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06/28/2004 01:09:06 AM · #1 |
I just got back from vacation. Despite buying extra CF cards, I still ran out of room before the end of the first week. I was out in the middle of the woods in New Hampshire, with access to a laptop, but no CDR drive. After considering several options, I found out that the WalMart about a half hour away (and all WalMarts, probably) offers in their photo processing services the ability to transfer pictures from card and burn them on CD. Seemed like the answer but...
Fortunately, before assuming all was well and erasing my pictures, I checked the CD on the the laptop. WalMart doesn't just copy the pictures, they process them, strip the exif data, and recompress the file when saving it. The exif data and the smaller file size I noticed at the time. I just got home and compared one of the files they copied with the original, and they also tweeked the levels pretty severly - the highlights on a fairly well balance shot got way blown out.
So, just wanted to put out the warning in case anyone runs into this when they don't have access to a computer to check the results. |
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06/28/2004 01:12:45 AM · #2 |
| Wal-Mart, as a rule, has the most clueless photo processing you can find. I live about 15 minutes from where they print out all the digital orders for the nation, and they give about as much thought to their customer as whoever put that talking paper clip into Office. Don't buy prints from them, either. |
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06/28/2004 01:14:24 AM · #3 |
i realize you were in a pinch, but i swore to never let walmart touch anything of mine when a friend in school got back some prints that looked like they had no magenta and were printed on like 60 grit sandpaper. "but they're so cheap!" she said...
oh well, thanks for the info :)
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06/28/2004 01:16:34 AM · #4 |
| I've not had your problems but the shots I had printed were just point and shoot. I didn't get a cd though as I know the quality would be bad. I guess your laptop's hard drive couldn't hold your pictures? As a temporary solution I will place them in a folder on my laptop, I don't have a CD-R either. |
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06/28/2004 01:18:54 AM · #5 |
That sucks :( I would assume that places like Costco, Target,etc might do the same thing.
Anyone knows if the self service booths in some stores strip the EXIF? |
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06/28/2004 01:21:09 AM · #6 |
| When going to get prints, slides, trasfers to CDR's, DVD's, and any other storage device...Best to just go to a local Photo Store that deals with just that and have knowlenge and know what you want and don't want...For those you have them near....for exsample, I have "Columbia Photo", a little photo store with much everthing you need for digital and 35mm film cameras...Prints are excellent! I pay just a little more than Wal-Mart, Walgreens, 1 Hour Photo, ect...for better quality photo....But it's worth it! |
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06/28/2004 01:29:40 AM · #7 |
Scott, next time, get a portable storage device instead of buying extra cards. It is actually cheaper, and the storage is larger.
I put some restorations on a CD-R, brought it to walmart (in MA), and had them print a few 8X10's thru their new fujifilm service. Half hour later, the prints were ready, and they were great. I was in a pinch and worried, but they didn't fool around with the levels or anything.
However, that was from a CD-R, and not from a CF card or anything.
Maybe I was just lucky.
I still don't plan to use them regularly.
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06/28/2004 01:33:41 AM · #8 |
I think most newer mass merchant photo labs use the fuji frontier systems.
it's all automated and tries to get the maximum range but they seem to only sample every 4-5th image I've noticed this when my dad got film developed there that had a variety of exposure levels so if you have one pic that's a bit dark or light you'll end up with a good one and 3 way overexposed and the levels extremely stretched images. if I post process my images myself I've gone there and gotten ok prints (good color and exposure but they were still sandpapery) in short if your camera is better than the ones they sell don't bother with them...
there's two different machines at some wal-marts and walgreens, targets etc.. I don't really want to try out those kodak picture maker things.. the stuff I've seen printed on those looks even worse.
I don't know why the heck they would recompress the images though. I guess they figure you don't have a computer and want to play the cd on a dvd player or something. |
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06/28/2004 01:37:12 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by jimmyn4:
I've not had your problems but the shots I had printed were just point and shoot. I didn't get a cd though as I know the quality would be bad. I guess your laptop's hard drive couldn't hold your pictures? As a temporary solution I will place them in a folder on my laptop, I don't have a CD-R either. |
It wasn't my laptop, it was my dad's. I could have transfered to the laptop, but wouldn't have had the ability to get them off again anytime soon.
I did consider buying him a USB CD burner for father's day... :) |
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06/28/2004 02:10:03 AM · #10 |
Originally posted by macox:
... I don't know why the heck they would recompress the images though. I guess they figure you don't have a computer and want to play the cd on a dvd player or something. |
I do not see how they would have a choice of not recompressing it; if they modify the image at all it will be recompressed afterward, no two ways about it. Their default level of compression is likely not all that great.
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On a side note, my sister worked for several years a a Wal-Mart SuperCenter photo lab; starting at the counter, then assistant manager and finally the manager at a lab in a different SuperCenter. She finally quit for not being allowed to take the time to work on each individual photo (instead of sampling). She would do the basic stuff any photo lab would do, basically color correction and such, but they did not want her spending the time fixing the images the P&S took.
She entered this from a background as a lowly photographer for a local paper (which put her through classes as well as on the job training) where she also helped prepare the photos for print. After leaving Wal-Mart she spent another several years at a real photo lab processing film sent in from photo shops all over the country. Then she went into insurance work (???, don't ask me she is just my sister, ???) -- hasn't taken or processed photos significantly in years. Just got tired of not being allowed to do her job as well as she was able to do it.
It is not always that they are clue-less, at Wal-Mart and the other quick (in store) places, working against that hour deadline is a killer when business gets going; and the photo labs have multiple levels of service, those paying for the lower levels of service from a photo lab are getting very near the same level of service as they would from a 1-hour lab.
She thought about being a photographer, even took a few jobs on a commission basis, but preferred the lab work. She has the chance to get back into it with a new SuperCenter opening near here; they really need an experienced manager for the photo lab, but she doesn't want to get back into the politics of making the fast buck.
David
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06/28/2004 02:43:00 AM · #11 |
I usually go to walmart and use the fuji kiosk, I like the fuji paper, its much better than the paper used in the kodak kiosk. My question is this, is there a better and higher quality way to get prints than the Fuji kiosk at walmart? I like the convenience of using the machine and choosing my print size, etc and it only taking an hour, however I am willing to wait for shipping if the price/quality is better. Any suggestions?
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06/30/2004 04:10:36 PM · #12 |
I usually go to Walmart and use the new machine that you can edit and print the pictures yourself and don't have to wait an hour. It's Kodak however, and I do prefer Fuji. But I like the glossy print over the matte. And with one hour you only get matte finish. I have had great luck with the machine I use. So far no problems.
And besides where I live..I dont know where else to print. We don't have much here. I don't know where a good place to print off the internet would be. Any ideas?
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06/30/2004 04:20:17 PM · #13 |
Wal-Mart sucks.
I always avoid them,unless I have to go there in small towns like MT Pleasant Iowa where they killed all the competition ans all family owned stores ! |
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06/30/2004 04:21:45 PM · #14 |
Has anyone tried Wallgreens? I needed to print some pictures in a hurry and took them there using the ".29 cents 4x6 kiosk." You can print larger of course but the 4x6 is advertised 29 cents. But anyway, they came straight from the camera so there was no post-processing at all and they are processed through the same printer as film prints. It'a Fuji machine. Well I gotta say that I was blwon away by the quality. The colors were strong without being over saturated and they had so much more depth as compared to inkjet prints. And it took 10min. Can't beat it IMHO.
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06/30/2004 04:42:12 PM · #15 |
Just something to think about when you are on vacation and have access to a computer. You can always transfer all your photos to the computer and then get a good look at them and delete anything you don't want. Then transfer them back onto you camera card, thus creating some space for extra photos.
I was on vacation last month when I suddenly found out my best friend laptop didn't have a cd/rw on it. I had transfered all my photos every day onto the laptop and then before I left to come back home I transferred them back onto my camera cards. I didn't lose any data or quality.
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06/30/2004 06:28:14 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by crazycrystal1977:
And besides where I live..I dont know where else to print. We don't have much here. I don't know where a good place to print off the internet would be. Any ideas? |
I use //www.shutterfly.com almost exclusively. They have excellent printers and good prices (lots of sales too). If you have email listed, I'll send you a link from them to sign up (free).
Anyhow, you could always buy your prints from DPCprints. I have done that. Prices & Quality are great (so far). Shutterfly is easier & faster though.
:) Arie |
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