Just compared hand-rolled 35mm to a lab-developed roll and the difference is scary

I shot the same roll of Portra 400 on my AE-1 last weekend, one roll I developed myself in the kitchen sink and the other I sent to a lab in Austin. My home job had dust spots everywhere and the colors looked flat. The lab roll came back crisp with way better contrast. I thought I was saving money at $4 a roll vs $12 at the lab but after seeing the results I'm sticking with the pros for color film. Has anyone else had this happen or is my developing technique just trash?

2 comments

2 Comments

brookepark19d ago

Isn't that just life though? Paying for quality usually pays off.

ross.angela20d ago

Oh man, YES, this exact thing happened to me! I tried developing C41 at home last year and my results were just sad. Dust, weird color casts, everything looked like it had a muddy filter over it. I really thought I was being smart saving money too (like who doesn't love a good deal), but honestly the lab just knows what they're doing with those temperature controls and chemical baths. My kitchen sink technique was maybe a little too relaxed, you know, like I'd just guess on the temperatures and hope for the best. The lab rolls come back with that punchy contrast and clean highlights that make me feel like I actually know what I'm doing. So no, I don't think your technique is trash, it's just that color film is way more picky than black and white (which I can actually pull off at home okay). Stick with the pros for color, your future photos will thank you.