P3D Problems with processing labs

["Dr. George A. Themelis" <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>I don't sound bitter do I? ;^)
    
No Brenda, thanks for sharing! :-)

Here is my story:  I gave two rolls with important pictures (Kindergarten
graduation for my son and graduation party of Greek school) to our local
Drug Mart and selected the "Premium Processing" service with 5" prints, 
and double prints (an option for which I had to pay extra).

I got back the prints and noticed that one of the two identical copies
of the prints was consistently out of focus.  Sometimes it was very
subtle but others it was crystal clear. (It is either that the machine
was changing the focus or, more likely, vibrations were screwing up
the second print.)

I went back to the store and showed the clerk examples of pairs.  On
purpose I selected the worse ones.  I said: "Compare these two prints.
Look at this person's face.  Do you see that it is sharp in one print
and blurred in the other?"  Her response: "I don't see a difference"
And turning to another clerk: "Do you see an difference?"  The other
clerk could not see a difference either. 

I can only think of two explanations for this behavior:

1) They both suffer from serious vision problems.

2) Their standards are so low that anything that it not totally out of
   focus is acceptable.  I think someone said that there was a small
   difference but nothing to worry about.

This situation really scares me.  People's standards are so low, they
would accept anything they are given. If I did not have the double prints
with one tack sharp and one slightly blurred, I would have no way to
tell that something was wrong with the blurred ones.  This can be a
serious problem with those working with stereo prints.  Because if
the prints are not sharp, they stand out like a sore thumb in 3d.

Alan Lewis has mentioned how important it is to work with the lab to show
them what a sharp print is.  In one sense, I am glad I am working with
slides where what you shoot is what you get.... (assuming, of course,
that you don't get back butchered Realist slides, scratched film, etc.)

-- George Themelis


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