Medium format film developing

[kyuss]

Seeing as they are dirt cheap I'm thinking of getting a Holga for playing about with. I can also get some out of date 120 film for about 50p a roll so I was wondering if any of you guys have any suggestions for cheap mail order medium format processing. I can probably do any black and white stuff myself in the bathroom but it's the look of Holga colour stuff that's interesting me at the moment.

I've seen a few places but any personal recommendations would be appreciated.

[David Martin]

I've used peak iaging with good results. The lubitel  was fine up to 12" square.

..d

[bikepacker]

Dunns at Cradley Heath near Dudley still run a 120 dev and print service.  http://www.dunnsprophoto.co.uk/

[kyuss]

Thanks guys.

Peak Imaging was one of those I'd noticed myself on t'internet. Good to get a personal recommendation though. They seem cheap enough. And they do cross processing too. (I could create the same effect in photoshop of course, but it's just not random enough for my liking.)

Now to find a cheap Holga GN. I just realised the ones I'd seen on ebay within my meagre budget are from Hong Kong .

EDIT: Mmmm. Having looked on ebay a second hand Lubitel 166 is looking like a much better alternative. David, as a Lubitel user, anything I should look out for?

[David Martin]

Thanks guys.

Peak Imaging was one of those I'd noticed myself on t'internet. Good to get a personal recommendation though. They seem cheap enough. And they do cross processing too. (I could create the same effect in photoshop of course, but it's just not random enough for my liking.)

Now to find a cheap Holga GN. I just realised the ones I'd seen on ebay within my meagre budget are from Hong Kong .

EDIT: Mmmm. Having looked on ebay a second hand Lubitel 166 is looking like a much better alternative. David, as a Lubitel user, anything I should look out for?

Not one like mine which unfortunately got reassembled with the lenses slightly out of sync.. (after a bit of creative exploration on my part)

Otherwise there isn't a lot to go wrong with them. If you want to risk one, I can pass you mine to play with. I might look at realigning the lenses first.

[bikepacker]

If you can find a good one the Minolta Autocord was a TLR with a cracking good lens. It had a slide focus mechanism for one handed operation. That was the part that often went first.

[kyuss]

David, that's a very kind offer which i may take you up on if I can't find a cheap one locally or on ebay.

Bikepacker, cheers for the recommendation of the Autocord. Looks the business and there are a couple on ebay at the moment. Might try and get a hold of one of those in the future. They certainly seem to have their fans.

I think I'm after something a little less 'polished' though at the moment, if you know what I mean.  The images I've seen from the Autocord look a bit good. It's that lo-fi look I'm after, where the crappiness of the camera plays its part in the feel of the photo too, which is why the Holga (and to a certain extent the Lubitel) would be ideal.

Decision, decisions...

[David Martin]

David, that's a very kind offer which i may take you up on if I can't find a cheap one locally or on ebay.

Bikepacker, cheers for the recommendation of the Autocord. Looks the business and there are a couple on ebay at the moment. Might try and get a hold of one of those in the future. They certainly seem to have their fans.

I think I'm after something a little less 'polished' though at the moment, if you know what I mean.  The images I've seen from the Autocord look a bit good. It's that lo-fi look I'm after, where the crappiness of the camera plays its part in the feel of the photo too, which is why the Holga (and to a certain extent the Lubitel) would be ideal.

Decision, decisions...

I've dug the lubitel out of the box. It seems fine and I still have some 120 roll film kicking about. Maybe I should bring it down to Edi one day and take over Anths bathroom to do some serious B&W stuff..

..d