need recommendations for b&w film processing labs

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New to B&W, not ready/able to invest in deveoping equipment, yet. Had first roll of film taken for photo class assignment developed in local lab, came back "reticulated" and end of roll was brown, and fuzzy. Refunded my money w/apologies (said water temperature was incorrect??) + new roll of film, but don't want this scenario repeated.

Mail order is fine. San Miguel labs in NM was one suggestion. Any comments on this lab?

Live in NYC area (northern NJ. All lab suggestions appreciated.

-- Michelle Kolenski (mkole10171@aol.com), November 18, 1999

Answers

Bottom line is, buy the stuff and develop it yourself. You should be able to get setup to do B&W film development for under $100, complete.

You don't even need a changing bag to do it. I have loaded reels in an interior bathroom (no windows) with a the lights out in the adjoining room. A closet will also work.

After the film is on the reel and in the tank. Everything else is in the light.

It is the ONLY way to get consistant results.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), November 18, 1999.


Rubish!!!

That is not at all true! I have been using professional labs in the UK for a long time and get very consisitent (far more than I could get myself) results and a VERY high standard. I can ask them to do specific times in specific developers and vary anything I want!!

The cost is a little more, but you do not loose any control or any quality if you use a decent lab!

-- John Travers (j.c.travers@durham.ac.uk), November 22, 1999.


John,

Then you are very lucky. Not many labs will give that service. And many that do, won't after that one person leaves.

Also it is not very hard at all to get consistancy at home.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), November 23, 1999.


try Strictly Black and White labs in New Brunswick NJ. They are a pro-lab that deals in nothing but black and white. The number is 1.7332.249.9042

-- (ZBeeblebrox42@yahoo.com), December 01, 1999.

Try Kelton Labs in NYC. They use Jobo processors and their negs are easily the cleanest, most evenly procesed negs I've ever printed from.

-- Steve Wiley (wiley@mail.accesshub.net), January 25, 2001.


MV LABS in NYC 212-929-3036. www.mvlabs.com

-- jim megargee (jmegargee@nyc.rr.com), January 25, 2001.

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