4x5 Processor

Hey NPNers,
It has been far too long but I arrived home from my year in Australia last night and am slowly getting readjusted to a life not living in the back of a truck! It was a fabulous year and I will hopefully be back participating more in the upcoming weeks and months.
For now though I am looking for a place to get some 4x5 Velvia processed. My lab in Orlando has closed down so I get to do some mail order stuff now. Actually, I am looking for 2 labs. Going to send half to one and half to the other so in case something goes wrong I don't lose a years worth of images!
Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Drew

Drew, welcome back! I can't help with your question, but it's good to see you back in the NPN forums.

Welcome back, Drew. I Look foward to hearing about your adventures and seeing your photographs.

If it were me, I'd get the film developed in several smaller batches (rather than just two). Even a good lab can end up doing something wrong. Giving one a 1/2 years worth of work is trusting them too much IMHO.

Sounds like an epic experience! Looking forward to seeing some of your work from down under.

Regarding labs, Brent Doerzman - fellow NPNer - works at Qube Visual in Denver, CO and many the folks on the RMNP forum go there for 4x5 processing. Qube has also been a great supporer of the RMNP forum anytime we've needed meeting space.

PhotoCraft in Boulder, CO is where I take my 4x5 since it's right by where I work. They do a lot of mail order work; top notch folks, great service, have never had a problem.

Jim,
Thanks for the welcome!

Anil,
Thanks for the advice. I actually ended up exposing 2 sheets of film for every image because I knew I wasn't going to be developing them for so long. So, I will be sending off a batch first and still have a backup for all of them.

Rick,
Thanks, I will give both labs a call.

Drew

Drew - I have just started using Gamma in Chicago (www.gammaphoto.com) and have been very happy with their work. Their turn around time is excellent - I would suggest them as a possible alternative as well.

CJ

Drew,

I second PhotoCraft Imaging in Boulder. Been sending my 4x5 E6 years - never a problem. Great service, excellent turnaround through the mail. I just got a batch back I put in the mail 7days ago. They're also reasonably priced @ $1.40/sheet (my local lab charges $3.25!)

Also agree about splitting it up. I've also heard things about A&I in Los Angeles and there is always West Coast Imaging.

Hope this helps. I don't know how one could go a year without seeing any results! yikes.

Lon

Thanks Lon,
Sounds like PhotoCraft will be getting my first batch of sheets next week. The reason I didn't process stuff as I went along is the fact that I was living out of a car, constantly on the move, and you think processing is expensive in the US, try Australia. I paid A$10 a roll for 120 there and $3.00ish in Orlando today. I even had one lab quote me A$30 a roll and a week turnaround. Plus, I was rarely in the capital cities where I could have had things processed anyway. But yeah, I am really excited to see what the stuff looks like even though I didn't shoot all that much landscape stuff.

Drew

Drew,

I'll be VERY interested in knowing how your first sheets come out, especially if your going to mail the from FL to CO and here's why: I'm assuming that whatever carrier that brings the film to CO will x-ray the box before putting it on the plane. I've had 40 something sheets of my trip to Utah ruined by airport x-ray, (I was under the impression that the carry on x-ray machine wouldn't hurt the film) and another 40 something sheets from my trip to Yelllowstone and The Grand Tetons ruined the same way, even tho this time I used a lead envelope. Good luck and if you would, let me know how they come out.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike,
I am sorry to hear that. I have always thought that the carryon Xray shouldn't bother film either, at least not if you do it a couple times. I think its a cumulative effect though. I also recall that UPS or FedEx Xray less than USPS. Can anyone verify this?

Thanks,
Drew

Drew, I fly regularly and always carry my 4 X 5 film in my carry on and have never had a problem with fogging. I don't use lead bags but simply put the quickloads in a bag and send through the xray machines. I've carried 250 exposures to the Grand Canyon in 2005 and 300 exposures to Calgary, Alberta in October 2006 and all were fine. I don't have any experience with mail order or shipping film for processing since I use a local lab here in Raleigh.

Thanks Bill, thats what I thought and did.

Drew

Then I believe I have me a serious problem.

The Slideprinter also in Denver. I use them all the time for my 120 process for the last 6years.

Hey Drew,

had a blast down at the Otway's in Victoria and can't wait to see your images from it....

Glad your home safe.