Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/03/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]animal wrote: >i,ve read on this list and it,s archives many times that one should do her >own processing for optimal results. >I,m using a large pro lab which develops black and white in 2 >hours(film,scala takes a bit longer) but am not really satisfied with the >results. >I assume that it is just my exposure that is not consistent or consistently >off. > If you feel that you are careful with your technique, there is likely something in the lab's choice of process that may not be fully compatible with your style and expectations. > >Consequently i am a bit afraid to add another variable namely bad processing >by myself. > See if you can find out what they are using for developers and whether it's done by hand or machine, etc. Sometimes, just the agitation method with specific chemistry can change the look of the results by quite a bit. This can become more complicated than you may wish to involve yourself if you're accustomed to labs doing things for you, but if you could relate the specifics of what you can find out of the lab's process and the materials you use, there are many in here who can send you off in a more proper direction. Do you do your own printing and if so, what type of head? Personally, the few times I've had my b&w film done by a lab have been very disappointing. The mid-tones tend to take care of themselves and you'll struggle to convey the shadow detail or not block highlights. This difference can come from rather subtle tuning to processing and I believe a lab in the middle of it all just adds more variables than your own darkroom. - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html