For photo shops, the increasing use of digital cameras among consumers means fewer people dropping off rolls of film to be developed and printed.
But in a bid to snatch back patrons who have defected to digital cameras and home printing devices, processing shops are making rapid moves to digitize their operations. Kitamura Co., which runs a chain of processing shops, is one of the first to install digital mini-laboratory machines, offering film-quality print services for digital camera users.
The firm completed installation of the machines last fall at all of its 555 outlets nationwide.