If you’re like me, you’re too lazy to do your own processing. You prefer to have someone else handle the chemicals and perhaps even the printing and scanning.
Walking through Beijing, you’ll have no problem finding shops that will help you out with your film. There are probably a thousand small photo labs with Kodak Express signs outside.
Don’t bother with them. My two attempts left me unimpressed. Digital images that I wanted on paper came out severely over-sharpened and the test roll of Kodak BW400CN I had developed and scanned just resulted in washed-out and low-resolution scans (and scratched negatives – thanks!). Most will probably not even do traditional black and white films.
If you Google around and read on the forums you’ll soon find many references to Photochance, the Beijing Photographic Equipment City in Wukesong as well as a few others. If you, like me, live in north east Beijing, going to Wukesong is quite a hike. Photochance on the other hand is conveniently located near Meishuguan Donglu, just inside the second ring road.
Beijing, June 2009. Nikon FM + Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 + Tri-X.
Photochance will develop in C-41 process (color negatives) at 6 rmb per roll, and will scan your negatives to what they call 10MB TIFF files (the files are actually 18MB, around 6 megapixels equivalent) for 40 rmb. They don’t develop black and white themselves, but the store next door will do it for 25 rmb. If you ask , the staff at Photochance will happily handle the drop-off and pick-up at the store next door, so you won’t have to go there an extra time just to move the film from development to scanning. I’m new to film photography, but to me the developed and scanned films seem to come out alright.
Photochance sells 135 and 120 format films. In 135 you’ll find Kodak Tri-X, Tmax 100 and 400, Ektar 100, Ektrachrome E100 and E200, Elite Chrome, Fuji Velvia, Provia, Astia, Reala, Neopan, X-tra 800, Acros 100 in their fridges. A roll of Tri-X is 32 rmb.
The camera museum they have is also worth a visit, if you’re into old cameras. And the store next door – the ones that do the developing – has a few shelves of photo books you can browse through.
hiya…. theres a place just south of Xidan too; the Beijing Pearl Oriental Photo Service. They’ll develop your films and cross process them for 18 kwai, which is more than Photochance, but then the scans only cost 10 kwai a roll. That said some of the scans look a bit ropey. They do black and white too which i think was 12 kwai a roll to develop the negatives. I go there because its closer than Meishuguan… and slightly cheaper. seeya
Craig: Thanks for the comment. I’ve heard about the place but never been there. Will take a look if I happen to be nearby. Cheaper is always interesting!
cool. thanks for the info
@starkc: Hope it can be of some help!
Thanks a lot.
Precisely the information i was looking for about b/w development.
Hail to the internet!
@Steeevyo: Good to hear!
Hi,
I am trying to get a roll of 35mm E-6 slides transferred to CD-ROM, but the shop at SanYuanQiao told me that it would cost RMB3 per picture, so for a roll of 36 exp, it would cost RMB108. Surely too much for a simple scan to CD ?
Another blogger said that there is a shop to the west of YaShow market that would do it, but I was there this morning, but did not see it. Maybe too much snow obstructing the view ?
I have been looking around Wukesong and the other photographic complex at Maliandao Lu for used equipment, in particular Nikon D300 and a 20-35mm zoom. Prices for used equipment are quite close to the new prices, so who would bother with used equipment ? How much discount shall I ask for ? e.g. used D300 asking price around RMB8500, and used 20-35mm f2.8 Nikon zoom is around RMB5300.
Thanks
Ken,
Yes, 108 rmb sounds too much. I have only scanned one roll of E-6 and they charged me the same as for other films, 40 rmb, at Photochance.
The shop at Yashow is on the left side of the building (if you face the building) and it’s called Jiayi Photo Studio. They do scans for about the same price as Photochance but the files are lower resolution. I prefer Photochance for this reason.
As for used equipment, I’ve never bought that “new” equipment used in China, so I don’t really know. Older things does not seem to be that well priced here, compared to eBay. So perhaps those markets are not the right place to go for things like that.
Hello,
And anybody know the prices of the films in beijing, for black and white and Slide E-6 ?
Thanks
Alejandro,
Thanks for your comment.
At Photochance (see address above) they sell Kodak Tri-X for 32 yuan. It looks like you can get it a bit cheaper at Taobao.com. I recently also bought Ilford HP5 for 32 yuan in Shanghai, and have previously bought at about the same price in Beijing.
I don’t know about E-6 films, as I never shoot it.
Good luck!