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Re: [OM] Photo CD: Where can I get it?

Subject: Re: [OM] Photo CD: Where can I get it?
From: "John A. Lind" <jlind@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 13:29:26 -0500
Wow, you've had the run-around . . .

You need to send things off for a "Photo CD" to "Kodak" *after* the film is developed. Identify which frames you want scanned and submit them as if you were asking for reprints. Ensure you deliberately ask for a Photo CD! If it's Walgreens you went to before and they have Kodak Premium Processing as a "send-out" service. Ask to speak to the photo department *manager* and ask to also see the "service guide" or Kodak's complete list of services. This should be a 3-ring binder behind the counter. Photo CD's should be listed under Qualex's special services.

I don't believe you want an entire roll scanned to a Photo CD! This would be horridly expensive. Pick the best of the "keepers" after the film is developed and have them scanned. There are two resolutions of scan: "Consumer" and "Pro." There is a base price for the CD of about $8 or $9 plus a charge of about $1.50 per scan for the "consumer" scanning. The "pro" scanning is $5 or more per scan. Add that up for an entire roll of film! The "consumer" version has twice the linear resolution of a Picture CD, or about 4X the number of pixels (IIRC it's 3072 X 2048). The "pro" version has twice the linear resolution of the "consumer" one (IIRC it's approx. 6000 X 4000 pixels) and creates enormous file sizes. Whoever told you they're the same resolution, or even quality, is feeding you GARBAGE. The Picture CD files are compressed JPEG and the level of compression is significant. Even though they're half the resolution, they're not near the information content of a TIFF that has the same resolution.

Photo CD files are not JPEG, nor are the TIFF, nor are they any other common image file type. They are a proprietary file type created by Kodak specifically for Photo CD's. One file contains all resolutions of the image. You will require some higher end graphics software that can specifically read a Kodak Photo CD (PhotoShop, Picture Window, etc.).

Some full-service pro labs that do Kodak Photo CD's (using the same equipment Qualex does in the KPP labs). Often their price for "consumer" Photo CD scans is a little better than Qualex pricing. These are not the "Camera Store" labs, those are almost always a high end consumer lab and I'm not surprised about what happened to you with them. Pro labs are almost always a stand-alone operation that do *only* film developing and printing. They may sell some pro film, a few frames (maybe) or some high grade proof books (typically for wedding proofs) but that's about it. The one I use only sells film in addition to the lab work. Look in the Yellow Pages of the phone book under Photo Finishing . . . or ask a local wedding photographer who owns his own studio (not a franchise).

Additional photos can be added to a Photo CD at a later date until the CD is filled.

-- John

At 02:01 7/15/02, Lama wrote:
I went to Walgreens and they switched me to "Picture CD".

I went to a camera store and said, "Walgreens never heard of "Photo CD". Can you guys get it for me? The guy said, "Sure" but signed me up for their own, in-house jpgs-on-a-cd product.

I explained to him again that the Kodak product I want is called "Kodak Photo CD", not "Picture CD" and AGAIN he agreed with me but this time he wrote "Picture CD" on the photo envelope. He told me that "Photo CD" is jpgs made from scanning PRINTS! I said, "No it's TIFFs".

When I told him it isn't what I wanted, a seemingly intelligent woman came over and looked it up in a book which (supposedly) told them that "Photo CD" is the same resolution as "Picture CD". It's not. It's several resolutions of each image.

Rather than argue, I just quietly said, "Look, I'm not trying to be a jerk. I'm just trying to bridge the gap between high-quality film and high-quality digital, and "Picture CD" isn't it."

She said, "Ok", so I handed the film over (again). She wrote "Picture CD" on the bag. I said, "I can''t believe you wrote "Picture CD" on the bag!" She said, "But I told you it's the same resolution."

Anyway, enough about my nightmare. I'm ready to wake up. Where can I get this incredibly rare service?

Lama


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