Large Format Photography Australia

Hello everyone,
My used LF camera will be arriving shortly.
I'm now looking at options for 4x5 film processing.
I will be using B/W and colour film.
I know from my forum searches most of you seem to do your own processing but I'd like to use a processing lab for now.
Can anyone offer some info on the best processing labs, either locally to Brisbane or by mail order around Australia.
I could also do with some help sourcing the fim sheets too - types and prices etc.

On another issue, once I've had my negs scanned and put on disk what is the best option for computer processing the images on my computer.
I currently use Adobe Elements 10 for my 35mm didital work but I'm not sure if that can cope with the bigger file sizes of a 4x5 scanned image.
How do you all work with the digital images?

My aim is to create quite large landscape prints (eg 150 x 80cm) which I can't do with a 35mm image.

Looking forward to your replies.
Thanks, Paul.

Hi, Paul.

I can't really comment on the Brisvegas processing questions that you posed as I'm a) in Melbourne and b) I process my own B&W and E-6; however, rest easy on the Elements 10 question.

I use Elements 6 at the moment on files up to around 1Gig without hassles.

Prolab at southbank is the only place in brisbane that will develop 4x5. Brisbane digital images at milton is the only place that will drum scan, and I would recommend that if you want to print big. They also do large scale inkjet printing.

Yes, I have already had a look at the Prolab price list. Looks like $18 to process a 4x5 neg.
Thanks for the drum scan info. I'll check that out.
Paul.

Doing your own developing is the best decision you'll ever make, it pays for itself awfully quick in Brisbane.

Waltzing Paul wrote:Yes, I have already had a look at the Prolab price list. Looks like $18 to process a 4x5 neg.

Ned Kelly's alive and well and living in Brisvegas…

Please tell me that's for colour.

$18 a sheet! Wow.. Parcel up your negs and send to Vision Imagelab in Sydney. Unless its black and white - do it yourself!

Just checked again and I got the price wrong.
Colour is only $12 to process but BW is $15.
How does that work!
Unless I'm missing something.
Still pretty expensive.
Prolab prices here: http://www.prolab.com.au/services/Lab-S ... essing.php
Now looking at ways to process my own BW 4x5 negs.
Anyone using that Mod 54 Processor?
Last time I did any of the darkroom stuff was over 40 years ago aged 20 so it will be a bit of daja vu.

Black and white will be more expensive because I think they'll hand process them rather than sticking the sheets in a machine as they most likely do with colour.

Paul, BW processing is really easy. Not worth paying someone to do it for you. I do tray processing and develop the negatives by inspection. I use a camcorder (Sony) with infrared capability to see the neg develops and fish out when enough contrast achieved. Even with over exposed neg, no problem with this method as I can monitor the neg.