is it the same for all the shop?

[chelsea]

Hi

I just got a film scanner so i decided to stop developing my films to photos. Instead, i only want the shop to develop the films to negative so that i can use my scanner to scan them into digital images.

i understand that the shops will do some modification to the colors and contrast and things like that when they develop the films to photos. What i want to know is whether the modification is being done on the negative? Am i getting the original output from the negative (without any modification)?

And, are all the shops the same when it comes to developing films to negative? Some shops charge $4 for this service while some $3. if the shops did nothing to the negative except to convert it from film to negative, i would just give them to any shop nearby and find one tht charge $3.

 

[ckiang]

Let's get the concept right first. Firstly, there is no such thing as "develop to negative" or "develop to photos". When you send your (negative/print) film to the lab, this happens:

1. The operator load the film into the minilab machine.

2. The machine develops the film. End result: A roll of negatives. Unless you ask the lab to do some funky stuff like cross-processing, you only end up with a roll of neg, nothing else.

3. The negative is loaded into the printer portion of the minilab, where it's printed. Nowadays, what happens is that the machine scans the film into digital files, the operator makes colour adjustments to this, and prints it onto photo paper. The original negative remains as that. Colour correction is not done on the negative.

4. You get your photos + negs.

So you can ask the lab to do a "develop only", in which case you get that roll of negatives back. Do bear in mind that even though it's "develop only", the lab do matter. Some labs uses stale chemicals/expired chemicals which can permanently ruin the negatives.

Regards
CK

 

[Azure]

CK's right. So use FDI labs. They are supposed to enforce the strictest QC.

 

[xmax]

Thanks CK for telling the whole procedure!!

so, film scanner is actually step 3 of the procedure..

Which are the FDI lab? and how to tell if a shop is a FDI lab?

 

[Azure]

Originally posted by xmax
Which are the FDI lab? and how to tell if a shop is a FDI lab?

FDIs are Fuji labs. 20+ of them around Singapore. They all have this FDI logo outside them. http://www.fujifilm.com.sg has the info.

 

[ckiang]

Originally posted by xmax
Thanks CK for telling the whole procedure!!

so, film scanner is actually step 3 of the procedure..

Which are the FDI lab? and how to tell if a shop is a FDI lab?

First, they are Fuji-based, so they will have Fuji logo, and they will have the FDI logo. I believe www.fujifilm.com.sg has a list.

Regards
CK

 

[kex]

kodak also have the same quality monitoring services,there are more than 30+ shops islandwide too,Just look out for any Kodak express store.