# Best way to develop and process film...



## JAC526 (Oct 18, 2011)

So I'm shooting 35mm film.

Mostly B&W.

I already know that eventually I will develop all my own B&W.  It seems to be the cheapest way to go.

My question is what is the most cost effective (while maintaining as much quality as is reasonable) to scan and print the negatives.

I also will probably shoot slide film for color...not sure if I'll develop that or not...it seems somewhat daunting.

I was looking at the Epson V500 flat-bed scanner.  Will this maintain the quality of my 35mm negatives?

I guess for any large prints you could send the negative to be scanned and printed professionally?

Thanks guys,

Joe


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## Derrel (Oct 18, 2011)

Slide film development is inexpensive!!! Have slides developed and mounted professionally!!!M

My impression is that a dedicated 35mm film scanner will out-scan a flatbed like the V500 on 35mm negs or slides. Once you move up to a bigger negative, the flatbed scanners do a pretty good job these days.


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## JAC526 (Oct 18, 2011)

Thanks for the input....Slide film will probably be professionally mounted and developed.

The dedicated 35mm scanners are just freakin expensive.  That's my only hurdle.


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## djacobox372 (Oct 18, 2011)

Black and white film developed cost only around 50cents a roll in recurring chemical cost--less if you are using more diluted developer.  E6 development cost is around $1.50 to $2 a roll, which is still less then half the cost of having it done professionally.  

If you're going to be shooting a lot of film, then you might want to consider a flatbed, as it will allow you to scan many shots at once.  Feeding film in one by one into a dedicated film scanner is tiresome.

A decent flatbed (like an epson), will scan at the same high quality as an inexpensive dedicated film scanner, the only issue is keeping it clean and ensuring you are scanning at the optimal carrier height.


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## orlovphoto (Nov 15, 2011)

since when did processing and developing became two different things?


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