Agfa d-lab.2 report (NPH)
 

My report compares d-lab.2 results with NPH from a Fuji Frontier.
Los Altos Camera installed an Agfa d-lab.2 several weeks ago.
I took some NPH in for development, printing, and scan-to-CDR.
Price was under $.38 per print and $8 for the CDR.

Best thing is that pixellation visible with a Frontier is gone.
Frontier pixellations shows up with a loupe and can easily be seen
by near-sighted people. The d-lab.2 supposedly prints at 400 dpi
versus only 300 dpi for the Frontier.

On the downside, the d-lab.2 does not seem to artifically enhance
saturation. Blue skies look a bit washed out. I believe that the
Frontier boosts saturation in certain areas, especially blue sky.
Next time I'll try Kodak UC400, which resists blue-sky burnout
better than NPH.

Skin tones were good, in a limited sampling, and much smoother than
from a Frontier. Some people might think skin tones too neutral,
or not warm enough, but that's NPH.

The scans were excellent, perhaps good enough to make me think
I don't need my own scanner any more. Compared to Frontier scans,
the Agfa hi-res 2000x3000 scans lacked any matte pattern, or any
semblance of weirdo sharpening. (I think whatever the Frontier
does with scans is weird!)

This d-lab.2 (perhaps not all) had a kiosk attached, so digicam and
DSLR owners can upload images using in-camera media, CD, or DVD.
Store staff wasn't quite certain, but believes they can produce
12x18 prints maximum. They have produced 11x14 prints from TIFF.