Re: [Leica] Grey Zone

[Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>]

Anthony Atkielski wrote:
> 
> From: Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>
> Sent: Monday, September 27, 1999 00:40
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Grey Zone
> 
> > It's great to have definite ideas as to where your
> > thresholds are in a numerical sense so you can count
> > on your fingers.
> 
> It seems like an unnecessary complication.  Why not just pick the brightest part
> of the photo in which you want to see detail, and the darkest part, and make
> sure they are no more than five stops apart?  If they are more than five stops
> apart, you have to decide which end to sacrifice.  Simple.  Why bother with
> zones?
Why call it a zone? Why not it don't make any difference to me. Call your
"Textured highlight" Aunt Molly and your "Textured shadow" Uncle Harvey if it
works for you. For a lot of people with no imaginations just call it 8 and 3
count out stuff on their fingers, that's me. I really think it's the word "zone"
that sticks in most peoples craw. If Instead of zone 8 they called it tone 8 the
photography world would be different place.
When I've said "Textured highlight" in these posts I'm talking about the last
discernible highlight detail printable from you negative on your print. Lighter
than that being no texture. Same for the "Textured shadow," your thresholds.

> Some of the references I've seen to the zone system (or should I capitalize it
> as the Zone System) talk about it almost as a religion.  I'm really suspicion of
> anything that sounds like a religion.
These lots of those picky picky people walking around with their underwear in
alphabetical order. When you get to know me better you'll find out I'm not one
of them. The Zone system(s) have helped me feel like I have a handle on what I'm
doing. Some people set their camera on P and smoke a joint and create genious.
Not me! 
I would just read some little thing and it with the idea that if you didn't like
it you could always forget it. But i doubt you'd forget it. That's what I mean
by zone system implants. It's a great system to not have to think about.
> 
> Furthermore, since you really have no control over the lighting of a scene
> outside a studio, wouldn't it be simpler still to meter for the most important
> part of the image, and then just let the rest fall where it may?
Yes in most cases. But It's nice to know where they have fallen to and how much
that might effect your image. In other words just know where your thresholds
are. Call them any thing you'd like. The Zone system helps more than you'd think
if you gave it a shot.
>   -- Anthony