Response to beginner - getting b/w film developed? help!!

Just a minor caution on the C-41 process B&W, which I use often. Any 1 hour or other lab that does a decent job on color negatives will do an eqully good job on the B&W. The film processes identically, BUT making prints isn't so clear cut. The printing machinery is set up to work with color negatives, with their orange mask, and often attempt to adjust color for good facial skin tones. Obviously, that doesn't fit the B&W. Kodak recommends a specific filter pack for use in printing T400CN. Many labs don't use it. Probably most never even know about it. Mainly because there are so few rolls of T400CN processed relative to color neg. The result is that you can't always judge your negatives by the prints you get. I have found that the "clueless" lab prints tend to be muddy, low contrast, and dark no matter what the subject or exposure (within reason). If you can find a good professional lab near where you live, give them a try. But they ususally do cost more. You may be surprised to find that the results are better than you had thought. Have them process some film, and also print some of your "less than loverly" negatives to compare with the cheaper labs. If you are lucky you may find the "mass production" lab has been doing a good job. Or you may find that your images are better than you thought. Either way, you'll learn from the comparison.

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