Matt Stevens Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 I just want to say that it seems after two years of no real trouble, pro8mm has just caused me to go thermonuclear with a blatant overcharge. I won't go into details yet. I will give them a few days to do right by me. But if they do not, then I will let loose with all barrels. Will they ever learn? Will they ever EVER decide that their reputation is in need of repair? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Matthew W. Phillips Posted January 8, 2013 Premium Member Share Posted January 8, 2013 I think they prey upon people who have yet to hear the bad reviews. The film community is shrinking though and those left talk. I would think they would be about ready to stress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zac Fettig Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 (edited) Since Fuji is out of the motion picture game, and it looks like Kodak is making most of their negative stocks available in S8, I imagine they're already up a creek. Their business has always been about repackaging. It looks like their solution is to sell vastly overpriced super 8 camera rebuilds at Urban Outfitters. Meanwhile, I have to get this Vision3 in the mail and off to Cinelab. Edited January 9, 2013 by Zac Fettig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Howell Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Since Fuji is out of the motion picture game, and it looks like Kodak is making most of their negative stocks available in S8, I imagine they're already up a creek. Their business has always been about repackaging. Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't Pro8 buy raw stock slit, re-perf it and load it in to super8 carts just like Wittner and Cinevia? From what I remember they were in fact offering Ektachrome 100D in super8 years before Kodak. Company's like this need to be looking for potential manufacturers / sources of film beyond Kodak and Fuji to ensure any kind of long term survival Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zac Fettig Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't Pro8 buy raw stock slit, re-perf it and load it in to super8 carts just like Wittner and Cinevia? From what I remember they were in fact offering Ektachrome 100D in super8 years before Kodak. Company's like this need to be looking for potential manufacturers / sources of film beyond Kodak and Fuji to ensure any kind of long term survival Yup. That's their business. And they made a good run doing it. I think they were the first to repackage for Super8 (before Wittner/Cinevia/Spectra). And did a lot to keep S8 alive, back in the late 80s early 90s. They provided the stock/lab for Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" video WAY back. They did offer Ektachrome 100D before Kodak, although I believe Kodak offered Ektachrome 64D and Kodachrome 40 at the time. Pro8 has a deservedly mixed reputation. Every time they screw over a customer, they lose business; often for life. Matt, yours is not the first horror story I've heard. Which is why I avoid Pro8, certainly for anything critical. I won't use Dwaynes no matter what (luckily with Kodachrome gone now, why would I have to?) There are no other manufacturers. Kodak, Fuji, Lucky. That's it for color film. Everyone else quit the business years ago (AGFA, GAF, etc.). There are a couple of b&w companies, but not enough demand to keep them in Super8. Oddly, interest in S8 seems to be growing, even though there are no new cameras. Pro8's biggest problem is that there are better alternatives. I can buy factory stock from Kodak, either directly or through B&H. No hassles. Cartridges work. Then I can get it developed at a good lab. I can get a TK done by someone who'll do the job right. And it doesn't cost any more. Often, it costs less. I shot a short on Pro8 film (sticker-ed over Tri-X) and pointed out to the director that it would have been cheaper/faster/better to shoot on stock from Kodak, and develop at Cinelab. But by that point he'd already bought the stock and pre-paid developing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Will Montgomery Posted January 9, 2013 Premium Member Share Posted January 9, 2013 Pro8mm is pushing for baby boomers with their old family movies to transfer them into HD now. Rhonda is doing a "radio show" where they talk up how your memories can be preserved, bla, bla. They also seem to be growing the Super 8 world by attending South by Southwest, other types of hipster events and working with Urban Outfitters to grow the pie and suck them into their ecosystem. Don't really seem to care much about most hobbyists who are basically looking for the best they can get for the least they can pay. The new customers don't realize that better quality can be had for less money other places like most people on this forum understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Gladstone Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 I use them for processing and I've always been happy. And they're the cheapest I've found. But again, that's for process only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Cunningham Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Spectra's Super 8 processing is the same price and their 16mm processing is way cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Gladstone Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 They're the same for color, but Spectra is $2 more for b/w reversal than pro8. And I usually use fotokem for 16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Stevens Posted January 13, 2013 Author Share Posted January 13, 2013 If I lived near Pro8mm, the latest issue would not have happened. But when you have to mail stuff to them, you are at their mercy. They will charge what they want and even do things not asked for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zac Fettig Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 I use them for processing and I've always been happy. And they're the cheapest I've found. But again, that's for process only. Not for Tri-X. Film from B&H and developing at Cinelab will set you back about $28.50/cartridge. It's $35 at Pro8. It adds up fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Kubin Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Never used Pro8mm...no real reason. I use Cinelab and haven't looked back. Price isn't an issue as much as quality and service although I don't think Cinelab is on the expensive side of things in any case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Gladstone Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Not for Tri-X. Film from B&H and developing at Cinelab will set you back about $28.50/cartridge. It's $35 at Pro8. It adds up fast. I buy my film from Kodak, so I'm only dealing with Pro8 for processing, and they charge $15/roll for color and b/w, negative and reversal. Spectra charges the same for everything except $17 for b/w reversal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Stevens Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 For Ektachrome I use Dwaynes or Pac Lab in NYC. I wish Dwayne's did Tri-X as I'd just use them for that too and stick with them for all of my reversal. They are just never butts and they can provide a dirt cheap SD transfer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zac Fettig Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I had a horrible experience with Dwaynes for Kodachrome. The lab completely screwed up, and then stuck me with the bill along with a snippy note trying to claim that film they obviously opened outside a darkroom was never exposed. So, yeah, they can be butts. To be honest, I've never had THAT bad an experience with Pro-8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Stevens Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 Never had a bad experience with Dwaynes. Pro8mm is caters to their rich clients and screws over anyone and everyone else. When they refused to budge on their overcharging me I told them "I guess this is the last time i use Pro8." Their response: "Well we'd have to check how much you have spent with us, but I'm willing to bet it's nothing." The height of arrogance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Rodgers Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Their response: "Well we'd have to check how much you have spent with us, but I'm willing to bet it's nothing." The height of arrogance. I know plenty of friends here in the UK Film Industry that shoot their own personal films for peanuts but direct and produce big budget features. Thus Pro8mm should be really careful who they offend, as they will lose customers if they make comments like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Stevens Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 I just dumped all of my Pro8mm rolls on eBay. At a small loss. And I don't care. I simply do not want to EVER deal with them again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member andy oliver Posted January 16, 2013 Premium Member Share Posted January 16, 2013 For Ektachrome I use Dwaynes or Pac Lab in NYC. I wish Dwayne's did Tri-X as I'd just use them for that too and stick with them for all of my reversal. They are just never butts and they can provide a dirt cheap SD transfer. I use Dwayne's photo too, have done since 2006, i had one issue with a blue tram line on kodachrome in 2006 which they apologised and compensated me for, their cust service was superb. At one time I was splitting my super 8 and 16mm E6 processing between a European lab and Dwayne's, after a couple of screw ups from the European lab, all my E6 is now processed by Dwayne's photo. As Matt said, wished they would process tri-x too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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