Re: Realist developing & mounting

[P3D Paul Talbot <ptww@xxxxxxxxx>]

Re: Ron Beck found stereo processing and mounting through Qualex.
For those not aware, Qualex is a national (or close to it) provider
of photo processing, serving (it seems) almost every grocery store,
drug store, department store, etc., around.  (Rumor has it Wal-Mart
now has their own labs.)  Prices will probably vary according to the
percentage discount applied at your particular drop off location.

Ron, why did you have 24 stereo pairs?  Was it a 36 exposure roll
(usually 29 pairs) or a 24 exposure roll (usually 19 pairs)?

I found Ron's post interesting because the last time I called Qualex
at the 800 number listed in the Reel-3D catalog, they said "No, we
do *not* do stereo mounting."  I had heard at one point that Qualex
and Kodalux were owned by the same company.  At some locations you
could choose "Standard" or "Premium" processing, and the film would
go to Qualex for "Standard" and to Kodalux for "Premium."  It is
getting hard to keep track of who the suppliers are in the photo
processing business.  Now that, from what I've heard, Kodak has
reacquired the photo processing business they sold to Kodalux, is
Qualex once again a separate operation?  (Owned, perhaps, by the
company that recently owned both Kodalux and Qualex?)  I wonder if
Qualex reinstated stereo processing as a result of this split?

The reasonable and affordable stereo slide service I formerly
received from Kodalux through a local grocery store drop-off
has recently become rather problematic (coinciding with their
reacquisiton by Kodak??).  They have become much more restrictive
in their acceptance of bulk loaded film (they ignore what you write
in ten places on the envelope and return it unprocessed if each
cannister is not marked); and turnaround has grown from a reliable
1-week to basically "indefinite."  (Coming up on three weeks for
a roll of give-away "snapshots" they have now.)

Anyone else have current experiences to share?

Paul


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