How do I know if a custom lab is any good?

[salamalala]

I have a half dozen or so to choose from but am not sure where to go or how to decide how to choose...

[megan]

I have a half dozen or so to choose from but am not sure where to go or how to decide how to choose...

Well - I go to the one that was my first job out of college. I've used other labs since, but I always go back to Modernage. The work is quality work, customer service is good, and the prices are extremely reasonable [and cheaper than places like Dugall, which looks pretty and does good work, but I ordered a bunch of slides from a zip disk last summer, and they temporarily lost them. *rolls eyes*] But I would recommend the "work there first" approach, heh heh - it just doesn't pay enough.

So I guess - pick one, get something small like a single print or a develop & contact, see how the customer service is and the quality - and do that until you find the right fit?

Good luck!

Megan

[another view]

Megan is right, it's pretty much trial and error. You may also want to ask some local pros where they take their film. Find someone looking for the same thing you are, like a wedding photographer looking for a lab who is excellent with C41, or a commercial shooter who needs E6 done right and quickly, etc.