CVS! Colbert force choke - A rant

George Schafer , Oct 26, 2009; 10:53 p.m.

I've never got my photos processed at CVS before, but I am not going back if I can help it.
So I went to CVS with four rolls of Kodak since they were the only Kodak processor in town, and I'm hoping to start building up a portfolio from the negatives I had developed there.
First there wasn't anybody at the photo center. I suspect that they don't even have a full-time photo person manning the machines, because I called the photo center yesterday and nobody picked up the phone. It took less time to search Google for the press release talking about a CVS/Kodak partnership after hopelessly scouring their website than to call their photo center and ask if they used Kodak chemicals!
The person who ended up helping me didn't even know how to open a disposable camera (before you ask, no I'm not using a disposable camera to build up a portfolio).
To top it off, I had to order a set of prints along with the processing the film. I couldn't get a CD instead, I HAD to buy the prints. Prints are useless to me! I've had terrible luck with getting negatives scanned at 1 hour photo centers. But no! So they're gouging me for prints I'm going to throw away anyway! I'd rather pay a little more just to get the film processed.
What is the business model for these places? "Do anything you can to piss off your customers who know anything about photography"? They have machines where I can order prints from a data CD, and print them out instantly, if I wanted them. It must not be that big of a deal since my grandmother knows how to use those machines!
Film is dying a slow, painful death and places like this aren't helping! Save film from these incompetent fools! I would be much happier if they just streamlined and improved the processing and scanning bit.

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Jeff Adler , Oct 26, 2009; 11:25 p.m.

CVS is not the place to take film for consistent and high quality film processing. Their work ranges from excellent (rarely) to dreadful (more common). What's good about CVS? Their house brand film is made by Fuji and when it's on sale it's a good buy. It was just on sale here for $4.99 for a four pack of the 200 film and $5.99 for a four pack of the 400 film. I had a roll of the 400 film processed today (not at CVS) and the results were very good.

Andy L , Oct 26, 2009; 11:27 p.m.

Yeah, the CVS people are hit or miss. There are one or two near me who are good, and one or two I've watched feed film through the scanner from the ground using bare hands. (They certainly do run process-and-CD-only jobs, it's a bit over $5, but nothing I can request gets me scans over 2MP.) I'd say it's much more important to find a good, knowledgeable person working the lab than one that uses Kodak chemistry - the lab I go to when I want to pay a bit more for a good job uses Fuji and they do an equally good job on Kodak or Fuji film (and they handle Ektar and Portra films brilliantly).

Larry Dressler , Oct 27, 2009; 12:16 a.m.

In the light of the World I hate to say this but the girls I use at Wal-Mart do a great job for me as I got to know them and they just got new machines... Also they are not afraid to Xpro film for me.

George Schafer , Oct 27, 2009; 12:21 a.m.

Agreed. Fortunately I wasn't paying for this and I really wasn't counting on these photos being great. They're just a warm up because it's been awhile since I shot color film. Still, in the future I think I'm going to stay away from Kodak because Fuji labs seem to be more common, and I'm willing to bed that means at least one of them has to be competent.

Larry Dressler , Oct 27, 2009; 12:23 a.m.

Well I never bed the girls but that is an idea... :)

George Schafer , Oct 27, 2009; 01:20 a.m.

LOL! To BET, even!

Larry Dressler , Oct 27, 2009; 01:38 a.m.

Les Sarile , Oct 27, 2009; 06:50 a.m.

George that's a good idea to try out a new place with something you weren't counting on.

BTW, if you hae access to a Costco, they process C41 at $1.50 a roll and can make 20MP scans to CD for another couple of buck if done at the time of processing. They recently initiated 20" X 30" prints from an Epson 7880 on glossy paper at $8.99 each too. YMMV with each location though.

Sam Norris , Oct 27, 2009; 10:07 a.m.

I'm currently using CVS for index card only processing. I have a good relationship with the 2 girls in the department, they know me and I have not had a single problem. I don't rush them and if they are not there I come back later.

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CVS! *Colbert force choke* - A rant

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CVS! Colbert force choke - A rant