[LRflex] Random thoughts on photo processing...

Fellow Flexers...
With the Ritz Camera failure, my mind has been brought back to a thought which has often bothered me.
The entire photo processing industry is complaining that digital photographers are not printing their photos at their local drug stores and 1 hr. labs.
For years, the industry did very well, processing the ubiquitous 4x6" print from a standard 2:3 format, 35mm negative.
However, in this day and age, I am willing to bet that the vast majority of digital cameras are of the 4:3 ratio --- from 4/3rds mount dSLRs down to the vast majority point and shoots. And it's the P&S market which provides the bulk of the printing business.
You'd think, after a decade, that they'd offer a print format which handles the 4:3 ratio. But, they don't. At my lab, the smallest print I can get, in 4:3 ratio is the 6x8" enlargement, at triple the price of a regular print. Rather makes me unwilling to "buy 'em by the bag", as McDonalds burgers used to be sold.
I've often wondered why they don't simply offer a 6x4-1/2" print (if the paper used is 6" wide) or, once again, offer the old style, 4x5" print, (if the paper roll is 4" wide). Ok, so the print should really be 4x5.2", but most people wouldn't be bothered by the missing 1/10th of an inch (0.254 cm), on two of the 4 sides! Heck, most lose more than that in every borderless print! But they do complain having to put their 4:3 image on a 3:2 format print, because they often have to cut off heads, or make other compromises in the composition.
There is no reason such prints could not be offered within pennies of the same price as the 4x6 print and would do much to encourage people to get "drug store prints", once again.
Most labs used to provide 4x5" prints when virtually everything was from 35mm film. Eventually, they realized that a 4x6" print better suited peoples needs. All they need to do now, is offer the 4x5" print (for P&S & 4/3rds users) alongside the 4x6" one (for 35mm and most dSLR users).
I don't understand why the processing industry continues to fail to provide a product to that would meet the majority of people's needs, and then continue to complain that people are not buying what they don't want! 

Cheers!

David.

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David Young,
Logan Lake, CANADA

Limited Edition Prints at: www.furnfeather.net
Personal Web-site at: www.main.furnfeather.net



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