CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

If you're going to spend the time and effort to shoot film, my attitude is you should also pay for a high resolution professional scan. I use North Coast Photography after changing over from the Darkroom, getting roughly 18MP scans per image. That pixel resolution (5035x3339) yields JPEGs fully editable in Lightroom, same as any DSLR image. The problem I've had with both shops, more so with the Darkroom before I changed, is the dust and occasional scratch in the scans that are tedious to remove via LR editing. I've done my own EPSON scans as well. I'd rather pay to have it done faster and better by the shop processing the film, even with the risk of needing to clean-up the occasional imperfections in those scans.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Congratulations!!! I have the same year/model Leica and lens, as well. Though, I also opted for a KMZ 50mm f/2 and a 35mm f/2.8. Your best bet is to develop your own film. You keep the negatives and control the process. The other thing I'd recommend is purchasing a moderately good scanner.

BTW, the negative is the RAW image.
--Bob

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

No Raw as noted but you can easily convert to TIFF if desired.
PSE even does it with a save as then select TIFF, real sweet.
Love the shot of the cat.

cigar dude Loc: South Central MA

Yes, The Darkroom does return the negatives.

thrash50

I use Fromex for developing, https://fromex.com/mail-order-film-processing.
You can order just negatives, prints, specialized prints, jpeg files, or TIFF files, you can also send your own portable jump drive to save a few bucks.
I order TIFF files for more detail in post processing, which makes it easier to create layers, or scan negatives with my inexpensive Epson Negative scanner, and save as TIFF.
When scanning you will need to set the scanner to remove the blue tint, or that can be your first step with processing software.

David C.

I still pull out my Leica CIII and also find focus is an effort as I get older but I still love the feel of the camera. Film is not dead. David C

Abo

The operative word is "raw".

When someone uncooks a fried egg
and hatches a chicken, get them to
convert a JPEG into a raw file.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I can't even begin to understand why any lab would not return negatives- it borders on stupidity or at least, complete ignorance of film-based photography. The negatives are an important part of the concept of shooting with film in the digital age and recommissioning vintage gear.

As the PHOTOGRAPHER, YOU should have the option of HOW you store, print, and display your images. YOU should be able to decide whether you wish to scan the negatives and create your images digitally or in the traditional analog darkroom making contact prints and enlargements on the appropriate optical and chemical gear. I am not arguing that traditional darkroom methods necessarily make for better quality but in certain cases or for certain tastes, it may be so. Again, these choices should be up to the PHOTOGRAPHER, not the lab.

The thought of discarding negatives, to me, seems antithetical to the concept of using film- UGH! Sacrilege- crazy!

Even as a 10-year old kid sending his film to the photo-finisher through the drug store, I knew enough to preserve the negatives for making prints in the future and to be able to make prints that are superior in quality to the glossy, deckled edge "jumbo" snapshots that came in the envelope. In later years, I was glad I held on to those negatives.

BebuLamar

And their purpose is to save the shipping of the negatives back to the stores. They make the prints and CD in store. But there are a good number of film users mostly new users who don't know what to do with the negatives too.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Cost. To save money.

I agree with all you say and I vote with my wallet. I only use labs that return my negatives.

Lloydc

I’m shooting with a vintage Leica range finder and a Minolta Maxxum 7000. No electronics involved in the image production in either, so it seems to me they must be the equivalent of digital RAW. Am I right?

Lloydc

Thanks.

Lloydc

Thanks.

Lloydc

Thanks.

Lloydc

Thanks