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  #11  
Old 11th July 2020, 09:06 AM
alexmuir alexmuir is online now
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You could experiment with the Zone System and 35mm film using the following methods;
1. Use a bulk film loader. You can load short rolls to be used on one subject at a time. Development based on the lighting and contrast. This method allows flexibility for all the preliminary testing that is required. I did this several years ago when I was interested in Zone System work. You need a bulk loader and film.
2. Use normal cassettes. Note lighting/contrast for chosen scene/subject. Make required exposures. Rewind film leaving leader out. Mark cassette N, N-1, N+2 etc. Use this cassette next time you have the same contrast. This method is less appealing because you don’t get to develop your films immediately. You also have to carry a few part exposed films, but it will work if bulk loading isn’t an option. You would, of course, require to do your tests first for EI and development times.
Alex


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  #12  
Old 13th July 2020, 07:13 PM
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skellum skellum is offline
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Good evening Nat.
I think almost every black and white user who cares about he quality of their work will experiment with Zone sooner or later.
For me, I wanted to understand the whole process rather better, and improve the consistency of my work. Zone is a system of working which (in my understanding) allows the photographer to manipulate the tonal range of his film by varying exposure and development. This can then be printed in a way which satisfies the photographer's creative vision, whilst not necessarily being an 'objectively' accurate rendering of the original scene.

I wonder what you're lookng to discover through experimenting with Zone? It isn't really practical to exploit the system fully in 35mm, but if you're looking for a better undrstanding of process, or just upping your print quality there are gains to be had.

You plan to use a 35mm camera?
It has full manual control?
You already have a spotmeter?
What's your current preffered film/ developer combination?
What's your normal develpment time for this combination?

Last edited by skellum; 13th July 2020 at 07:14 PM. Reason: Too many sticky keys on this keyboard.
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  #13  
Old 21st July 2020, 04:52 PM
JOReynolds JOReynolds is offline
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Default Spotmeter memories

In the 1960s and 70s, when I was learning photography from respected professionals, I never encountered a recommendation for spot-metering, even on 8 x 10" Ektachrome. I do recollect a version of the Gossen Lunasix where the sensor was on a wand to wave around in the back of a monorail camera, in front of the ground-glass. Lighting technicians in the motion-picture industry used spotmeters to assess the evenness of illumination on sets, viewed from the camera position
But decades later, when 'wet' processing technology no longer provided me with employment, I got a job designing architectural luminaires (light fittings) and found the Minolta Spotmeter to be invaluable. Moreover, unlike professional photographers, almost everyone in the lighting industry used one - and, for continued standards compliance, forked out for regular recalibration. It is a superb bit of engineering, but is it relevant to pictorial photography?
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  #14  
Old 21st July 2020, 06:50 PM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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For many years I was shooting 35mm with an M3 Leica anad it's Selium add-on Leicameter alongside my LF kit and a Spotmeter.

I do use the Zone System but loosely except when there's extremes. I've shot a lot on foggy days, the first my then GF said you can't shoot today in this (I've cut the expletives) and I went and shot quite a few images used in a major exhibition. If I'd used the ZS strictly the expansion woulsd have completely killed the atmsphere, however if I'd needed to shoot something close-up it would have been quite different.

These days I'll use one of my Spotmeters, or a Gossen LunPro/Six - I have two Gossen Spot attachments, or a Leningrad as a fallback

All my films except Foma get developed for the same times, I don't do ZS +1 or -1 development, however hwen contrast is excessive and I heed a lot of shadow detail I do -2 development.

A point that's often mossed is knowing how to use the meter at hand. I learnt with the un-coupled selenium meter on a Zenit E, moving to a Spotmatic F with Full Aperture TTL but also S1a's and their selenium semi-coupled add-on meters.

I've gone out with my LF kit forgotten a meter and used my M3's Leicameter, or more recently my Yashicamat 124's meter. over the years I've subconsciously cross checked them.

Some years ago in Cornwall at Bottallack 3 of us (all members here and also Photrio) sat comparing metering after finishing shooting. We meterered the same scene and once adjused fo different films peed we agreed to +/- 1/3 of a stop. I was using a spotmeter (Soligor or Pntax) and a LunaPro, Stu had an in camera Meter and a separate meter, Mark Birley can't remember it was may 12 years ago. The point is that it wasn't necesessarily what teh meter read rather how we interpretd the readings.

When I shot LF E6 I always used my spotmeter, most reliable way.

Ian
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  #15  
Old 21st July 2020, 09:16 PM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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I must say, I've REALLY enjoyed using my Gossen Profisix with spot meter attachment these last few days. I'd never used it in the heat of battle and I admit it's colossal but it's been a dream to use. I'm biased towards dials and being able to see 7 zones and to switch between 1, 5 and 10 degrees is a big plus for my visual and intuitive style of working.
The neg's look great but I'm still to print them to see how they translate onto paper but I may have just become a spot meter convert!
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  #16  
Old 22nd July 2020, 08:06 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MartyNL View Post
I must say, I've REALLY enjoyed using my Gossen Profisix with spot meter attachment these last few days. I'd never used it in the heat of battle and I admit it's colossal but it's been a dream to use. I'm biased towards dials and being able to see 7 zones and to switch between 1, 5 and 10 degrees is a big plus for my visual and intuitive style of working.
The neg's look great but I'm still to print them to see how they translate onto paper but I may have just become a spot meter convert!
The Gossen spot attachment is a useful compromise. When I started using the Zone Systen all I had was Weston meters a Master 5 and a Euromaster, it's not as difficult as it might first appear, I think Ansel Adams describes it in the Negative.

I do like the dial on meters, and the Gossen ones are nice and clear. I put a Zone scale on My Pentax Spotmeter, it's still there 30 years later.

Ian
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  #17  
Old 22nd July 2020, 11:46 AM
Terry S Terry S is online now
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Although I have a Pentax spot meter, which I've still got to learn to use properly, I find with my recently used cameras, I do well without it. Mind you, my cameras vary between Holga's and Kodak Brownies at the moment and there's not much, if any, in the way of adjusting apertures and speeds. You'll be lucky to get a choice of sunny or cloudy setting.

But whatever the camera used, I still get negs that are perfectly printable, so I do wonder if taking out the Pentax spot meter with the above is maybe unnecessary?

Terry S
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