A moment of silence...

[kick Z tail out]

...for Longs Drugs and consequently, their very nice photo department.


Longs Drugs was bought out by CVS. Several of the Longs Drugs stores in my area had just revamped their entire photo center (added even more very nice equipment, lots of it). 8x10s were $3.99 also, which I think is a great price for done on the spot prints.

Well during the last 2 weeks, they made the full transition to CVS. Remodeled, signed and all.

I went in to CVS to have some shots printed a few days ago, figuring they would have kept the photo department as it was. Remodeling was still in the works. I walked in and found that they had torn the entire photo center out. All the machines were gone... in it's place was one pathetic little Kodak kiosk. I thought to myself... well surely this is just a temporary thing until the photo center can be moved to another part of the store or something.

I asked the chick working nearby what was going on with the photo department and how long before it would be finished... she says to me "you're looking at it". So yep, that one stupid little Kodak kiosk is the photo department at CVS. The largest print you can get is 8x10... and they want $7.95 for one.   They don't send out for any services. What you want, you get at the stupid little kiosk. You just better want 4x6s or 8x10s.

So I left and found the only dedicated photo business in the entire valley. Small mom and pop. Not wanting to go to Walmart, I went to him. Paid $40 for several 8x10s... all of which came back blurry. It was like his printer was allowing the paper to move as it was printing. So... I went to Walmart and their prints were crisp and clear.

In LA, I'm sure this isn't a problem... but Longs was one of the best deals out here. And now it's gone.

[NikonGuy]

Man thats sure does sux man, I usually go to RiteAid... I sometimes get my prints for free lol since a friend of mine works there. 

Have you tried Kinko's?

[akradecki]

Try Costco...they're fantastic. You can upload online and pick-up in-store. A gorgeous 12x18 glossy enlargement is 2.99!! Quality is top-notch, and they cater to pros as well, you can even download the color profiles for each store's machines so you can get the color output exactly right (assuming, of course, you have a calibrated monitor).

[CHILIBEAN]

Target does them also

[phantomphan1974]

Ditto on costco and I have printed up to 12x16 for 2.99

[robin990]

COSTCO is perfect........$1.50 8x10 , 12x18 $2.99 , and perfect work......have a problem ....they fix it right now.

Biggest no brainer on earth.

[phantomphan1974]

Unless there is not one close in the Hemet area.

[kick Z tail out]

Unless there is not one close in the Hemet area.

Yeah, the closest one is 30 miles from me. We usually have to plan our trips there. You guys are really making me wish it was closer! I may still use it and just drive there when I'm going to be in the area!

Thanks for all the ideas! 

I'm considering getting a Canon Pixma Pro 9000, depending on if it'll be cheaper to operate or not. Anyone have one?

[NikonGuy]

Hey Nate,

I remember seeing a commercial on tv about a Kodak Printer thats real good. I think it was like $99.99 but couldnt find it on the website, the cheapest is $129.99 and it also seems pretty good.

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=12695&pq-locale=en_US

[Realbigtaco]

I'm bummed because Longs always has model airplanes, and CVS doesn't.  As a kid when my mom wold take me to Longs iw ould run back to the toy sections, and they always had cool models.  Come to think of it, it might just be the first place i ever got a model from.

RIP Longs drug store

[Josh]

The Longs in Torrance on the corner of Maple and Sepulveda was converted to a CVS years ago. It was actually Oscars, then Longs then CVS. CVS is destroying a lot of these little places now. It's a bummer.

[kick Z tail out]

Yep, it's sad. Longs was a pretty good sized corporation, that kept a small business feel to their stores. CVS on the other hand, has the corporate, bland soul-less feel to it. 

Hey Nate,

I remember seeing a commercial on tv about a Kodak Printer thats real good. I think it was like $99.99 but couldnt find it on the website, the cheapest is $129.99 and it also seems pretty good.

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=12695&pq-locale=en_US

Thanks! I'll look into that as well. Looks really good from the link... And I know supposedly Kodak had some break through idea to make ink last longer, which is neat to see a printer company trying to do for you...

[robin990]

I used a Canon i960......photo printer for a year....printed great pics , but costco are much better and much cheaper for the quality you get.

 DO NOT BUY A PHOTO PRINTER........THE INK COST IS INSANE , THE QUALITY GREAT BUT NOT ANYWHERE AS GOOD AS COSTCO , AND 25 PERCENT OF YOUR PRINTS WILL NOT BE PERFECT.....

       MARK MY WORDS....ITS A MONEY PIT.

       IM SELLING THE i960 , WITH NEW HEADS , AND ORIGINAL BOX FOR $25.00....PRINTS GREAT PICTURES BUT ITS A NEVER ENDING MONEY PIT....IT COST ME $200.00 NEW

[kick Z tail out]

Thanks, that is my big fear about them. I've always had the concern that it would either be more expensive than getting them made, and/or the failure rate of a print would be high... wasting paper and ink on screw ups.

The convienience of being able to fire off a high quality print on the spot in my home office is cool, but not if it's a money pit.

[kick Z tail out]

BTW... looking at Costco and like you guys said. Wow. Their photo center has crazy deals!! I wish they would build one here in town, I'd wear that place out.

Do they send stuff mail order?