Zone System, Pentax Digital Spotmeter, Zone Scale by Lambrect

<p>I am going to re-read Ansel Adam's Negative about the Zone system but dug up my Pentax Digital Spotmeter which I had affixed a Lambrect Zone System dial scale.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.darkroomagic.com/" target="_blank">http://www.darkroomagic.com/</a> <br /><i>[Moderator's note: Opens to site featuring b&w fine art nudes. May not be appropriate for work or school.]</i><p>

<br /> (It is under Library and look for the PDF: PDZD)<br /> <br /> Can anyone help me with how to use the scale once it is affixed to the spotmeter?</p>

<p>Take a look at this recent thread on a similar subject: http://www.photo.net/beginner-photography-questions-forum/00Srwn</p>

<p>You need to know what zone the object you are measuring should be placed. A middle grey should be in zone 5. A black cat is measured and the fur placed in zone 3. Put the zone three opposite the reading. Then a brighter zone is measured, say a textured white towel the black cat is sitting upon. That probably goes in Zone VII or VIII. Then when you develope the film properly, there will be detail in the fur because you exposed enough to put detail there. The white will print with detail because you did not develope so long as to block that value.</p>

<p>now if white towel measued zone 12, development need to be cut back to allow the white to be in zone 9 or lower. If the white was measured in zone 6 and you needed Zone 7 1/2, then development needs to be increased to get enough density in the white so it is brighter.</p>

<p>Increasing evelopment does little to the shadows, but does control the density of the highlights. This is why "pushing film" is of little value. The deep tones are controlled by exposure only, not time in developer.</p>

<p>The old saying holds, expose for the shadows, develope for the highlights.</p>

<p>You will need to learn where various subjects should end on on the scale and then you need to experiment how long the extend or contract development in order the get the highlights where you want them. </p>

<p>What I do is measure the darkest shadow that has detail, then stop down 2 stops to place it in Zone III. Then, measure the lightest highlight that has detail, open up 2 stops to place that in zone VII. If, by doing that, it places the same aperature reading in Zone V, since that is middle grey. Then the reading is normal. If, it places the zone VII in zone VIII.Then, cut down on the developement.</p>

<p>I agree with Jack, I do the exact same thing, you need to do some film experimentation to find out what your normal dev time will be, for arista edu ultra film iso 100 @50 my N time is 9 minutes in d76. good luck</p>