Debate: Is it worth developing color film at home or should we just send it out?

I was talking to a guy at the lab drop-off last week, he said he spends like $15 a roll just on developing C-41 at home with a kit. But he also said the control is way better cause he can adjust for thin negatives. Meanwhile I’m paying $12 a roll for mail-in and getting scans back, but sometimes the colors are off. Idk, is the hassle of temperature control really worth it for color? Some people swear the home stuff looks more natural. What do you all think, is home color dev actually better or just a money pit?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire_hart537d ago

Did you see that blog post by the guy who did a blind test of lab vs home dev and even his lab couldn't tell which was which? Temperature control is a pain but once you dial it in it's not that bad, just gotta get a cheap sous vide stick.

casey6827d ago

Yeah the "once you dial it in" part is the real kicker though (lol). I had a buddy who tried the sous vide thing for his film and his first batch came out looking like he developed them in a hot tub, all foggy and weird. He swore he had it set right but the thermometer on his stick was off by like 4 degrees, so it took him three more rolls to figure out. Once he got a cheap digital thermometer to double check, things smoothed out, but man that first week was rough.

terryw677d ago

Carry over that same logic to pretty much any hobby and you see the same pattern. People drop cash on fancy gear thinking it'll fix everything, but they skip the cheap little things that actually make the difference. Reminds me of the guys who spend thousands on a bike but never check their tire pressure. You can get away with a lot if you just pay attention to the basics instead of chasing the fancy stuff.