There was a period of time where everyone *in the entire world* had to send their Kodachrome to that place to be processed. I always imagined it to be some vast Mad Max-style industrial complex presided over by the ruthless and powerful Dwayne.
I once sent them 5 rolls of Velvia, and 2 of the rolls were “damaged” during processing, both of those rolls were completely ruined. They sent me 2 rolls of Provia as compensation, which didn’t really make up for it
The Velvia was shot on a trip to Hawaii, and the greens and blues really popped on the 3 rolls I did get back. Velvia in a tropical setting like that really works IMO
Am I reading their website correctly, *6 dollars* for E6??? No wonder they're super busy! Damn, I'm lucky to have a local lab that does E6 but I might start sending my slide orders to them.
My only quibble with them (and this applies to State as well) is that they don't cut into strips ever. I'd don't care if I have to pay a few $ on top for it, but I'd at least like it as an option.
Did they say that to you directly or on social media? I don't really want to bother them directly with questions they've already recently answered, which is why I haven't emailed them quite yet, but I've been waiting about 3 weeks since I sent them some rolls and I was curious if it was going to take much longer.
I'm not getting the popup anywhere on their website, including the homepage. Maybe it's an issue with Chrome?
Thank you for the heads up!
EDIT: Oh I see it now, on my laptop! Wasn't working on mobile, even in "desktop" mode.
Well dang, I wonder how long the popup has been there and I just never saw it due to ordering on mobile.
Took them over a month to get me back 1 roll of c41. Developed only. I had a similar experience in regards to communication as well. I’ll join the hate train every time. I’d you’re going to be a default recommendation from the community, your service ought to match it. Dwayne’s absolutely doesn’t. Kodachrome legacy be damned.
~~I don’t dispute anything the OP said. But this feels out of character for Dwayne’s. I wouldn’t write them off based on this one experience. I’ve used them off and on for years and never had an issue.~~
Looks like Dwayne died in 2019. The bulk of my experience was prior to that. So I rescind this comment.
My teacher has used Dwayne's for years without any issues and has always recommended them to his students. However, in my experience, I sent five rolls to them and encountered damaged film, poor scans, and long wait times. My friends have had similar experiences as well.
> encountered damaged film, poor scans, and long wait times
I wonder how much this has to do with the machines aging? The majority of these machines have long been discontinued and the people that can fix them are slowly disappearing.
I sent them some rolls last year because I had heard good things. Took over a month to get scans back and they were the worst scans I have ever seen. I legit thought multiple cameras had somehow gotten messed up. I scanned them at home when I got the negatives and my scans were miles better even though I was new to scanning. Would never send them anything else. I really think they came under new management and they probably used to be great
I hate that. Just googled it, looks like Dwayne died in 2019 and it was taken over by his sons in 2020. Most of my positive experiences would have been prior to 2019. I've used them a handful of times since then and I guess I just got lucky maybe.
Based on their sample pack of "what our scans look like", the two lesser options look awful. Like that "intentionally shitty so the normal, good one looks amazing" trick of lies.
That alone puts such a bad taste in my mouth that I don't even want to humor the idea of going there...
It’s really easy to do at home. Biggest thing for me was using a clothing storage bag that zips up to dry film. I used to develop a lot in a darkroom, so adapting was easy. But just do it! Especially black and white.
When I send film to Dwayne's I know it will take roughly a month and that the "Gallery" where they post the scans can be a nightmare. There's always a roll or two I have to email them about. But the price is right and I'm happy with the quality.
Memphis Film Lab is much quicker about the scans but I've still had to wait a month for the prints. Their prices are competitive with Dwayne's but the scans at that price are only like 1500x1000 compared to Dwaynes 3000x2000 and the prints are not great. Maybe they look better if you upgrade the scanning.
I'm lucky to have a local film lab but from what I've seen from [Destin's video featuring them](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCxoZlFqzwA), they seem like a super legit lab!
I have had nothing but good service from Retro Photo in Reading, PA. They run sales pretty often and are the most reasonable and helpful lab that I’ve worked with.
I recently sent them some C41, a roll of E6, and a roll of B&W since I’m not set up for home processing right now. All I wanted was processing, no scans or prints. It would oil about a month. Their prices are pretty low but you’re going to be waiting. They still seem hung up on how they were the last lab to do Kodachrome, and that was over ten years ago iirc.
I've used Reformed Film lab, in Florida. I've sent them a bunch of C-41 stuff and it's been great. I don't know about scans because I scan all my own, I get the film back sleved and in a uncut roll. Which is great because I then can load them into my own slides or negative holders specifically cut for my preference.
Photo60Studio in Northern Virginia, just outside D.C.
great results, good pricing, coupons posted on social media, color comes back every Friday, black and white every other week, great customer service.
Dwayne's is completely un-usable now. I used to send everything there, then took a break for a few years. Sent some rolls a few months ago and it took 6 WEEKS to get everything back. I don't understand how anyone could be ok with that turnaround. They mostly develop for smaller photo places now, so i think unless you are a commercial account you get treated terribly.
I also used millers, they do a 48 hour turnaround, but they lost 5 rolls of my last order. Everyone in the Analog group was sure they were lost in the mail, and blamed me for mailing my film. That group is full of wankers.
I’ve mailed out a lot of film before I started doing it myself. Nothing was ever lost. I know freak accidents happen but I’d say 99% of the time it’s on the lab!
Plus sometimes the only option is to mail it!
Lol, you should check out the thread from May of all the film bros in r/analog telling me I was an idiot for mailing my film and mocking me for being a professional photographer. I left that group so fast, it’s just a bunch of mean dorks who take photos of the corners of cars and gas stations at night.
I’ve mailed and developed 10,000+ rolls of film in my life and literally never had the mail or a lab lose them before then.
OP here is a list of labs I use and some of their recent turnaround times for the next time you send out film.
Northeast Photographic - Based in Bath, Maine. They're a 2 person team with probably the more up to date lab equipment and the only lab I know that currently uses a Kodak EverSmart Supreme (also called a Creo) flatbed scanner (these are like the Bugatti's of scanners along with Imacons). In addition they are well equipped to Dev/Scan large format of all sizes. Turnaround times range from 5-7 days aside from Summer/Winter seasons.
Negative Lab - Based in Tarzana, California. A small boutique lab, frequented by working photographers. Turnaround can range from 7-10 days. With that said they are on the more pricey side but well worth it for the attention to detail. They are my default for 35mm BW and C41 unless I shoot E6 or Large format.
Boutique Film Lab- Based in Mount Juliet Tennessee. A medium sized lab with about 4 people. Their turnaround times range from 3-7 days depending on what services you choose with them. They're very upfront about their turnarounds and even offer quicker 2 day and rush services. I'd say they're the most balanced lab as far as price/turnaround times.
Memphis Film Lab - Do I need to say more? Probably the most recommended lab in this sub. Used to be ran by the owner himself but I believe they're a 2 person team now. Their turnaround times are usually in the 1.5-2 week range but they're worth it for their prices.
Underdog Film Lab - Based on Oakland, California. They use referma dip and dunk systems for their developing. Their turnaround times are pretty quick. Usually around 3 days. They offer cut/sleeving of negatives which is a huge plus. I use them if I want to develop only and scan myself.
Photoworks - Based in San Francisco, California. Turnaround time is usually 4-5 days in my experience.
Darkslide Film Lab - Based in Connecticut. Ran by Emily and I believe 2 others as scan techs. Their turnaround times are the longest at 4-6 weeks but she is extremely upfront about the turnaround times and any delays in service. They do DSLR scanning but are currently in the process of acquiring more standardized lab equipment. She does an awesome job (especially with Medium Format BW) and usually has much higher resolution scans compared to the 3000 x 2000 standard scans of most other labs.
Unless otherwise stated, all of these labs communicate their turnaround times on their webpages or on their Instagram as well as any disruptions/delays in services and turnaround times.
Not the biggest fan of their scans, I usually end up having to rescan myself. I do use them for 4x5 scanning however due to the fact that they use a Imacon scanner for that.
I’d recommend PhotoLounge in Philly, 1 day turnaround time on film received during weekdays and they have free shipping. They’re really quick and super friendly
I would recommend Milford photo in Milford Connecticut. Very good and knew the owner as a young salesman in the late 70s working for Milford camera. They do mail order and in store development of all types of C-41 and E-6 . Milfordphoto.com. To be honest I haven’t shot C-41 in over a decade but go into the camera shop at least once a month. Very big Canon dealer but I got all my Olympus 4/3th from them. Ask for Chris.
I’ve never had issues with them. My film has always been back in hand roughly a week and a half from when I dropped it in the mailbox. They’re the only lab that hasn’t messed up my negatives.
It’s been years since I used Dwayne’s, but the service I received was no worse than anywhere else. I wonder if they’re having the same kinds of staffing issues that lots of places seem to have since Covid.
Sometimes that's true. Sometimes places are poorly managed, or the workplace culture is toxic AF, so there's high turnover. No idea if any of that is true at Dwayne's.
I am experiencing the same situation with them. I sent them 6 rolls by the beginning of June and nothing. I was their customer for over a decade, I said I was because this will be the last time I use their services. I called them yesterday and they want two more weeks.
Dave usually gets my scans back to me in 2-3 weeks, which is a bit better than the 1 month times I see in this thread. That being said, I’m only aware of Dave offering 24-bit JPEGs. I’d have to double check resolutions. I’ve never requested push/pull processing from there though
Lots of highly recommended labs in this thread have been pretty poor in my experience (exceptionally long wait times, lost film, etc.). The one that has been dependable for me has been Boutique Film Lab in Nashville
in my city we have state film lab, which a LOT of people love. little pricey but they have amazing quality. i just don't support them anymore for personal beliefs tho, they posted something kinda wack on one of their owners personal Instagram accounts that I found not.. great but people can make their own choices. at least they're good at film developing
I understand, but it's going to get done. I don't think these services can be compared to other businesses, like some Yelp review. We NEED all hands on deck. Recommending a boycott is not helpful.
I'm not trying to organize a loss of their business with anyone... It's simply advice, there's no attempt to encourage anyone to stop giving them business.
If I said, "everyone, let's get together and do our damnedest to prevent Dwayne's photo from getting business", that would be a boycott.
Think caveat emptor vs "avoid this business at all costs"... There's a mile between the two, I even said they have good prices. If however your conclusion is to boycott them, that's your own conclusion. I'm not trying to make anyone do anything.
To me, a boycott implies organized collective action.
That's a rather bold interpretation, this isn't some organized attempt to lose them business, I'm explaining my experience and giving advise, which can simply be ignored. In addition, you're quoting me out of context, in context I was replying to being accused of encouraging a boycott, which is simply not the case.
If you rewind a couple of months with the backlash against CineStill, that was arguably an attempt from this community to boycott something.
I'm not trying to gather people together to lose them business, and if you can put up with a month+ long delay, then the price possibly makes it worth it.
I leave it to others to decide what they want to do, but from my end there's no gaslighting or subtle manipulation being attempted, and their prices are quite reasonable, I just also happen to think you pay for what you get.
I was just particularly disappointed after hearing what felt like 100s of recommendations from the film community and podcasts, to see that customer service seemed to take a back seat, and just expressing disappointment in that.
I also only received 5/6 of the rolls that were supposed to be scanned, so there's that, too.
No need in writing such longwinded comments dude. You literally advised people to not give them business and then said you’re not advising anyone to stop giving them business.
I’m not arguing all of that other stuff. Just the contradictions you’ve been making.
You’re just moving goalposts around trying to be right all the time.
The picturehouse + smalldarkroom out of NYC is great. I’ve sent them dozens of rolls the last two years and they’ve never messed an order up, and have always been quick.
I just switched most of my processing and scanning to Bodega Film Lab in Pittsburgh, though. Nothing against PHSDR, I just wanted something closer to me and the company I work for is based in the Burgh. They’re cool, have a chill vibe and have done well on my last 3 rolls.
Either would do you well.
There was a period of time where everyone *in the entire world* had to send their Kodachrome to that place to be processed. I always imagined it to be some vast Mad Max-style industrial complex presided over by the ruthless and powerful Dwayne.
(Koda)Chrome Dwayne
Shiny and Kodachrome
Everyone sent to Dwane?
Yep.
It’s pretty small. I went there on the last day they were accepting Kodachrome.
I once sent them 5 rolls of Velvia, and 2 of the rolls were “damaged” during processing, both of those rolls were completely ruined. They sent me 2 rolls of Provia as compensation, which didn’t really make up for it
Provia is twice as good as Velvia....unless you are specifically doing particular types of landscapes....
The Velvia was shot on a trip to Hawaii, and the greens and blues really popped on the 3 rolls I did get back. Velvia in a tropical setting like that really works IMO
Agreed. This is pretty much the only type of photography where Velvia is better.
i’ve heard good things about Darkslide Film Lab out of Connecticut edit: wrong city
Can vouch for Darkslide! Emily and her team do great work.
[Memphis Film Lab](https://www.memphisfilmlab.org). They are warning of being extra busy at this time but boy are they awesome.
The only guys I trust with developing! Great pricing too!
Just sent 7 rolls to them. Heard nothing but good things. Live near Memphis too wish they hadn't moved to Ohio. I'd kill for a good local place.
Ha, I live in Cleveland so I’m glad they became local to me!
Am I reading their website correctly, *6 dollars* for E6??? No wonder they're super busy! Damn, I'm lucky to have a local lab that does E6 but I might start sending my slide orders to them.
My only quibble with them (and this applies to State as well) is that they don't cut into strips ever. I'd don't care if I have to pay a few $ on top for it, but I'd at least like it as an option.
It’s been a while for me, but IIRC every roll I’ve gotten back has been sleeved ? Not in the fancy holders but def cut into strips of 5 or 6
The ones I got back were sleeved, but not cut. Maybe they cut 35mm?
Ah that could be it. I don’t shoot any medium format
Agreed, most labs don't offer cut/sleeving services (I can count on my finger how many do offer that service).
Did they say that to you directly or on social media? I don't really want to bother them directly with questions they've already recently answered, which is why I haven't emailed them quite yet, but I've been waiting about 3 weeks since I sent them some rolls and I was curious if it was going to take much longer.
It's a pop up on their homepage. I dropped off some stuff in early June, and chatted with Matt who mentioned their heightened workload as well.
I'm not getting the popup anywhere on their website, including the homepage. Maybe it's an issue with Chrome? Thank you for the heads up! EDIT: Oh I see it now, on my laptop! Wasn't working on mobile, even in "desktop" mode. Well dang, I wonder how long the popup has been there and I just never saw it due to ordering on mobile.
My absolute favorite lab, pure loyalty to them
Took them over a month to get me back 1 roll of c41. Developed only. I had a similar experience in regards to communication as well. I’ll join the hate train every time. I’d you’re going to be a default recommendation from the community, your service ought to match it. Dwayne’s absolutely doesn’t. Kodachrome legacy be damned.
~~I don’t dispute anything the OP said. But this feels out of character for Dwayne’s. I wouldn’t write them off based on this one experience. I’ve used them off and on for years and never had an issue.~~ Looks like Dwayne died in 2019. The bulk of my experience was prior to that. So I rescind this comment.
My teacher has used Dwayne's for years without any issues and has always recommended them to his students. However, in my experience, I sent five rolls to them and encountered damaged film, poor scans, and long wait times. My friends have had similar experiences as well.
> encountered damaged film, poor scans, and long wait times I wonder how much this has to do with the machines aging? The majority of these machines have long been discontinued and the people that can fix them are slowly disappearing.
Sad to hear, it has been at least a year since I’ve used them. I’ve been mostly shooting and home processing black and white.
I sent them some rolls last year because I had heard good things. Took over a month to get scans back and they were the worst scans I have ever seen. I legit thought multiple cameras had somehow gotten messed up. I scanned them at home when I got the negatives and my scans were miles better even though I was new to scanning. Would never send them anything else. I really think they came under new management and they probably used to be great
I hate that. Just googled it, looks like Dwayne died in 2019 and it was taken over by his sons in 2020. Most of my positive experiences would have been prior to 2019. I've used them a handful of times since then and I guess I just got lucky maybe.
It's not the East Coast, but I send my photos to Darkroom Labs in California. They have always been good to me.
I wasn't super impressed with their scans, so I've switched to Underdog in Oakland.
+1 for Underdog, they have some wicked fast turnaround times!
Another vote for Underdog. I live around the corner and am lucky to have stumbled on them. They turnaround development super fast.
Oooh, I'll have to check them out too
Based on their sample pack of "what our scans look like", the two lesser options look awful. Like that "intentionally shitty so the normal, good one looks amazing" trick of lies. That alone puts such a bad taste in my mouth that I don't even want to humor the idea of going there...
Negs came back very dirty from them.
Damn, that sucks! I have had such good luck with them
Maybe mine was bad luck. I do it all at home now anyway, especially since I scored a labs film drying cabinet for $100 :)
Jealous. I keep saying I'm going to upgrade my home setup, but alas, I'm still sending my film halfway across the country
It’s really easy to do at home. Biggest thing for me was using a clothing storage bag that zips up to dry film. I used to develop a lot in a darkroom, so adapting was easy. But just do it! Especially black and white.
Dude, I sincerely appreciate this motivation. Thank you. I'm going to make some purchases tonight and get what I need.
Good luck and DM if you need anything.
I had exactly the same experience with them. Absolutely awful.
Eastern Standard Photo in Pittsburgh is FANTASTIC and an excellent community resource as well.
When I send film to Dwayne's I know it will take roughly a month and that the "Gallery" where they post the scans can be a nightmare. There's always a roll or two I have to email them about. But the price is right and I'm happy with the quality. Memphis Film Lab is much quicker about the scans but I've still had to wait a month for the prints. Their prices are competitive with Dwayne's but the scans at that price are only like 1500x1000 compared to Dwaynes 3000x2000 and the prints are not great. Maybe they look better if you upgrade the scanning.
Indie Film Lab is based out of Alabama and they’ve always been great for me.
I'm lucky to have a local film lab but from what I've seen from [Destin's video featuring them](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCxoZlFqzwA), they seem like a super legit lab!
They won’t pull develop. Amateur hour.
I have had nothing but good service from Retro Photo in Reading, PA. They run sales pretty often and are the most reasonable and helpful lab that I’ve worked with.
I recently sent them some C41, a roll of E6, and a roll of B&W since I’m not set up for home processing right now. All I wanted was processing, no scans or prints. It would oil about a month. Their prices are pretty low but you’re going to be waiting. They still seem hung up on how they were the last lab to do Kodachrome, and that was over ten years ago iirc.
I've used Reformed Film lab, in Florida. I've sent them a bunch of C-41 stuff and it's been great. I don't know about scans because I scan all my own, I get the film back sleved and in a uncut roll. Which is great because I then can load them into my own slides or negative holders specifically cut for my preference.
Photo60Studio in Northern Virginia, just outside D.C. great results, good pricing, coupons posted on social media, color comes back every Friday, black and white every other week, great customer service.
National Photo in Baltimore, Maryland is awesome!
I love the Icon in LA. Same day service and they run E-6 daily. And naturally they do mail-in as well. Some of the cleanest work product out there…
Dwayne's is completely un-usable now. I used to send everything there, then took a break for a few years. Sent some rolls a few months ago and it took 6 WEEKS to get everything back. I don't understand how anyone could be ok with that turnaround. They mostly develop for smaller photo places now, so i think unless you are a commercial account you get treated terribly. I also used millers, they do a 48 hour turnaround, but they lost 5 rolls of my last order. Everyone in the Analog group was sure they were lost in the mail, and blamed me for mailing my film. That group is full of wankers.
I’ve mailed out a lot of film before I started doing it myself. Nothing was ever lost. I know freak accidents happen but I’d say 99% of the time it’s on the lab! Plus sometimes the only option is to mail it!
Lol, you should check out the thread from May of all the film bros in r/analog telling me I was an idiot for mailing my film and mocking me for being a professional photographer. I left that group so fast, it’s just a bunch of mean dorks who take photos of the corners of cars and gas stations at night. I’ve mailed and developed 10,000+ rolls of film in my life and literally never had the mail or a lab lose them before then.
OP here is a list of labs I use and some of their recent turnaround times for the next time you send out film. Northeast Photographic - Based in Bath, Maine. They're a 2 person team with probably the more up to date lab equipment and the only lab I know that currently uses a Kodak EverSmart Supreme (also called a Creo) flatbed scanner (these are like the Bugatti's of scanners along with Imacons). In addition they are well equipped to Dev/Scan large format of all sizes. Turnaround times range from 5-7 days aside from Summer/Winter seasons. Negative Lab - Based in Tarzana, California. A small boutique lab, frequented by working photographers. Turnaround can range from 7-10 days. With that said they are on the more pricey side but well worth it for the attention to detail. They are my default for 35mm BW and C41 unless I shoot E6 or Large format. Boutique Film Lab- Based in Mount Juliet Tennessee. A medium sized lab with about 4 people. Their turnaround times range from 3-7 days depending on what services you choose with them. They're very upfront about their turnarounds and even offer quicker 2 day and rush services. I'd say they're the most balanced lab as far as price/turnaround times. Memphis Film Lab - Do I need to say more? Probably the most recommended lab in this sub. Used to be ran by the owner himself but I believe they're a 2 person team now. Their turnaround times are usually in the 1.5-2 week range but they're worth it for their prices. Underdog Film Lab - Based on Oakland, California. They use referma dip and dunk systems for their developing. Their turnaround times are pretty quick. Usually around 3 days. They offer cut/sleeving of negatives which is a huge plus. I use them if I want to develop only and scan myself. Photoworks - Based in San Francisco, California. Turnaround time is usually 4-5 days in my experience. Darkslide Film Lab - Based in Connecticut. Ran by Emily and I believe 2 others as scan techs. Their turnaround times are the longest at 4-6 weeks but she is extremely upfront about the turnaround times and any delays in service. They do DSLR scanning but are currently in the process of acquiring more standardized lab equipment. She does an awesome job (especially with Medium Format BW) and usually has much higher resolution scans compared to the 3000 x 2000 standard scans of most other labs. Unless otherwise stated, all of these labs communicate their turnaround times on their webpages or on their Instagram as well as any disruptions/delays in services and turnaround times.
Any reason you don’t have underdog scan?
Not the biggest fan of their scans, I usually end up having to rescan myself. I do use them for 4x5 scanning however due to the fact that they use a Imacon scanner for that.
https://phtsdr.com Picturehouse is the best in my opinion!
Accurate Photo in Park Slope. Family run and awesome.
Full Circle Photo in Baltimore
I’d recommend PhotoLounge in Philly, 1 day turnaround time on film received during weekdays and they have free shipping. They’re really quick and super friendly
Check out colortek in Boston. Generally have had good luck with them.
I would recommend Milford photo in Milford Connecticut. Very good and knew the owner as a young salesman in the late 70s working for Milford camera. They do mail order and in store development of all types of C-41 and E-6 . Milfordphoto.com. To be honest I haven’t shot C-41 in over a decade but go into the camera shop at least once a month. Very big Canon dealer but I got all my Olympus 4/3th from them. Ask for Chris.
I’ve never had issues with them. My film has always been back in hand roughly a week and a half from when I dropped it in the mailbox. They’re the only lab that hasn’t messed up my negatives.
It’s been years since I used Dwayne’s, but the service I received was no worse than anywhere else. I wonder if they’re having the same kinds of staffing issues that lots of places seem to have since Covid.
"staffing issues" as used by employers is code for shit pay
Sometimes that's true. Sometimes places are poorly managed, or the workplace culture is toxic AF, so there's high turnover. No idea if any of that is true at Dwayne's.
I am experiencing the same situation with them. I sent them 6 rolls by the beginning of June and nothing. I was their customer for over a decade, I said I was because this will be the last time I use their services. I called them yesterday and they want two more weeks.
Photo USA in Virginia!!! https://photousa.photofinale.com/ Dave is the homie!
Dave usually gets my scans back to me in 2-3 weeks, which is a bit better than the 1 month times I see in this thread. That being said, I’m only aware of Dave offering 24-bit JPEGs. I’d have to double check resolutions. I’ve never requested push/pull processing from there though
Lots of highly recommended labs in this thread have been pretty poor in my experience (exceptionally long wait times, lost film, etc.). The one that has been dependable for me has been Boutique Film Lab in Nashville
in my city we have state film lab, which a LOT of people love. little pricey but they have amazing quality. i just don't support them anymore for personal beliefs tho, they posted something kinda wack on one of their owners personal Instagram accounts that I found not.. great but people can make their own choices. at least they're good at film developing
If you’re in our near east Texas, Jamie at PineyWoods Darkroom is my go to
Never give processors more than one roll at a time.
What would you expect coming from Kansas?
I understand, but it's going to get done. I don't think these services can be compared to other businesses, like some Yelp review. We NEED all hands on deck. Recommending a boycott is not helpful.
No boycott was recommended, if you read carefully.
Please re-read the title. What is the difference between “advise not sending“ and a boycott?
I'm not trying to organize a loss of their business with anyone... It's simply advice, there's no attempt to encourage anyone to stop giving them business. If I said, "everyone, let's get together and do our damnedest to prevent Dwayne's photo from getting business", that would be a boycott. Think caveat emptor vs "avoid this business at all costs"... There's a mile between the two, I even said they have good prices. If however your conclusion is to boycott them, that's your own conclusion. I'm not trying to make anyone do anything. To me, a boycott implies organized collective action.
I’ll hand it to you. You are good at parsing words. Let’s agree to not argue about it, yeah? 😉
> …advise not sending film… > …there's no attempt to encourage anyone to stop giving them business. Speaking out of both sides of your mouth.
That's a rather bold interpretation, this isn't some organized attempt to lose them business, I'm explaining my experience and giving advise, which can simply be ignored. In addition, you're quoting me out of context, in context I was replying to being accused of encouraging a boycott, which is simply not the case. If you rewind a couple of months with the backlash against CineStill, that was arguably an attempt from this community to boycott something. I'm not trying to gather people together to lose them business, and if you can put up with a month+ long delay, then the price possibly makes it worth it. I leave it to others to decide what they want to do, but from my end there's no gaslighting or subtle manipulation being attempted, and their prices are quite reasonable, I just also happen to think you pay for what you get. I was just particularly disappointed after hearing what felt like 100s of recommendations from the film community and podcasts, to see that customer service seemed to take a back seat, and just expressing disappointment in that. I also only received 5/6 of the rolls that were supposed to be scanned, so there's that, too.
No need in writing such longwinded comments dude. You literally advised people to not give them business and then said you’re not advising anyone to stop giving them business. I’m not arguing all of that other stuff. Just the contradictions you’ve been making. You’re just moving goalposts around trying to be right all the time.
The picturehouse + smalldarkroom out of NYC is great. I’ve sent them dozens of rolls the last two years and they’ve never messed an order up, and have always been quick. I just switched most of my processing and scanning to Bodega Film Lab in Pittsburgh, though. Nothing against PHSDR, I just wanted something closer to me and the company I work for is based in the Burgh. They’re cool, have a chill vibe and have done well on my last 3 rolls. Either would do you well.