Walmart ruined my pics.

I got back some prints from Walmart the other day and they had red
(developing fluid?) on them and the negs. Is this from dirty equipment
or not changing chemicals? I have put many rolls of C41 through there in
the last year and this is the first time this has happen. It happen
around the end of December, so I suspect it to be from dirty equipment
because of the Christmas rush. I think I need to shoot more E6, I can
get it developed at a pro lab for about $8.00, the C41 cost about $12.00
for developing and printing at the pro lab and it cost about $4.00 at
Walmart. Has anyone here had this happen?




Cody,

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...14;&version=9;

http://community-2.webtv.net/AnOverc...otographyLinks

Cody:

I have had this happen at Walmart. That's why I don't go there.
Their prices are very reasonable, considering high school drop-outs and
illegal aliens will develope your film.

Bob C.

AnOvercomer 02 wrote:
I got back some prints from Walmart the other day and they had red
(developing fluid?) on them and the negs. Is this from dirty
equipment
or not changing chemicals? I have put many rolls of C41 through there
in
the last year and this is the first time this has happen. It happen
around the end of December, so I suspect it to be from dirty
equipment
because of the Christmas rush. I think I need to shoot more E6, I can
get it developed at a pro lab for about $8.00, the C41 cost about
$12.00
for developing and printing at the pro lab and it cost about $4.00 at
Walmart. Has anyone here had this happen?




Cody,


http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...14;&version=9;

http://community-2.webtv.net/AnOverc...otographyLinks

AnOvercomer 02 wrote:

I got back some prints from Walmart the other day and they had red
(developing fluid?) on them and the negs. Is this from dirty equipment
or not changing chemicals? I have put many rolls of C41 through there in
the last year and this is the first time this has happen. It happen
around the end of December, so I suspect it to be from dirty equipment
because of the Christmas rush. I think I need to shoot more E6, I can
get it developed at a pro lab for about $8.00, the C41 cost about $12.00
for developing and printing at the pro lab and it cost about $4.00 at
Walmart. Has anyone here had this happen?


Into every photographers life a ruined roll of film will happen from time to
time. I've had hard to remove spots and scratches and an underpushed roll, but
that's about it to date. I've never developed anything at Wal*Merde. Don't
plan to.

Wal*Merde's operators are not the highest paid nor highly motivated. For that
matter, nor are their supervisors. There is no excuse for things to be fouled
up this way. Longer turnaround time at Christmas, sure, but ruined photos is
not an acceptable excuse. Raise hell.

You can get packaged deals for E-6 film, dev included.

--
-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.

I have some of the worse processing at an expensive private old fashion
camera store and some of the best at Eckerts. But out of 30 rolls last
years, the drugstore ruined one. So I tried Qualex (Kodak) next for a roll.
That roll disappeared for 6 weeks. So I am back at Eckerts.


"AnOvercomer 02" wrote in message
...

I got back some prints from Walmart the other day and they had red
(developing fluid?) on them and the negs. Is this from dirty equipment
or not changing chemicals? I have put many rolls of C41 through there in
the last year and this is the first time this has happen. It happen
around the end of December, so I suspect it to be from dirty equipment
because of the Christmas rush. I think I need to shoot more E6, I can
get it developed at a pro lab for about $8.00, the C41 cost about $12.00
for developing and printing at the pro lab and it cost about $4.00 at
Walmart. Has anyone here had this happen?




Cody,

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...14;&version=9;

http://community-2.webtv.net/AnOverc...otographyLinks

(Alan=A0Browne) wrote:
You can get packaged deals for E-6 film, dev included.
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3 D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

I certainly will consider this option, Thanks.



Cody,

http://community-2.webtv.net/AnOverc...otographyLinks

I routinely develop 35mm prints at Wal-Mart.

However, I do not use their 1-hour service done in-store by the
pimple-faced HS dropouts. I let them send it out to the regional
contractor that also develops/prints for all the local drugstores,
grocery stores, etc. I've been quite happy with this option. They even
read the "special instructions" I wrote on the film envelope about some
shots where I intentionally overexposed the film or pushed the ISO rating.

--
John Reagan

On 2005-01-25 16:44:24 -0500, (AnOvercomer 02) said:


I got back some prints from Walmart the other day and they had red
(developing fluid?) on them and the negs. Is this from dirty equipment
or not changing chemicals? I have put many rolls of C41 through there in
the last year and this is the first time this has happen. It happen
around the end of December, so I suspect it to be from dirty equipment
because of the Christmas rush. I think I need to shoot more E6, I can
get it developed at a pro lab for about $8.00, the C41 cost about $12.00
for developing and printing at the pro lab and it cost about $4.00 at
Walmart. Has anyone here had this happen?




Over the course of 30 years, I have probably had six or seven rolls
ruined.. two were slide film from Kodak back in the 70's... the rolls
were mangled. Seeing as slide film is spliced on a large roll with
others I suspect others were mangled as well. I have had negatives and
slides with chemical spots or rips an tears from nearly every large
scale processor I have ever used. Accidents happen. In your case, if
the stains were on both the prints and negatives, it would have to have
happened during packaging which indicates carelessness rather than a
machine malfuncton. I won't take my film to Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens
or any of the ilk because the negatives usually come back dusty (see
where they hang them while drying a printing... not exactly a dust
controlled environment) and often the print exposure is out of whack
and I have to spend time having them reprinted.

Jim

wrote:
Cody:

I have had this happen at Walmart. That's why I don't go there.
Their prices are very reasonable, considering high school drop-outs
and illegal aliens will develope your film.

Bob C.

Can you verify the illegal alien part?

Alan Browne wrote:
Into every photographers life a ruined roll of film will happen from
time to time. I've had hard to remove spots and scratches and an
underpushed roll, but that's about it to date. I've never developed
anything at Wal*Merde. Don't plan to.

Wal*Merde's operators are not the highest paid nor highly motivated.
For that matter, nor are their supervisors. There is no excuse for
things to be fouled up this way. Longer turnaround time at
Christmas, sure, but ruined photos is not an acceptable excuse.
Raise hell.

Yeah, sounds like a place to stay away from. How does Wal*Mart do on
film developing?

The Dave© wrote:


Yeah, sounds like a place to stay away from. How does Wal*Mart do on
film developing?

See the OP, both the prints and the negatives were covered in the mystery fluid.

It can really happen anywhere, but I would bet the Wal*Merde ratio is higher.

As long as their machines are kept properly cleaned, calibrated and fed with
chems, and the operators know how to properly load the film and set the
developing parameters, then they can hardly miss.

Printing is, of course, another matter.

Cheers,
Alan

--
-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.