Zona took my complaint about the scan quality seriously: they dispatched a factory representative from Noritsu, who "fixed" their scanner's software settings. Unfortunately my re-done scans don't look much better than before. I am not hopeful about getting my money back. I'll have to see if I can cope with what I have.

Meanwhile I scanned the black-and-white film myself. It came out fine. Apparently it will be a while before I get it online because I haven't had a lot of time, and it takes me many nights to monkey around with the cropping and so on.

My plans to put pictures online this week have encountered a major setback. Zona Photo Labs developed the color film just fine but screwed up all 73 scans. Somehow each image is out of focus, hyper-sharpened, and dithered to a small (256-?) color palette.

I am mad as hell.

Was Boston Photo Imaging the last competent photo lab in Boston?

If I can't find a shop that knows how to scan film properly (and unlike BPI, can do it for less than $90 per roll), I guess I'll have to quit putting color pictures on the Web.

I'm back from Malaysia. What a trip! I have much to show for it, including a dozen pages of notes, 5 rolls of film, and about 22 mosquito bites. (Hopefully not the dengue!) I have developed the B&W pictures but I expect about a one week lead time on the color. Therefore I will put things online late next week.

Actual strips of film tell an interesting spatial and temporal story that digital camera files can't imitate. I thought of this last week when I encountered a poster for a "digital photo contest" in which the sample pictures were set into a fake strip of film complete with sprocket holes. Obviously film must have something going for it if the digital people still think it's cool to imitate it. I include this scan for your general amusement. Also because I think Russ would like the sign.

(Seriously, when was the last time you saw a warning sign that so concisely describes both the crime and the punishment?)

I'll be in Malaysia until October 10.