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Just as a follow-up to the thread on PRO2COL and its troubles. I have just received my processed transparencies from BPD - Charles mentioned them in that thread. There are real issues concerning quality. I spoke with Joanna a day or two ago and she pointed out that BPD have been using a third party(ies) to do their E6. The trannies I recieved today lead me to believe that this really is the case. In the past I have recieved processed film from BPD in good quality sleeves and minimal dust issues. The films I've just got back are supplied in real "cheapo" sleeves (especially the 120 roll film). There are water marks, dust, hairs and fingerprints over the films, again the worst cases being on the 120 roll film. I wondered if anyone had experienced similar "quality" issues? I've got another 20 rolls of 120 for processing (thankfully) the rolls I sent to BPD were "test rolls" as I found a light leak in a film back and wasn't sure if any/all 120 film would be affected - but wondered if anyone could recommend any other mail order E6 processing labs? Thanks Paul

Have you tried http://www.the-darkroom.co.uk/index2.html

I use them for any colour (except C41 in 4x5 which they no longer do).

In the present climate of E6 processing malaise, it is my duty to convince everyone here to support my local processor. I use NPS in Middlesbrough. A lot of local pros go there (Cornish, Gosling, Tarn, Denton) and there would be hell to pay if they slipped up. I do occasionally get a little blemish in the top (fixer?) layer, but they are always more than happy to wash the tranny and deliver a perfect job. They can also do pulling and pushing in 1/4 stop increments for the really fussy people. They're on the ball and very friendly.
Charles

Paul, I think that there are quite a lot of good places still developing E6 in this country. FWIW I have had consistently good service from Peak Imaging, http://www.peak-imaging.com.

Thanks for the replies and offers of alternative labs. Charles, interesting that your local lab is used by Mr Cornish as BPD still publicise the fact that he is still a client of theirs.

BPD are printers. And that's it. For anything else, they farm out. I believed that they used Pro2Col for their E6 processing for instance. Cornish, Tarn and Denton (among many others) all use BPD to make nice prints at very reasonable (sustainable?) prices. I like the prints they do for me. They sometimes need a guiding hand to go from the tranny to the print because there is so much flexibility. If one just dumps a tricky tranny on them without instructions, anything could come back. They're totally professional and will email you proofs if you go the scan and print route as opposed to the enlarger route. I have found that the most expedient way of getting prints and ensures the results are just as you want them. I don't know if they do their own scanning.
Charles

I used to use peak myself, and their processing was always absolutely top-notch. My problem is, however the Royal Mail. Even though I always send Special Delivery I'm never happy that my trannies are entrusted to them, so much mail has gone missing for me in the past. Pro2col charged me a fiver to collect and drop-off my trannies in their own van, and I was always far happier with this.

I've been in contact with a lab called MPS in Liverpool, does anyone have any experience of their procesing?

I agree about Peak; I've used them for some years and never had a failure. I have also used The Darkroom in Cheltenham - good service too.

Royal Mail is another matter; they delivered 15 of my rolls of 35 mm in 5 separate boxes to someone in Reading! This person was great - they phoned me and sent the packages straight on; and Peak were great too - they were able to confirm immediately how many films they had received and when they would be returned.

Royal Mail? Complaned but got no satisfactory response. Not the first time they have dropped the ball for me either.

Steve

Tim, I haven't used MPS. Would be keen to know if others have had first-hand experience of their work, given that I work in Liverpool.

Having just spoken to Joanna it appears that they processed Paul O's film through BPD. I believe Paul was none too pleased with the quality of processing.

George Hart wrote:Tim, I haven't used MPS. Would be keen to know if others have had first-hand experience of their work, given that I work in Liverpool.

I can only speak personally but, I used to use them until they chemically fogged 6 sheets of E6 and then suggested that I might have a light leak in my camera They used to only run the machine when they got film in and then they would put film through without putting test sheets through first.

I don't know what they are like first hand now, but Paul's film went there through BPD, whom I spoke with this morning; I gather BPD used MPS to get work done that would normally have gone to Pro2Col but that they will be reviewing who they use in the light of that conversation.

I've only ever regularly used 2 labs for E6 film processing, Peak Imaging via mail order and Colorbase in Oxford via dropping in on my way to work. Both are very good, but Peak is cheaper, especially if you save up film for bulk discount. Colorbase is good for small amounts, and they are quick. They offer a 2 hour service, I've never used this, usually collecting at the day end or following morning. I never use Colorbase for more than a few sheets as they charge £2 + VAT per sheet. I must admit saving up film for max discount with Peak, then using their freepost delivery service has concerned me at times, but perhaps I've been lucky, nothing lost yet.

I used to use Peak for 120 processing (and probably still would if I did much in that size now) but I've taken all my 4x5 to Leach Colour in Bradley (Huddersfield) as I can get there and back in my lunch hour. I tend to store film up and take a pile in at a time as they have a sliding scale from £2.03 per sheet for one-offs down to £1.53 per sheet for 20+ and these prices include VAT

Most times I've dropped stuff off one lunchtime and collected the next. Sometimes I've collected the same day if I can get out of work in time and they do a 1-hour service but I've not bothered with that.

Years ago, before d*****l cameras became the norm for putting pictures into test reports, one place I worked used to take lots of duplicate pictures on print film and have them done in a one hour process - the colour was terrible so I've shied away from stuff like that (it wasn't anything to do with Leach's...)

Andrew

I use Peak all the time - like Steve I save mine up until i've got enough for a decent discount. I use the freepost service but send it recorded delivery - costs about 70p (and causes confusion at the PO - all you pay for is the recorded bit, not the postage) which gives some sort of guarantee of delivery.

I spoke to Leach today, and their van will be collecting my film on it's regular Wirral jaunt on Tuesdy. Fingers crossed for the start of a long relationship!