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[OM] Re: Eez it me or eez it ze lab?

Subject: [OM] Re: Eez it me or eez it ze lab?
From: Philippe Le Zuikomane <zuikomane@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 06:02:09 -0600
>The subject makes you sound Dutch...is that intentional? ;)

I was just trying to counterfeit a French accent. I'm sometimes
confused with a Brit or a New Zealander here in Texas, although I will
sound like a Parisian (I grew up in Enghien, remember Amelie Poulain?)
when using French.  "8^)


>> The lab guy did not look in the least bothered. He behaved as if I
>> had handed in two unexposed rolls. Well, I did not.
>
>Don't buy that guy any christmas presents this year...


I might even ask Amex to reverse charges and ask them for a new,
reduced, bill. Either that or it's an invitation to the rodeo on the
wrong side of that gate.

>
>> The subjects were not uniformly white, the emulsion speed was, I
>
>If they were uniformly white, then your film wouldn't be perfectly
>clear, but probably rather perfectly "grayish", no? If I recall
>correctly T-max isn't a diapositive film... ;)

Enlightening point and I'm blushing!   "8^0 
(Pedalling fast)
I should have mentioned a cave, or the metro after hours. I'm way past
my bedtime, and I'd been reading about the dr5 process so my newbie
mind got it swiched around.


>I would suggest that you went wrong when choosing the lab. They
>sound like they deserve to loose quite a few of their customers.....

It's the feeling I have after having been socked $200 for this stuff.
If even I have doubts, they must suck harder than a Hoover.  "8^(


>
>Also, I'd say that you went wrong in letting somebody else develop
>your BW films. BW film development is Really Easy (tm), not that
>expensive --  and a *lot* of fun. Plus, as you get good at it,
>you'll be able to get much better results than the
>development-drug-stores. Also (although this can be a bonus or a
>drawback), you'll know who screwed up when you get a whole blank
>roll of T-max out of your development tanks.


I totally agree. We are finishing a house in Austin and I may look
into putting together a small darkroom for 35mm B&W. And I might just
try <www.dr5.com>  on the side, it looks so amazing. Just need a
working scanner, but Polaroid told me they wanted $125 just to look at
my SprintScan 4000, and would charge a minimum of $400 for any repair
-- I could buy a new one for the same price!

>
>I'd say that, even without considering your two rolls of T-max, your
>lab is at serious fault. The two rolls of T-max *may* be your fault
>(did you hand them the wrong rolls, for example? if you have more
>T-max in your bag, you may accidentially have grapped unexposed ones
>instead of exposed ones...) -- but they may also be the fault of the
>lab. Considering the faults which can be proven to be lab-induced,
>it sounds like "competance" is in about as short supply as "care" --
>and they may simply have screwed up.

I've checked -- I kept every single roll shot in France and took them
to the lab except for three SeattleWorks leftovers I'll need to mail
in. All rolls were returned to their canisters. I also went over
the days I was out taking pictures and all of my pics from the 7th
arrondissement, the Luxembourg and the Seine are missing. They were on
those rolls. Some from the 5th arrondissement (my old haunt) are MIA
too. I first assumed I had screwed up. Then I checked. I'm now pretty
sure they destroyed those two rolls.

>
>In Paris, where I live, there are exactly two labs I trust for
>developing my color-slides and those very few color-prints I make.
>They're real "labs" and not drug-store-chain-things, and every job
>is a custom job to them. Still, I do not trust either of them with
>more than half of any outing's short -- to err *is* human, after
>all, so spreading the risk seems like a good thing to do.

I have to know which ones! I have an old buddy in Paris who used to be
a Zuikoholic and may get back into it. Plus, I'd use the labs when in
town.


>
>There is, however, a solution to your problem: grab the next flight
>out and come visit Paris again -- it's starting to get beautiful,
>weather-wise (we've got bright sunshine today) and a lot less cold.
>And I'll show you to a trustworthy lab, where you can get half of
>your films processed ;)
> 
>--thomas

Thomas, you lucky man. I'm an old Latin Quarter rat and I can't get it
out of me, however uncomfortable the crowding and overexicement make
me in the first few days. While we're at it, have you seen
the photo exhibit at Le Berthoud rue Vallette near the Pantheon? Or
the one at Le Zeller near Place du Chatelet? How are you dealing with
the new 'Droit a l'image' insanity?

Best,

Phil
===

(The fledgling Zuikomaniac formerly known as Humbert Humbert)
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