Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/01/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Martin, Please permit me to suggest, as others have before me, Fred Picker's "Zone VI Workshop", which, although out of print, has appeared on eBay, etc. Picker covers the gamut of exposure/development/printing for black and white photography in about 100 pages. In particulary he focusses on three key issues that will enhance anyone's photographic craft: 1) A proper film speed test (Calumet Photo will do the test for $US10) 2) A test for proper development time (Zone VIII) 3) A "Proper proof" : minimum exposure to yield maximum black through the film edge Yes, the "Z" word appears, but so what? In my opinion performing these basic tests is like a musician learning his/her scales -- it just should be part of everyone's "kit". Also, while the "Workshop" is now technically dated, the approach that Picker puts forward can be applied to modern materials just fine. Regards, Steve Alred On topic bit: I photograph with an M6 & IIIf and get very pleasing (to me) results from my 1972-era Omega B22 outfitted with a Zone VI cold light and printing on (Zone VI) Brilliant paper.