[Leica] Exposure and Development

[kcarney1 at cox.net (Ken Carney)]

I looked at my Pentax digital spotmeter (I also have a LunaPro which is a
little more accurate in really low light).  It has a ring on the lens
showing the various zones.  On the grip is taped a sheet with film speeds
for various developers and films, depending on the amount of expansion or
contraction.  Plus, I have the John Sexton slosher for really really high
contrast negs.  Then, it turns out that my best image was taken with a Holga
(TriX in D76 1:1 - you have to try to make an unprintable TriX neg).  Now,
there is this histogram thingy on the back of my camera.  I like it.  It
tells me if I have shadow and highlight detail, especially highlight.  If I
don't like it, I can take another one and the histogram falls into place. I
like the histogram thing much better.  I don't have to tape up the hotel
bathroom and load film holders while everyone else is lapping up good scotch
at the bar downstairs.

Ken  

> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces+kcarney1=cox.net@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-
> bounces+kcarney1=cox.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Walt Johnson
> Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 5:44 PM
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Exposure and Development
> 
> Luis
> 
> Smith, among many other shooters, used this same approach. The Zone
> system is great and Minor White did the best book on it many years back.
> It is a bit awkward for roll film, especially 35mm. If you shoot  under
> the same conditions for the entire roll it  then  all well and good. How
> many of us do that with 35mm? Nonetheless, it does give the photographer
> an excellent frame of reference for his or her work.
> 
> The water bath system you mentioned is a way of controlling those out of
> control brightness ranges. There again, not real applicable to 35mm
> work. Every now and then I do a few zone system tests but only for the
> fun of it. As I'm sure you know, after a while all this becomes second
> nature. Thank goodness! Then we can get about making images. :-)
> 
> Walt
>