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Minilabs, Dust, and Costco
How is dust avoided on minilab prints? Is it just a matter of the
operator wiping the negative strip clean before inserting it? Or does the minilab need to be cleaned internally frequently? I recently switched back to film for most of my shooting (I had been using digital P&S' for a few years), and I tried Costco's 1-hour minilab service for reprints and enlargements. The nearest Costco to me is in Issaquah, WA. On several trips, I found that there were many dust specs and hairs, on most of the prints. Some of them had a simply amazing amount. I asked them to redo the affected prints, but often those would come back with dust on them, too. Also, they seemed to think it was my fault for having dust on the negs, and treated me as a nuisance. So I tried the next-closest Costco, in Kirkland, WA. What a difference! I've been there many times now, and only on one print has there been any dust. They fixed that and had a great attitude about it. In general, their attitude is an order of magnitude better than at Issaquah. I've noticed that the Kirkland staff wipes my negs with a special cloth before inserting it into the minilab. I'm not sure if the Issaquah staff did. I'm curious why the huge difference in the quantity of dust in the Issaquah reprints compared to the Kirkland reprints. Is it more likely a matter of operator care, or is it more likely a matter of equipment maintenance? Thanks, Greg |
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Minilabs, Dust, and Costco
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