is the wait. Turn around time with mail seems to be around ten business days or so.

[Francois]

Unless its just some crap shots or a test roll.

Even then, sometimes it's worth going to a good place for that. I once went to a lab that was using chemistry that was so old that all the colors on the film came out wonky!

Just imagine nice fireworks on a baby blue sky... Just to say they quickly folded after that blunder.

[patois]

I have been communicating with the people behind 120processing.com and I think they do a good job. For 35mm I also like photoworks sf but they are so far from me that turn around is a pain.