Hi all,
First off, let me thank you for your visits to my humble blog. I've now received visitors from half the states in America and over two dozen countries from around the world.
Some of you who consciously follow
my flickr photostream may already be aware that I had sent several rolls of b&w film to the
dr5 lab in Denver, Colorado to test their unique film processing technique. They boast a better tonal range and detail level from their own film tests, as well as a proprietary method that will convert your b&w negative film into b&w chrome slides (positives). So, I've been intrigued for quite some time. And I decided a few months ago to run a few rolls to test it out.
First off, never, ever run tests with any job-critical film. Duh?! One never knows what might happen. This means a new film, new developer, new lab, or new technique, etc. Just a respectful reminder.
Okay, so... dr5 processing supposedly costs $14.75 per roll of 35mm or 120 film. You are required to pay for shipping both directions. They 'claim' to offer
a discount on film tests up to 30% per roll for 4 test rolls. More about that later. Clearly they did not honor this discount for me.
If you don't care to read this entire review, I'll cut to the chase. dr5 labs have failed. I would not ever use them again, for professional work, experimental projects, or personal work. I am both shocked and disappointed by everything I've experienced from them.I was even concerned that I wouldn't ever get my film back, they charged me full price, and it took almost five weeks to get my film returned... Oh yeah, they also insulted my intelligence and attacked my personal integrity in the process. That's it. No way. Period.
My total cost? $11.50 UPS ground to them from a local UPS store (with my dog sick, I can't go to a USPS Post Office for Priority Flat Rate box shipping). $14.75 per roll x 3 rolls (the 4th roll was Fuji Acros which they cannot process in dr5, apparently- read below) = $44.25. Plus return shipping rate via UPS Ground $10.
Total cost for three rolls of film processing = $65.75. Yes folks, that is $22 per roll for processing ONLY (well, $21.92 to be exact). Again, nearly 5 week turn time, and disrespectful, never received even an order number or e-mail confirmation, no tracking number, no apology. Just lots of grief and difficulties for my test.
I am posting my full communications with them (below), go ahead... I implore you to judge for yourself whether my assessment is fair and justified. You have every right to judge for yourself, and to take a risk of trying them for yourself. Your results may be very different. But, I ask, what if you are one who gets similar results to mine? Is that okay if the film comes back looking great? Is it worth over $20 per roll to get this unique processing? ha ha, I've already given my answer and decision. But hey, YMMV.
note: All personal info is removed from communications for personal reasons.
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Sent film Friday 15 Jan 2010 in afternoon from San Francisco, generally 3-day UPS Ground to Denver, CO.
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Film arrived Thursday 21 Jan 2010. No notice of receipt (from dr5 labs), no e-mail, no order number, nothing. I had to check my tracking number (on the UPS website) to learn it had arrived safely.
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me (27 Jan 2010), no response.
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my re-sent message 29 Jan 2010:
hi,
this is my first time ordering the dr5 process from you, i am excited to see how the tests turn out. i don't know what your standard policies are about sending e-mail notifications for shipped orders and/or tracking info. i expect you may have already finished my film processing, or are shortly. i e-mailed (this same message) two days ago asking for this same info and haven't yet had any response.
would you be kind enough to e-mail me the tracking number for my order when it is sent? this will help ensure i can receive the processed film back without problems or delays. you received my shipment of four rolls of b&w negative film for the dr5 process on last thursday, jan 21 2010 via UPS delivery. many thanks in advance for your anticipated attention.
cheers.--------------------
dr5 lab 29 Jan 2010: Yes, we received your 1st note. It has been a little busy this week. Your order is in the current run. Are you in a hurry for this test? If so let me know Otherwise we run based on volume and quality control.
Advise..
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dr5 lab 29 Jan 2010, 2nd message:
PS; I just pulled your order. This order had been flagged for contact.
We have been having a rash of folks not fully reading over the film review and sending in FUJI ACROS anyway for dr5 processing.
ACROS is one of 3 films out of 27 that will not reverse process. It is not on our list of films and we state not to use it for this process, but it gets sent in anyway.I don’t want to have to put up an anti-FUJI page or warning but this might have to happen.
We can process this roll as a negative or send it back.
Advise.
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me 29 Jan 2010 response:hi,
thank you for your recent responses. no, i'm not in any specific hurry, i just sometimes have difficulty receiving deliveries- since my door buzzer doesn't work. so, it can help if i am aware of when shipments are due to arrive. i have visited your website over and over. and i think i've read just about all the content on it. with all due respect, it is a bit confusing to find info. and a few of the film review pages didn't seem to load for me.
but all i saw about acros 100 was that it is in the category of "The following films are not recommended or CANNOT be run through the dr5 process." to me, i cannot determine if this means fuji acros "is not recommended" or it is much more absolute than that and "cannot be run through the dr5 process."
so, since i am testing the dr5 process, and since i love fuji across for 100 speed b&w film stock... i decided i'd try to test it and determine for myself based on the results. my point? no, you needn't get all "anti-fuji" or anything. but maybe i'd suggest a clear definition that fuji acros "cannot be run through the dr5 process".
another thing that is a bit confusing for me, you claim to continue to run all discontinued films- and list rollei R3. yet, i don't see a film review for this one, but i also don't see it on your list of don't recommend/can't run dr5 list. and i don't see lomo's own b&w film listed anywhere. so, there are still films that might not be able to run dr5 that aren't mentioned or aren't listed? i really don't like rollei R3 for standard developing (i use XTOL myself). but i love it for caffenol or what i call chai-lenol (tea as developer). i might be curious to run a rollei R3 through dr5 next.
no, please just return the unprocessed fuji acros 100 roll to me. i'll run it myself in XTOL at my home darkroom.
many thanks. cheers. ----------------------------
me 11 Feb 2010 after no response:
"Your order is in the current run."
you received this film on Jan 21st. (three weeks ago)
you responded (see above) that the film was in the current run on Jan 29th (two weeks ago). i haven't learned of any update since then, when will this order ship back to me? will you send a tracking/shipping number with it? this was my first test with dr5, i wanted to see what your 'normal' processing and turn time were like. and your processing qualities are like.
after three weeks since you received delivery, i'm quite unimpressed that two weeks after i am told you were running my order i still haven't heard another word back nor received my order.
cheers.
----------------------------dr5 lab response 11 Feb 2010:Sir.
We expect respect from our clients, as we give the same.
If you are in a rush for your order then please ask for rush service. Upon your last email I asked you what you would like to do with this ACROS roll, send it back, or run it as a negative.
We have not heard ‘boo’ from you about this roll. Your film is complete except this one roll.
We are very busy these past few weeks with volume and short staffed. Ill only apologize for not calling you.
Thus far I’m not impressed with your ability to read. And you wont be welcome here if you are going to have this attitude. We spend allot of time on a quality service & ‘0’ time on the inconsiderate.
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my response 11 Feb 2010:
"Upon your last email I asked you what you would like to do with this ACROS roll, send it back, or run it as a negative... We have not heard ‘boo’ from you about this roll. Your film is complete except this one roll."
my ability to read? i stated quite clearly, with a BOLD UNDERLINE in my immediate response (jan. 29th, 2010 10:13 AM) after you asked what to do with the fuji acros roll:
no, please just return the unprocessed fuji acros 100 roll to me. i'll run it myself in XTOL at my home darkroom.
I don't know how to make myself any clearer than that.
"If you are in a rush for your order then please ask for rush service."
i stated i was not in a rush, because i wanted to see what your normal turn time was. i already stated this in the previous message. therefore, i said, "no, i am not in a hurry." which is- and was- completely true. i wouldn't expect to send away any job-critical film through a process i haven't used before, to a lab i haven't used before, just common sense IMHO.
"Thus far I’m not impressed with your ability to read. And you wont be welcome here if you are going to have this attitude."
I'm not sure i understand this. first, what attitude? i am only upset that i hadn't had any type of response since two weeks ago. i think i made that clear. i think, it should be just as clear that i may have a reason to be upset, and a reason to wish for a status on my order.
second, "my ability to read..." well, if you had read my previous messages, you may notice i actually described in detail and length why the wording on your website is vague and unclear. and what to do with my fuji acros roll. perhaps you should consider this. instead, it appears you consider me (your customer) inept and unwelcomed for further orders. huh, MY ATTITUDE?
again, i only stated the obvious... that i am unimpressed that i haven't had any type of response after two weeks from the last contact, and a full three weeks after you received shipment of my film. it only begs the question, if i hadn't contacted you earlier today, how long would you have held my film without returning it to me? since, you claim you are only waiting for further instruction, which i clearly gave two weeks ago in my reply... perhaps you need to be able to read better. or, perhaps you are understaffed as you yourself admit. or yes, perhaps you could have called or contacted me. or perhaps your website could have been more clear about not being able to run fuji acros through the dr5 process.
"Thus far I’m not impressed with your ability to read. And you wont be welcome here if you are going to have this attitude."
"We spend allot of time on a quality service & ‘0’ time on the inconsiderate..."
We expect respect from our clients, as we give the same"
sadly, i am shocked by your judgments of me, the inattention to read my replies, the inability to get my film order returned to me. i am also shocked to learn you feel i have an attitude, i don't see where this is projecting from. i suppose all i can do now is wonder if you'll still be kind enough or respectful enough to return my film, both processed and the unprocessed fuji roll. or, you simply will destroy them, or lose them, as some form of retaliation or punishment against me, for whatever you feel i've done to offend you. maybe this is the "zero time on the inconsiderate you so obviously categorize me into."
i am a professional photographer that runs at least 20 rolls of film per month on average. along with developing at home, i use three local labs; i was simply looking into the dr5 process as yet another quality alternative. after all this, what i simply don't understand is what i was supposed to do next, wait for you to contact me? at least i contacted you to find out the status of this order, if i hadn't i can't imagine how long i would have waited to hear from you at dr5.
cheers.----------------------------
film arrived today, 17 Feb 2010.----------------------------
Alright, if you've read all that, you may notice that they were unresponsive to my first message. The first response of theirs said my film was in the current run, yet didn't notice the roll of Fuji Acros (which can't be run in dr5 apparently). Their lack of response after I clearly explained to simply return my Fuji Acros 100 roll unprocessed...
Then their attacks about me being disrespectful, my inability to read, their "0" tolerance (I am assuming they mean "zero"). The claim that I am unwelcomed... And yet, they never responded to my last message. I guess it is much easier to insult than it is to apologize.
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My first initial test scans from one roll of Ilford HP5+ processed in dr5...
The initial results are truly disappointing.I shot this roll at
ISO 800 as per the 'film test' result suggestion from the dr5 website. It was run through my Nikon F100, I even double checked my metering while shooting some other film and some digital shots as well.
I am quite certain that the first response from some will be that I underexposed this film. Possibly even that I don't know how to expose or meter properly. I can only assure you that this is not the case, that I- in fact- followed
exactly what was suggested by the dr5 website.
This film has such high contrast, it retains virtually no gray tones at all. And, clearly, it is underexposed by at least two stops. The scan was run with an EV (evaluative compensation) of +2.88, and still more retrieval was done in ACR (Adobe Camera RAW) as well as setting both black point and white point in Adobe Photoshop with some custom Level adjustments.
This image is the best of the first roll I've scanned. Yes, some of the other frames from the two other rolls might be much better than these, I'll get to posting them soon. However, I can remind you, that I've now scanned over 36 frames (one roll), and this is the best I have so far.
I can only conclude that either: this film was not properly processed accordingly at the ISO 800 that dr5 suggested) or their suggestion for underexposing is incorrect.If you question whether my metering was off or I lack technical ability (which is of course your right to judge on your own merit, I suppose); feel free to view some of the other images I took during this photowalk with some others.
This image, for example, is one from that night. And
another from my Panasonic DMC-LZ10. And
a Kodak Elite Chrome 400 frame shot with my Nikon F100. For further comparsion, please also remember that I am a professional photographer for my livelihood, and feel free to visit my personal work on
my flickr for more examples.
Cheers.
Now, I shot the entire roll with various layer masks and images- in my Nikon F100. Then I stopped the auto-rewind by opening the back door just slightly when the film was rewound to about 4 frames from the start of the roll. Then, in a lightproof bag, I rewound the rest of the film by hand. And then, re-loaded the film, trying to get the positioning exactly the same as the first time. But apparently, the film tension can easily change, and my frames from my 2nd exposures didn't 'align' and were consequently overlapped. Which makes it difficult to find a place to cut the film for scanning- with no apparent breaks between the multitude of overlapping images.
Now, that progression thing I mentioned above... I decided to also test some images with these rectangles on that very same roll, to help me understand how the various images 'interact' and see if I could get them to 'interlace' a bit more on the final double exposures.
After viewing these results, I decided my next step was to push further. Since I was getting an overlap, trying to see if I can get more randomness (?!) and adjoining frames to 'interact. For example, here is one shot of another photographer, at night, silhouetted outside a lighted LED wall and a second shot... From a medium format Mamiya 645 AF-D, shot on b&w Fuji Neopan 400, of a fern frond.
And now the resulting frames as a result. This time shot on Efke 25 b&w film, and developed in my own homemade CaffandHalf developer recipe- which I think is one of my better soups and yields consistent, high-quality results.
Okay. So now... I have a pretty fair idea of how to utilize this process. And want to keep pushing it further. After two rolls, I feel relatively confident I understand the interaction of the images and decide what's next. I ask a fellow flickr photog, Steven Monteau, for his permission to use a few of his images as part of a "virtual film swap". His work inspires me, and he has some amazing images from which I could start.
Then, I shot a piece of graffiti in North Beach, with some wild style lettering and a graf character of Billie Holiday singing. And here's the result on DNP Centuria 100 film:
At this point, I could talk about how a small side project of using a striped mask on my Holga didn't give me any results I was really pleased with.
But it did inspire me to work on incorporating this concept into my layer masks for this double exposure image capture.
Considering how my layer masks and images were interacting, I thought it might be interesting to try a color target. My iT8 slide/transparency color target for my scanner, to be exact.
Some of the first results intrigued me, like this one of local spot, Tommys Joynt:
So, back to that "progression" thing I've brought up. Well, perhaps this recent project of experimenting with layer masks and virtual film swaps is the culmination of many of my previous experiments. I have no doubt that I wasn't capable of getting such images just a few short months ago. From my work on more double exposures, re-loading shot film, homemade developers like Caffenol C, redscale and cross-processing color shifts, diptych and triptych compositions, joiners and photostitching, layer masks, striped masks, film swaps, and virtual film swaps. Without this progression, I doubt these humble images could exist.
I had shot a color target as a previous first exposure and then this. Next, I was out and about and liked the window storefront of the Velvet Da Vinci Art Gallery on Polk Street. So, I shot that windowfront, and next an Alice in Wonderland billboard across the street for the double exposures. From these four exposures combined, here is the final result- as captured on Lomo ASA 100 C-41 color film in my Nikon F100 camera.
Okay all, thanks for all your visits. Sadly, I just don't know who I'm writing for. And don't know why I'm investing the time to do all this when I'd rather be shooting. My hope was to meet more that shared my passion for experimental photography. And blogging isn't giving me as much satisfaction as it had- from my previous blogging endeavors.
