Zone System and film procesing

Hello all,

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I am looking for ZONE SYSTEM sites to find out as more informations as possible. Can you help me?

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After sheet film developing in trays i can switch on the dim light?

Can i use the ordinary red bulb light as dim light?

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with thanks

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Martin

Martin,

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Although I'm sure that there are some exceptions (film and developer

combinations that can be developed by inspection, for example),

generally, a safelight cannot be used when developing film.

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<a href="http://www.photodo.com/">Photodo</a> has a few articles on

the Zone system. However, they seem to be more of an overview rather

than a step-by-step procedure on aclibrating your processing. You

can go to the source and read "The Negative" by Ansel Adams. "Using

the View Camera" by Steve Simmons also discusses how to actually

calibrate your process.

For information on developing by inspection, see past View Camera

magazine issues with articles by Michael A. Smith. A Wratten #3

safelight four feet from the film, using a 15 watt bulb is all the

light you will tolerate. This is after film processing is about half

finished, and then for a second or a few.

If you are really looking for the classic Adams/Archer zone system

controls you won't be doing them if you process by inspection. You

will use the basic principles but not all the testing and control

procedures.

Why would you do all the testing if you are watching the negative

come up under the green safe light? If you do go this way, some films

read easier under the light than others. TMax films are a pain in the

butt under green safelight and(for me) take a much finer touch than

FP4+, TriX or HP5+. Delta films aren't that easy either. If you work

with one film you will get to know it well & inspection will be

easier to do. It isn't hard, but if you aren't a careful worker,

normally careful, not fanatically precise, you should do OK. If you

want to learn from the masters, check out

http://www.michaelandpaula.com and take a workshop from them.

I have an article on development by inspection for large format films

on my web site at

http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Inspection/inspection.htm. You

must use a very dim green safelight. Developers containing pyro-

gallol or pyrocatechin have a tanning effect that desensitizes the

emulsion somewhat, so negatives developed with such developers can be

inspected for longer times.

I picked up a green party light at the hardware store for about $2.

This is all I use for development by inspection with 4x5 and 20x24.

DBI is the only way to go but I dreaded the thought of sheet film when

roll film seemed so easy. I've tried many films and developers with

DBI in trays. I go with emulsion side up and when areas of the neg.

start turning jet black I pull the film and put in the next tray.

Doing multiple sheets in trays using DBI is easy, just flash the light

to view each sheet separately. You don't have to worry about

exposure in the field, chemical temps, watching the clock, and you can

reuse the film developer by leaving the film in longer. I just put on

my Bible study tapes from

http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Radio_Liberty/Archives.asp

and away I go.

Martin, if you speak Swedish take a look at photodo.se, where there is

a fairly complete set of articles about the zone system. Lars

Kjellberg, who wrote them, also has published a book on the Zone

system which is also in Swedish. I don't know if it is still in

print, but my local library (Lund) has a copy, so yours might too.

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The clearest, shortest and simplest explanation I have seen in English

was in the catalogue of a UK company, Silverprint. Their latest

cataloge is available as a PDF file (www.silverprint.co.uk) but

despite the wealth of useful information in it, the zone stuff is

gone.

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If you're buying the Ansel Adams series or any other English-language

books, don't forget that the UK has cheap postage and no VAT (MOMS) on

books. Swedish book sellers need a firm kicking, so don't give them

your money.

Pete Andrews, where are you on this one? Last time you posted an

eloquent argument against inserting religion here. I say our

moderator's stance prohibiting Bob Solomon from using the board to

promote commercial interests should be applied to uniformly to those

who would advance any such activities. Notice the URL ends in ".com."

Deleting Mark's last sentence, as well as what Wayne and I have

posted, should do nicely.

Martin - AFter sheet developing in trays, and transferring the film

to a stop bath, you can turn on a dim normal light. My light is a 50

watt bulb that is about ten feet from the stop bath tray. However,

since the film is in the stop bath for only 30 seconds, just to be

safe I usually wait until the film has been placed in the fixing tray

and sloshed around a couple times before turning on the light. At

that point you don't need to worry about how dim the light is.

Regarding The Zone System and Ansel Adams.

Hamiltonbook.com is selling hard copies of Ansel Adams' The Negative

and The Print for $6.95 each.