Importance of a Good Lab


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ckiang

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Jan 17, 2002
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www.ckphoto.net
Hi,

I had the opportunity to test out a regular Kodak Express lab which offered me a very, very cheap scanning service. $3(dev) + $5.90(scan) and a turnaround time of just 2 hours. No extra charges. But results were horrible. I would have thought the newer digital labs with their new machines would do a decent job but I am wrong. The lab operator still matters alot, as I always believed. I later had them rescanned at my regular lab, Colour Lab Photo Finishing.

For those who loves to go for cheap labs, hopefully these set of comparions can convince you that a good lab is important. It's really worth it to pay the extra money and go to a good lab.

On the left is Colour Lab, on the right is the regular Kodak Express outlet which I shall not name. Results speak for themselves.

compare1.jpg


compare2.jpg


Regards
CK
 

Originally posted by Kit
I believe the better labs not only produce better results but are also more consistant.

I believe your reply belongs here. :D

Yup, a good lab is also very consistent, and seldom screw up. For this roll, I wanted it fast, so..... :(

Conclusion : fast, cheap and good don't exist.

Regards
CK
 

hi ckiang

just to check with you:
I know it's $13.50 if you scan to CD + process neg

how much does it cost to have neg scanned to CD-R?
[neg not processed at Color Lab]

thanks
:)
 

Originally posted by Juvelyn
hi ckiang

just to check with you:
I know it's $13.50 if you scan to CD + process neg

how much does it cost to have neg scanned to CD-R?
[neg not processed at Color Lab]

thanks
:)

$12.

Hmm.... no one interested in this thread? no one cares about their print/scan quality at all? ;p

Regards
CK
 

Originally posted by ckiang


$12.

Hmm.... no one interested in this thread? no one cares about their print/scan quality at all? ;p

Regards
CK

What do you expect? Its not like talking about D** or D*** or S* you know? BOOOOORING!!!
 

Originally posted by Kit


What do you expect? Its not like talking about D** or D*** or S* you know? BOOOOORING!!!

Yeah, but if you send the great D** and D*** or S* pictures to a bad lab, it's going to be sh**** also wot. ;p

Regards
CK
 

Originally posted by ckiang


Yeah, but if you send the great D** and D*** or S* pictures to a bad lab, it's going to be sh**** also wot. ;p

Regards
CK

No lah..... with a D** and D*** or S*, images sure good one. No need to print out also will know. Sure good one.:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 

Originally posted by ckiang
Hmm.... no one interested in this thread? no one cares about their print/scan quality at all? ;p
Regards
CK
I go to photo-lab just to develop the films.

I scan my own film/slide using dedicated film scanner, and print it using photo printer, then write to CD. All was done at home.
Therefore the involvement of photo-lab is kept at minimum.
 

no one cares about their print/scan quality at all?

I care! I care!

just that before I started scanning prints I asked for your advice, so have been well taken care of ;)

thank you, hor
 

Originally posted by Juvelyn


I care! I care!

just that before I started scanning prints I asked for your advice, so have been well taken care of ;)

thank you, hor

hehhe. I would have thought this thread should generate a lot more replies....

Regards
CK
 

actually between the 2 examples all i see is a blue hue on the cheaper one. the sharpness etc seem about the same. so the question is whether the blue hue is the right one, or the yellower one is the right one.

so it costs $13.50 to develop negatives plus incorporate it all into a CD-R (provided by them?). so that's a little cheaper than developing and printing 37 4Rs at Konata ($16.45).
 

Originally posted by kailord
actually between the 2 examples all i see is a blue hue on the cheaper one. the sharpness etc seem about the same. so the question is whether the blue hue is the right one, or the yellower one is the right one.

so it costs $13.50 to develop negatives plus incorporate it all into a CD-R (provided by them?). so that's a little cheaper than developing and printing 37 4Rs at Konata ($16.45).

If the sharpness not there on the cheap one, then gone case liao. ;p The left one is obviously more correct, it's closer to what I saw when I shot them. The cheaper lab probably ran the machine on autopilot, and as you know, machines are never as smart as humans.... (ok, let's not take the chess machine into account ;p )

Regards
CK
 

Originally posted by ckiang


If the sharpness not there on the cheap one, then gone case liao. ;p The left one is obviously more correct, it's closer to what I saw when I shot them. The cheaper lab probably ran the machine on autopilot, and as you know, machines are never as smart as humans.... (ok, let's not take the chess machine into account ;p )

Regards
CK

I'd gladly send my pics to the left one. Its like, 1/2 the price! Colour cast? Nothing photoshop can't correct. ;p

Btw: Any lab to recommend for developing/printing? Disregard my earlier statement okay. ;p Sometimes it depends on the situation also. I need to send some films for development to evaluate my equipment.
 

Originally posted by Zoomer


I'd gladly send my pics to the left one. Its like, 1/2 the price! Colour cast? Nothing photoshop can't correct. ;p

Btw: Any lab to recommend for developing/printing? Disregard my earlier statement okay. ;p Sometimes it depends on the situation also. I need to send some films for development to evaluate my equipment.

For me, it has to be Colour Lab Photo Finishing as far as scans/prints from negs are concerned. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Slides I either go Colour Lab or RGB.

Never failed me.

Regards
CK
 

Originally posted by ckiang


For me, it has to be Colour Lab Photo Finishing as far as scans/prints from negs are concerned. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Slides I either go Colour Lab or RGB.

Never failed me.

Regards
CK

Thanks.

I compared it again, looks like the left one might not be that bad a deal esp if no time to do correction. $13.50 vs. $8.90. 66%.
 

Originally posted by ckiang


$12.

Hmm.... no one interested in this thread? no one cares about their print/scan quality at all? ;p

Regards
CK

i am interested in this thread but I am not interested in colorlab. ;p . i won't let them scan to CD again.

I am still looking for a better one.


Originally posted by Zoomer


I'd gladly send my pics to the left one. Its like, 1/2 the price! Colour cast? Nothing photoshop can't correct. ;p

Btw: Any lab to recommend for developing/printing? Disregard my earlier statement okay. ;p Sometimes it depends on the situation also. I need to send some films for development to evaluate my equipment.

why do i still have to correct the color tone myself? I tot I already pay them?? wat about 3 rolls and above? I ever have a slide scanner and I sold it away coz there is too much time invlove in correction.
 

Originally posted by Zoomer


Thanks.

I compared it again, looks like the left one might not be that bad a deal esp if no time to do correction. $13.50 vs. $8.90. 66%.

The one on the RIGHT you mean? The cheaper one is on the right. The LEFT ones are so much better. I tried playing around in PS till I gave up.

9lives : Color Lab does neg scans VERY well, but not slides. For good slide scanning, try Photo Friend (Penisula) and FotoHub (Raffles Place). Negative scans at Color Lab were done on a Fuji Frontier digital minilab.

From what I hear from Coolscan IV ED users, minimal correction is required. You should have gotten that instead. :) Colour Correction is typically needed for most images when you scan. Leave machine on auto, and you get something like the images on the RIGHT.

Regards
CK
 

Originally posted by ninelives

why do i still have to correct the color tone myself? I tot I already pay them?? wat about 3 rolls and above? I ever have a slide scanner and I sold it away coz there is too much time invlove in correction.

Why not get a DSLR then? Confirm better one. :D
No film grain, good colour/contrast, colour comes out superb unless your WB setting is off. No need to waste time with labs also. :bsmilie:
 

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