35mm Zone System: Is it possible?

<p>Of course you can. You have to follow the guides of the zone system. The one thing you have to have in mind is that you need to use a complete roll for a scene. That means you need to expose the whole film in the same situation so you can develop accordingly. I recommend you bulk loading your own rolls, with maybe 10 exposures each or sth. like that. I have done it for a long time and results are excellent. For example, developing in +4 a low contrast scene can render beatiful results.<br>

Best,<br /> Diego.</p>

<p>My two cents, if you are learning the basics, forget about the zone system for awhile. If you don't have the time for the darkroom work that the zone system requires, then you shouldn't use it. Its predicated on control of your development and printing.</p>

 

<p>Yes, you can. If, you have more than one body. Have one for normal developement. One for N+1, and one for N-1. Zone system people have been doing that for years.</p>

<p>Peter, my additional thoughts on this is that if you are going to do your own processing then multiple bodies are not necessary. One of my instructors for a photo class I took used, as a template, a piece of string with knots tied in it so he could count out how many frames into the roll he was. This is predicated on taking notes while shooting so you know which scenes require which processing times. You also need to be consistent with your film loading. I imagine multiple tanks would be required as well. Blank frames between scenes is helpful as well; this would give you some room for error as well as making handling the film easier, ie, loading onto a reel.<br>

I have never done this myself, but my instructor spoke of it as though it were no big deal. I imagine you just need to keep track of what you're doing.</p>

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With limitations, 35mm cameras can be used to employ the zone system. The book, The Zone System for 35MM Photographers: A Basic Guide to Exposure Control by Carson Greaves, explains how and with a minimum of graphs. The zone system is technically difficult, so expect to struggle with the concepts. Nonetheless, Greaves book presents concepts of the zone system in manageable terms. This title, I believe, is out of print, but can be found used on Amazon.com. I used this book (1^st edition) in my darkroom days and can recommend it. Greaves does a nice job in explaining the most basic concept of the zone system: understanding the scene contrast and employing the development time accordingly. At the end of the book he gives useful tips for 35mm workers and for applying the concepts to color photography. If you decide to go with B+W darkroom work my advise is to buy the best thermometer and reels; stick to one long lived liquid developer (HC-110 or the like); and stick with one 400 speed film. Change films and developer only after you can get consistently good results. </p>

<p>What Adams did with the zone system is relate visualizing the final print to the exposure required on the film; film development, and final printing. This gives a method of translating the film's characteristic curve to the final print. It includes expanding or contracting the tonal range to fit the print material - this is why there is so much testing involved if you want to meticulously follow the zone system.</p>

<p>You do have to do some testing in the beginning to match the film + developer to the paper you're using, but you don't need to turn it into an end in-and-of itself - it's far more important to take photographs.</p>

<p>When using the zone system you examine the subject to be photographed and note the darkest area of the image and lightest area. Then you decide the darkest area you want to preserve detail (that will be zone III) and the lightest area with detail (that will be zone VII or VIII depending upon the type of enlarger you're using - condenser or diffusion). You quantify the subject's luminance range - and how it relates to the tonal scale of the paper - before you make the exposure on film and so you know the required film development.</p>

<p>You then need to identify the key tone in the subject - that will be the tone of the subject that is important to you. In the case of a portrait - that would be the facial skin tone, in a landscape it would be the main subject of the photo. You take a reading of the main subject and relate its reading to the zone III and zone VII or VIII area - that is, you note what happens to the other tones when you "place" the key tone for proper exposure at the zone value you visualize.</p>

<p>For example, let's say you're taking a portrait outdoors with snow on the ground as part of the scene. You note that when you place the skin tone at the proper exposure (let's use zone VI to VI-1/2 for typical caucasian skin in sunlight) - you'll find that the snow illuminated by sunlight is zone VIII-1/2 - meaning you can't retain detail in the snow in the final print if you expose and develop for a normal (N) exposure + film development (that's why you need some testing to establish N, N+, N-, characteristics for the film + developer).</p>

<p>Now what you have to understand is that the N, N-, and N+ developments have more affect on highlights than shadows because there's more exposure in the highlights, they develop faster and you can affect them more than shadows. In fact, you can develop film to completion (total development) and you won't get much more density in a zone I than if you did N development - and the added density will be fog and not detail in the film developed to completion.</p>

<p>But, back to the photograph - at this point, you need to think about how you're going to expose and develop the film to attempt to get the zone VI rendering of the skin and retain detail in the snow. This is where you need a little more understanding of photography. If you use a yellow filter (#8) will retain the skin tone while darkening the snow a bit because the snow is being illuminated by both sun and skylight - the yellow filter will lower the snow value about 1/2 zone by filtering some of the blue light so you're back to zone VIII by using the filter. </p>

<p>Now if you're using a diffusion enlarger you can probably develop normally (N) and print on grade 1-1/2 paper and you've got your photo. If you're using a condenser enlarger you'd probably want to develop at N- and use a grade 2 paper and dodge the face very slightly to open it back up and get it back to zone VI - but, you will have detail in the shadows and details in the highlights (snow).</p>

<p>The idea is to relate the subject you're photographing to the final print, before you make the exposure so that you can factor everything into making the negative - filter, exposure, development, and final printing. </p>

<p>But, remember - even if you don't get the exposure and development perfectly fitted to the paper, there are a lot of other darkroom controls like using a different paper contrast grade, dodging, burning, split grade printing with variable contrast papers, using heated developer on small areas to increase contrast or make them develop faster, etc.</p>

<p>The key idea is to visualize the final print before you make the film exposure, and then use the technical controls to get the final print. </p>

<p>Yes to visualize the final print, before the exposure, is going to take time in training. Not only the eye, before exposure, but the procedure and steps after exposure. To see how close you came to what you thought you where shooting in the first place. Living in rural Arizona with no Pro Lab around the corner, to do this effectively, and more efficiently, it seems imperative that one must go to the use of a darkroom!<br>

With this in mind I dug into the shed again and came up with some darkroom equipment for the Speed Graphic, 3x4 large format camera I dug out Christmas. But none of my dad's old 35mm developing tanks and equipment were around.<br>

Fascinating!<br>

So, a new question.<br>

Since I now have learned that it is possible with roll 35mm film to do the zone system, is it easier, less costly, in 35mm, or learning the zone system instead in single sheeted large format?<br>

Doing your own developing with either, in the beginning, without a darkroom. Using light tight developing tanks, and a dark bag to get the developing training down. Having it printed at first by a lab, specifying paper ect and then later creating a darkroom. Getting the equipment to learn the last step of the zone system, and print directly with all its creativity.</p>

<p>Any thoughts on this strategy?</p>

 

<p>I was "classically trained" in photography having Leslie Stroebel (author of View Camera Technique) as my freshman studio professor at RIT. So, I'm predjudiced a bit...but, that being said - I think it is easier to use sheet film for the zone system as every exposure is handled individually. However, using a camera with an interchangeable back system (Hasselblad, Bronica, etc.) or multiple camera bodies so that you can group exposures by development requirements can be made workable. My problem with that is often you will find that you make one exposure at N+ and the remainder at N or N- and your stuck with waiting until you fill up the roll, or you waste the remainder of the roll in development. Basically, you don't have to adapt to the strategies already put forth to use 35mm in previous posts and can concentrate on making the photographs using sheet film - you're not looking for subjects to fill up a remainder of an N- - or N++ roll. </p>

<p>You can use the zone system even with color film or digital cameras for quantifying the luminance range and what will happen to the remainder of the image when you place the key tone at certain exposure. This is using the zone system for exposure and predicting the consequence on the final image - but not being able to control the development.</p>

<p>I would also suggest that if you want to pursue the zone system further that you get a monochromatic viewing filter as this will speed your undertanding of the subject in monochrome. It can also be used to see the effect of filters on the subject if you "flick" the filter in front of the monochromatic filter and note the change to the scene. You really can't hold a filter in front for any length of time as your eye will rapidly adapt to the combination and you'll lose the change that the filter makes.</p>

<p><em>James Dainas: "Each zone is one f/stop but for me it is easier to explain things using zones. 'Caucasian skin falls on zone 6' is easier than 'Caucasian skin is one stop more than a gray card reading'."</em> <br /> <br /> For me its just the opposite - I'd typically think the Caucasian skin is one stop more than a gray card. But I understand the concept and reasons behind the Zone system.<br /> ____<br /> <br /> <em>Jeff Henderson -- </em> I agree with you 100% in your first post and the idea with measuring the number of frames with string is also interesting.<br /> <br /> Sometimes I've used a changing bag to either switch rolls in the middle of the roll or more often cut the roll already exposed (to put in a metal canister) and splice a new leader onto the remainder of the roll such that it will be processed differently.<br /> _____<br /> <br /> <em>Peter Korazan: "If so, is this true for slide and color print also?"</em> <br /> Yes definitely. This is way I prefer to do my own color processing and mix my own color developers . I have control over time, and developer activity.<br /> <br /> <em>"... I do not have the inclination to set up a dark room, for the same reason I do not like spending much time in the digital darkroom"</em> <br /> If you don't pay attention to these details - especially for some exposure situations, then you are compromising what your photos are capable of. I understand that it takes time to do away from the field - but think how many fewer shots Ansel Adams would have published if he only published normally exposed and developed shots.<br /> ____<br /> <br /> Now my controversial statement: <br /> Digital Sensors in digital cameras vary in their usable range, and much like that Super -XX film that was mentioned, sensors are getting to have a comparable or better range such that one shot, stored in RAW, has more than enough range to mimic the n-1, n+1 results. I still shot film - but I'm awaiting better and more affordable sensors.<br /></p>

<p><em>"... I do not have the inclination to set up a dark room, for the same reason I do not like spending much time in the digital darkroom"</em> <br /> If you don't pay attention to these details - especially for some exposure situations, then you are compromising what your photos are capable of. I understand that it takes time to do away from the field - but think how many fewer shots Ansel Adams would have published if he only published normally exposed and developed shots."</p>

<p>Yes very true. This post has made me aware of this. Yet I have never done any development. So, because of what I have learned in this post I have decided to take the plunge and learn how to develop B&W. In the beginning it will be without a darkroom. Using a dark bag and light tight developing tanks that I discovered in the shed that goes with a 3x4 format Speed Graphic. Then will either find a darkroom I can use, or make, convert bathroom, something, into one.<br>

That's were I'll start, and then hopefully, as I learn more about developing and the zone system, I will move to 35mm format in B&W. In time will see if we get into doing our own color developing.</p>