Dispelling The Kodak Mailer Mythology

[xoct]

Initially, when I contacted Kodak to buy rolls of K40, I was told by Kodak that if I buy the film that comes with a mail-in developing voucher that the film would be sent to Switzerland and would take six weeks for the film to get back to me. As it turns out, and this is what I have to share, the film can be sent to District Photo in Beltsville, Maryland, who then sends the film to Dwayne's for development. According to District Photo, this process should only take about ten days, which is only about six days more than sending it directly to Dwayne's, and considerably cheaper (less about $10 per roll). Has anyone been using the K40 mailer, how long does it in fact take to receive the film back and have you been sending your film to District Photo? Thanks!

[Anthony Schilling]

Most folks never sent their mailers to Switzerland. but to Fair Lawn, NJ where the turnaround was about 2 weeks. Fair Lawn is supposedly closed now, so maybe Maryland is the new secret location. it was always assumed that k-40 went to Dwayne's from Fair Lawn. anyway, the mailer is discontinued and only offered till they are sold out. I prefer paying the extra $5.50 per cart and send straight to dwayne's anyway. can have films back in 4-5 days, prepped for telecine on 200ft spools with long leaders. the mailer route took forever and your carts would show up one at a time in beat up envelopes.

[Matt Pacini]

The mailers that go to Fair Lawn NJ go to Switzerland, not Dwaynes.

It takes about two weeks to get them back, and you pay for the mailers up front (about $5.00), so I don't know how you figure it's somehow cheaper if it goes to Dwaynes.

If you bought the mailer, you've already paid for the shipping.

The longest I've waited was about weeks, and I've never dealth with Dwaynes.

 

Matt Pacini

[Anthony Schilling]

I didn't say it's cheaper at Dwayne's. the mailers were $3.50 last I used them, Dwayne's is $9.00 per cart.. so about $5.50 extra, well worth it based on my experiences. 14 day turn would be at best for me with mailer. sometimes 3 weeks, and twice i recieved envelopes mauled to pieces with no films at all. granted, most of this has to do with poor packaging and postal mishandling. Dwayne's is no nonsense, 4-5 days, nice prep and packaging.. the way i want my work to come back.

Edited November 10, 2004 by Skratch

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

Disturbingly, the S8 I've got waiting for transfer came back without any leader on it at all - I clearly won't be transferring the first four or five feet of that! Bit worrying when 5 feet is ten per cent of the roll.

 

Phil

[xoct]

These are very interesting responses. I wonder if all the problems you all have experienced is because of Dwayne's or this other company in New Jersey. When you have sent multiple rolls, have you been clear about prepping them together for transfer? And has anyone had experiences with District Photo in Maryland? This seems to be the company that Kodak suggests.

[Anthony Schilling]

Dwayne's Prep is free. when selected your films are spooled onto 200ft reels, with 12 foot leaders at the head and tail. the mailers, you have no prep option.. they usually come back individually, or 2 together, one a week later ect..

[Matt Pacini]

There is no company in NJ that processes the film.

That's where you mail the mailers, and from there they are forwarded to Switzerland.

 

I've sent well over 350 rolls of Kodcrhome and Ektachrome this way, and had no problems whatsoever, no missing leaders, or anything else you guys mention, and it's usually two weeks from when I send them to when they return.

 

I've heard lots of problems with Dwaynes.

I'm sure they're great "most" of the time, but that's not good enough for me.

Kodak Switzerland is the only place I'll send my S8 film to.

 

Matt Pacini

[Andrew]

There is no company in NJ that processes the film.

That's where you mail the mailers, and from there they are forwarded to Switzerland.

 

I've sent well over 350 rolls of Kodcrhome and Ektachrome this way, and had no problems whatsoever,  no missing leaders, or anything else you guys mention, and it's usually two weeks from when I send them to when they return.

 

Every roll of Super 8 or Regular 8 that I have sent to Fair Lawn in a mailer since early 2003 has gone to Dwaynes.

[Anthony Schilling]

Wherever the mailers go, I feel more comfortable sending Dwayne's direct. I haven't had any poor work done by either route.. but the mailers just cause my films to endure too much of a journey.. so far leading to chewed envelopes and missing films. not worth risking if you spent a lot of time on your work.

[John Adolfi]

Sorry to have to dissagree with some of you all. But this is what I'm getting straight from the head of Qualex and Kodak as of November 2004.

 

No film is being sent to Switzerland no matter what facillity receives it or where it goes through no Switzerland since 2000 but due to the complaints there are trying to get it sent again to Switzerland. Also they process according to Qualex 3-4K rolls a year. If I'm wrong on this (Switzerland) and I want to be wrong then please provide some proof other than "it does too go to Switzerland" or "my film has gone there and still does" please. Also Walmart has a deal $4.88 and they send it to Dwaynes and that is what I'm doing presently. I got my first batch back in 7 days. The second is taking a bit longer. Guys...$4.88! vs. $9.00 plus shipping both ways!!! Get it? Enought said.

[Andrew]

If I'm wrong on this (Switzerland) and I want to be wrong then please provide some proof other than "it does too go to Switzerland"  or "my film has gone there and still does" please. 

 

The proof should be in what type of reel the film comes back in. Dwaynes puts the film on a white or grey reel inside a white cardboard box. Switzerland was always a black reel with black snap on cover. I stopped getting the black reels in 2002.

[Matt Pacini]

Looks like this would be a good time for John Plytak to chime in.

John, are you there?

 

Matt Pacini

[John Pytlak RIP]

Although Kodak announced its intention to end most of its film processing at its Renens laboratory in Switzerland by the end of 2004, this action does not affect the processing of Kodachrome slide and motion picture film at that facility.

 

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jht...pq-locale=en_US

[Bob Last]

Hi John,

 

Thanks for the information. That information will put the issue to bed.

 

Do you know until when we should stop sending our processed-paid S8 films to Kodak Fair Lawn? Kodak announced Fair Lawn will cease operations but there was no information which new address to send them to.

 

Thanks.

Edited November 16, 2004 by LastQuark

[John Pytlak RIP]

Hi John,

 

Thanks for the information.  That information will put the issue to bed.

 

Do you know until when we should stop sending our processed-paid S8 films to Kodak Fair Lawn?  Kodak announced Fair Lawn will cease operations but there was no information which new address to send them to.

 

Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

AFAIK, this is the latest information on the Kodak website:

 

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/pub...1/e541kic.shtml

 

Pre-paid Processing mailers for:

 

KODAK Premium Processing

KODALUX Processing Services

KODAK Processing Mailers

Processing By KODAK

 

For the following film types (Color & Slide film):

 

APS

35 mm

120 mm

220 mm

Movie

 

 

May be Sent to:

 

KODAK Mailer Processing

C/O District Photo

P. O. Box 3022

Beltsville, MD 20704

(301) 937-5300 (A site contact # to use for express mailing packages ONLY)

(800) 345-6973 (For all questions on mailers or ordering new ones)

 

Customers who would like to have their photofinishing sent to a photofinisher affiliated with Kodak can call the following toll-free number for the location of the dealer nearest them:

 

(800) 661-3456

[John Adolfi]

Sorry friends and John but I dissagree and you should call Kodak direct. Or better yet call the head of Qualex and talk to him. He is the one who has all the Kodachrome go through. And if any went to Switz then he would have shared it with me. He shared with me the info on how many rolls they sell. Just got my film back from Wlamart and the results were the same lousy. But it only took 8 days at $4.88 per roll. I'm selling all my Super-8 and am going to shoot single 8 for awhile. Anyone interested in my stabilizer plate from Germany please e-mail me. jadolfi@tcny.rr.com

[S8 Booster]

Some info if of use:

 

Swizz Reel for processed K40 Since day1:

 

 

Rocky Montain Lab (USA) E160 processed reel

 

 

"Euro" mailer for K40/Switzerland since Day1:

 

 

 

R

Edited November 16, 2004 by S8 Booster

[Bob Last]

Sorry friends and John but I dissagree and you should call Kodak direct. Or better yet call the head of Qualex and talk to him.  He is the one who has all the Kodachrome go through.  And if any went to Switz then he would have shared it with me.

Let me see if I understood you correctly. John P.'s post says, for US processing sent to Fair Lawn, they are going to Dwaynes like what some people here expected. Only those in Europe goes to Switz.

[Bob Last]

Thanks John for the new address. This is just what I am looking for. I also posted this address in filmshooting.com message board.

 

 

[xoct]

AFAIK, this is the latest information on the Kodak website:

 

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/pub...1/e541kic.shtml

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

So Mr. Pytlak-

 

If we send multiple rolls together to District and ask that the rolls be prepped for transfer, will we be ensured that the rolls will be put together and shipped as one roll, or are they going to come back to us piecemeal?

[John Pytlak RIP]

So Mr. Pytlak-

 

If we send multiple rolls together to District and ask that the rolls be prepped for transfer, will we be ensured that the rolls will be put together and shipped as one roll, or are they going to come back to us piecemeal?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Your best source of first-hand information would be the numbers listed.

[Alessandro Machi]

I've heard that Kodak is losing too much money shipping Super-8 films to Switzerland for process and were pursing another option.

 

Choice A is Dwaynes, Choice B was looking to see if another lab in the U.S. would handle Kodachrome. Yale and Rocky Mountain were two possibilities, but as far as I know, Kodak is moving very slowly on helping these facilities offer Kodachrome 40 since Dwaynes already does it.

 

The simplest solution would be for Kodak to IMMEDIATELY place a chemist at Dwaynes to ensure quality control. The second most logical choice would be Yale in North Hollywood.

[Bob Last]

I've heard that Kodak is losing too much money shipping Super-8 films to Switzerland for process and were pursing another option.

Please post your source. As far as the previous posts shows, Kodak IS NOT shipping the films to Switzerland on films originating in the United States. They are sending them to Dwaynes.

 

Choice A is Dwaynes, Choice B was looking to see if another lab in the U.S. would handle Kodachrome.  Yale and Rocky Mountain were two possibilities, but as far as I know, Kodak is moving very slowly on helping these facilities offer Kodachrome 40 since Dwaynes already does it.

I have never heard reports of capcity issues in Dwaynes or major quality issues that will force Kodak to look for another option. With the recent lay-off's in Fair Lawn, the chances of looking for another K40 processing lab is remote. There are environmental issues and the processing itself is complex.

 

The simplest solution would be for Kodak to IMMEDIATELY place a chemist at Dwaynes to ensure quality control.

This was discussed extensively in filmshooting.com before. Dwaynes chemist, althought not working for Kodak, was trained and certified by Kodak.

[John Pytlak RIP]

Labs that process Kodak films can request techical assistance from Kodak, but it unlikely that Kodak would "place a chemist" at a customer's laboratory.

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/products...=0.1.4.30&lc=en