Re: [Leica] how can I know the light compensation in indoor photo

[Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>]

Nathan Wajsman wrote:
> 
> Hi Grégoire,
> 
> > I would like to know (maybe this is a non-Leica question) how could I know
> > how much I have to compensate what my cell give me in an indoor situation
> > (incandescent light) in order to have the best result in Black&White neg.
> 
> This is difficult to answer. Obviously it depends on where you are pointing your
> meter. If you make sure that there are no light sources within the metered area,
> then I do not see why you would meter any differently than outdoors.
> 
> > Also (I know, it depends of the skin tone) What is the distance (in focus
> > stop) between the neutral grey and a normal pale skin, 1, 2, 3 stops? Can I
> > measure it right with a handhld cell, one time in reflective mode, second
> > time in incident mode, am I right?
> 
> Assuming B&W film, I would place a Caucasian (white) face in Zone 6, i.e. one
> stop above the neutral gray. If you are using slide film, just meter off the
> face. The best way to meter a portrait in my opinion is to use an incident
> meter.
> 
> > P.S. I just bought a second hand Macro-Elmarit R 1:2.8/60mm and would be
> > pleased to have your appreciation on this lens, and maybe a comparision with
> > the Summicron R 1:2/50mm
> 
> I like this lens very much and in fact use it as a standard lens on my R bodies,
> having recently sold the 50mm Summicron that came with my Leicaflex SL.
> 
> > P.P.S. What kind of film should I use to shoot without a tripod, with just
> > one or two incandescent 75watt, iso1600, is it enough, or should I directly
> > go to iso3200?
> 
> If you use the 3200 films like Delta 3200 or TMax 3200, you should rate them at
> 1600. The ratings printed on the package are optimistic at best. Most tests I
> have seen put the true speed of those films at 1000-1200. I would assume that
> Neopan 1600 is similarly optimistically rated. For Delta 3200, I have gotten
> good results by exposing at 1600 and developing for 7 minutes in XTOL stock at
> 20C.
> 
> Nathan

Hello Nathan and Grégoire!
mind if I but in on your two issues here? I'm going to leave your whole post in.
I too am perhaps not getting 1600 out of my Delta 3200 with Xtol 1:3 for 20
minutes at 70 degrees agitation once per minute.
I ran a tank of 8 rolls in a two liter metal tank and got thin negs that will
need another grade and a half of contrast to print but many of them are thin in
the shadows. (Some are ok in the shadows so I'm a little up in the air as to
what the heck is going on)
So next tank I'm going to go Xtol 1:1 instead of 1:3 and give it 17 minutes. I
had also gotten some what looked like diachronic fog which I'm assuming the
higher concentration will remedy.
My Delta 400 1:3 at 17 minutes looks studpendious though like the results I used
to get with Pan F and Rodinol only 4 times faster speed. I'm a happy camper on
that front! I am also using that film with studio strobes instead of medium or
slow speed films now. I'm getting that nice glow you want to get from my results
which have been 8x10 multigrade fiber prints. Those are clean looking negs.

On the metering of black and white in tungsten I think of it this way.
Meters have varying sensitivity to different wavelengths and so do films.
Your meter may be under sensitive to the warm end but your film (TriX?) might be
hypersensitive to reds (warm tones) and therefore the two have cancelled
themselves out.
You'll know when you look at your negs if your indoor stuff is coming out thin
or not and to therefore compensate.
That's why it's good to not use too many films and really know your film. All
these finer points become intuitive. And not have too many meters.
That's how I see it!
Mark Rabiner