Gauge Film Processing Service

[gaugefilm]

Hi all,

As you all probably know by now I run a small colour processing service through ebay. I have two days set aside a week to develop 12 100D/64T colour films. I know I could push out more if I wanted to but I like to take my time and keep the quality high (lots of tea sipping in between). Anyway at the moment I sell up to 24 processed paid 100D carts a month and 24 processes for colour film. So I can generally develop up to 48 colour films a month comfortably.

Last month I mentioned setting up a Tri-X service. Now here is where your input will come in handy. If I set up a black and white service I'll have to half my colour service due to constraints on my own time. So each month I could process up to 24 black and white films and 24 colour films. It boils down to me selling 12 process paid B&W carts, 12 colour carts, 12 B&W processes and 12 colour processes a month.

What would you guys prefer? Stick to colour or go with B&W as well? Changes wont come into force until the beginning of May as I have lots of colour stock to get through next month. So in the meantime your advice is very much appreciated and taken into account.

I have a healthy selection of camera's hitting my shop in early April so please stop by (I tested them all yesterday and they are great)! Oh and also there is only 1 process paid cart and 1 process left this month so if you want either get in quick before they sell:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/gaugefilm

After this B&W or not to B&W matter is settled in May I will be asking for your input on a telecine unit

Kind regards and I look forward to your input!
Kevin

[Will2]

Congratulations, good to hear when any new film related business starts up. If I was in the UK I would definitely send film your way.

[SimonFD]

Hi Kevin

I would love it if you could do Tri-X as well. I've used your colour service and it was excellent. Having the same quick service for B&W would be terrific.

I must admit i have a couple of carts of Tri-X in the cupboard and I have been waiting until you started your B&W processing before shooting. I guess I can hold on until May!

Keep up the good work. I shall be buying a couple more process paid carts (and reels) from you shortly.

All the best

Simon

[grainy]

Congratulations, good to hear when any new film related business starts up. If I was in the UK I would definitely send film your way.

Indeed! Well done.
As an aside, I was looking at your ebay store just for fun and noticed one of your tips, which I believe I've seen before on this site:

"My second tip is bang your film cartridge before using it! New film stock such as Kodak 100D is wound in the cartridge much tighter than the old film stocks back in the 70's. This can cause problems in a lot of super 8 cameras making them prone to jamming. I myself learnt this the hard way by jamming my very expensive Nizo Professional last year. For this reason I always bang my super 8 film cartridge against a hard surface before use. Bang it until you hear the film loosen up inside. This will help prevent future jams and insure your camera has a long and healthy life. It also helps your batteries last longer as the motor hasn't got as much work to do."

I've never had a cartridge jam on me, but I have to admit I'm fearful of banging them like that. Is there any risk of smashing them open when do you this?
thanks
G

[gaugefilm]

Will2, thanks! Yes I should of mentioned it's only a UK service due to the small scale of the operation. I do get quite a few people getting agitated with me form other countries for turning down their custom. It's nothing personal I just cannot handle a global income of films I am kind of against setting up a bigger lab as well. This way I really get to know my UK customers and can really focus on giving them a good service for a excellent price. I encourage people in different countries to start up other small film ventures however! It would be amazing if other individuals could offer affordable services elsewhere, bringing about a kind of global affordable film revolution! Making film affordable again and encouraging the production of new cameras and film stocks!

Hi Simon, sorry to keep you waiting on the Tri-X front. I've been itching to get it up and running for a while now but alas I just haven't had time. Soooon though my friend. Soooon!

Grainy... there is very little chance of you breaking the cart. In the past I've took hammers to them, put them in vices and they are remarkably strong. Just bang them flat and it should be fine. Actually if you buy a cart of me I'll send you it back and you can try and smash it open for fun. It's cool to take a look inside the carts to see the core/ intake/ outtake chamber! I found out that along with the carts being wound to tight the film emulsion on 100D is thicker as well, making it more difficult to pull through. Also I believe Kodak has stopped putting silicone in their carts for lubrication. All in all it's a recipe for carts jamming. Seeing as I test a lot of cams and use a lot of carts I have come across a lot of jamming problems. It's a shame and I hope Kodak addresses it. I've had them jam on me at weddings during crucial moments and it's not good.

Keep the advice coming!
Kevin

[71er]

I've never had a cartridge jam on me, ...

Two months ago I could have said this as well; recently I used two E100D of different batches and both jammed, one at the beginning, one more towards the end. Different cameras didn't help, banging didn't help, only pulling the film out at bit and winding it manually did.
Kevin, great that you can offer this service! I'm living in a country without any Super 8 developing service and postage is just ridiculous - I pay 13,60 Euros for example to Germany because the cartridge is a little bit too thick for a normal letter.
I have been starting to develop myself in the Lomo tank and I offer it locally to other people but my results are not completely satisfying as I have problems with trapped air bubbles ...
Good luck with your enterprise!

[gaugefilm]

Alex, keep up the good work! I've been hand processing for years and years. Truth is with hand processing you're always going to get those little irregularities. By and large I think my customers have come to expect this over a couple of frames here and there (which of course is less than a second onscreen). I have a few customers who really love these blemishes and actually look forward to them more than the content of the film itself. Some experimental film makers in the making I think One legend of a customer even wanted me to develop in exhausted chemicals. People definitely appreciate the effects a lomo tank can have over that of the bigger more regimented lab.

Also to all interested... I put up listings for this month earlier in the week. The process paid film for the first half of the month sold out fast (will have some more up around the 15th) but there are still plenty of other goodies to be found:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/gaugefilm

Kind regards
Kevin

[woods01]

Well I'm not eligible to use your service but if I was in business I would stick with E-6 as its more popular but make it possible for customers to book in advance to use a B&W service. Just make it an option on your website and possible charge a higher rate to make it worth your while or have a minimum film quantity. It'd be a service for people making a short film, not for the casual shooter.

[gaugefilm]

Thanks woods01, I think to begin with the B&W service will indeed start slow. I'm thinking of listing around 8-12 processes in May. I'll see how that goes and then just take it from there.

A lot of you have been emailing me via ebay about my 100D process paid carts. Yep they sold out fast and sorry if you missed them! The second half of this months 100D process paid stock have just been listed. Get them while they are hot:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kodak-Ektachr ... 1138wt_891

All the best
Kevin