Re: developing

[Eric Welch <ewelch@cdsnet.net>]

At 07:53 AM 10/11/96 -0600, you wrote:

>The Zone System was never intended for roll film. The basis of the system is
>the adjustment of development relative to assigned tonal values determined

I, and I would add Ansel Adams, would not agree.

The reason I say that, is not because what Ben is saying is not in the
strictest sense true. But Ansel himself has said over and over again that
the Zone system is simply a way of applying sensitometry to exposure,
processing and printing. It applies to whatever film you might have in
whatever camera you have.

The principles, as Ben says, are most realized in sheet film cameras. There
you can fine tune exposure based on your understanding of the controls you
have later at hand in processing and printing.

But those same controls are also available for roll film. In Ansel's case,
the way he operates is either to have several backs (Hasselblad, etc.) or
several bodies handy. Lacking that, just expose the film and process for
N-1 and then use graded papers for final control. Horror! You mean Ansel
used paper other than grade two? You bet your dodging wand he did. In fact,
his last camera of choice was a Leica R4! (He liked SLRs better than
rangefinders - which he used a Contax for years, but then he also used
Contax SLRs then.) And don't EVEN think he abondoned the Zone system.

That is the Zone system, because you take your understanding how film
responds to a particular exposure/development combination, and then
visualizing how you will end up with the print you want.

(Note I did not say PREvisualizing - that's redundant).

Anyway, you can use the zone system with any camera, and I would hate to
discourage Leica users from approaching a great system simply because they
don't want to carry four bodies for each possible development combination.
It works! Maybe not optimally as a sheet film camera did (there WAS a Leica
body that was one shot! Got $$$$$$$$$$$?)



===========
Eric Welch
Grants Pass, OR