What Should You Ask Before Choosing an Online Film Developing Service?
In the digital era, processing film rolls may be the biggest challenge for amateur and professional photographers alike. Off late, there has been a revived interest in film photography with youngsters taking a keen interest in operating their forefather’s cameras.
Online services recognize the demand for film developing and have come into existence to serve this purpose primarily. You can send in your film rolls via snail mail, and once developed, the pictures along with negatives are mailed back to you for a fee.
It is worth delegating your film developing activities to an online professional lab. Resorting to such capable services ensures the results achieved remain a priceless treasure for a lifetime. Picking a lab that has the potential to deliver as per your expectations is vital. Getting satisfactory answers to the below-listed questions helps you make this difficult choice:
Will I Be Assigned A Dedicated SPOC?
Having a single dedicated point of contact each time you send across your film roll for developing ensures consistent results. Working with one representative from the lab on every occasion bears much fruit.
Each time round, you will not have to spend time explaining your style and colour preferences. It is critical that the person doing the job comprehends your requirements and is on the same visual page.
Do You Return Negatives?
Make sure at the very outset whether you can expect the corresponding negatives to be returned to you once the film has been developed. Some film developing services do not cater to this provision choosing instead to destroy the negatives and compensate by giving you low-quality scans on a disc.
Do not opt for this arrangement as you will realize with time that having negatives in your possession proves highly beneficial at a later stage. By chance, if you happen to misplace the actual pictures or they lose their appeal in storage, you can use the negatives to develop the images again.
What Types Of Films Do You Develop?
You may have a brand new roll or discover an old one that does not necessarily comply with a standard 35mm film. The online service you approach must have the ability to develop any brand or type of film roll. Also, they must conform to your specifications in terms of size, contrast, and colour.
What All Does The Processing Fee Include?
Given that you are availing these services in exchange for a fee, you must make inquiries about the charges involved. While on the subject, gain clarity on what all is included in the processing fee apart from film processing. Ideally, the online film developing service provider must also scan your negatives and digital files on a CD.
If you need the hard copy prints, the same can be mailed to you along with your original negatives. Besides, the lab can also help upload your digital images to enable download on social networking sites.
By asking valid questions before sending across your film roll, you can rule out disappointments subsequently. Keep communication channels open to establish a fruitful working relationship with the online lab you ultimately select.
