film speed / zone system

[anthony3]

<p>Hi all:<br>

I am trying to test for film speed after reading Zone VI and Beyond the Zone System and all seemed clear until I actually went to do what I read. <br>

I went out with a Gray Card and got my reading (Zone V) then went to stop down to Zone I. Problem/confusion for me was that my V was 500 @ f8 and I didn't have four stops available. Can I at that point change the shutter speed to get the fourth stop? Also, my spot meter was reading things like 8.3 and 8.7 and 5.6 (7) and I wasn't sure what to do with the tenths of a stop. <br>

Sorry but most of the density seems to be in me rather than my film.<br>

Thanks,<br>

Anthony </p>

[dave_wilson1]

<p>Basically yes. If you run out of stops change the shutter or re-configure the whole thing. What film are you testing and what camera and lens are you using? Dave</p>

[anthony3]

<p>I'm using Ilford Delta 100 and an 80mm lens on a Hasselblad. I was shooting the gray card in the sun and tried to alter the amount of light but in the shade was too dark and in the sun was a bit too bright. The books warned about indoor or artificial light. I was using an ultra spot II hand meter.<br>

Thanks. </p>

[RobertChura]

<p>Zone I is for areas that are very dark with almost no detail. If you are exposing at that setting your overall image will be very dark. The key to the Zone system is to be aware of where the values fall and therefore expose then compensate with development.</p>

<p><em>I was shooting the gray card in the sun and tried to alter the amount of light...</em></p>

<p>I don't know how you would alter the amount of light in the scene? If you mean alter the Fstop or time then I understand.</p>

<p>Your basic exposure for a normal scene would probably be close to Zone V then you could compensate with development to bring the highlights back to a printable range. Both ends of the zone would contract with the lower zones contracting more therefore it is recommended to move the initial exposure to a different zone accordingly depending on how you want the image to appear.<br /><em></em></p>

[anthony3]

<p>Hi Robert:<br>

If I have the concept correct I was using the meter to get Zone v and then stopping to Zone 1 which is the darkest area with some detail. Then I would test my negative for base plus fog and look for the exposure which was .1 over that to find out what exposure and what film speed setting got me that and I would then know what the actual film speed was for my camera/development/film. You Zone folks can let me know if I have this correct.</p>

[thirteenthumbs]

<blockquote>

<p>Problem/confusion for me was that my V was 500 @ f8 and I didn't have four stops available. Can I at that point change the shutter speed to get the fourth stop?</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>The difference between shutter speeds is 1 stop. You can use any combination of shutter speed/aperture change to get to how many stops over or under Zone V reading you need.<br>

Four stops under 1/500 f8=1/30 f8; 1/60 f5.6; 1/125 f4.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Also, my spot meter was reading things like 8.3 and 8.7 and 5.6 (7) and I wasn't sure what to do with the tenths of a stop.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Round to the nearest 1/3 stop and set the aperture lever proportionally between the marked stops. You could round to the nearest 1/2 stop and set the lever to the midpoint between stops, many lens have half stop indents, but it will not be as accurate. 1/3 stop is just delectable on film.</p>

<p> </p>

[anthony3]

<p>Hi Charles:<br>

<em>The difference between shutter speeds is 1 stop. You can use any combination of shutter speed/aperture change to get to how many stops over or under Zone V reading you need.<br />Four stops under 1/500 f8=1/30 f8; 1/60 f5.6; 1/125 f4.</em><br>

I appologise for belaboring this but what you are writing is not sinking in for me. For example - going from zone v to zone I in my mind should have the effect of letting in less light/exposure thus making the film less dense and closer to film base plus fog. But in your example you are showing four stops as going from 1/500 @f8 to 1/30 @ f8 and it seems to me a longer exsposure (1/500 vs 1/30) would let in more light and therefore move more toward zone IX than zone I. Have I totally lost it?</p>

[AJG]

<p>You are right that Zone I is 4 stops less exposure than Zone V, and if you run out of f/stops to stop down with then going to a faster shutter speed should work. I wouldn't worry about readings that are within 1/3 (.3) of a stop, since shutter speeds are frequently a little off anyway. </p>

[thirteenthumbs]

<p>Sorry for the misinformation, I should have taken the pain pills sooner.<br>

To go 4 stops less from 1/500 f8- 1/500 f32; 1/1000 f22; 1/2000 f16; 1/4000 f11.</p>

[paul_hoyt]

<p>I have found it much easier to expose a Zone I test negative with a black towel and in the shade. You can also place your gray card in the shade, but a very dark object will have an exposure/f stop setting that will be close to one that you will use when making full scale exposures. I use the gray card for the Zone V development test and use a white object to verify the Zone VIII density. When testing for N+1 and N-1 I expose and develop two negatives; Zone IV and Zone VII (N+1) and Zone VI and Zone IX (N-1) The exposure in shade is done with a blue sky, no clouds, between 10:00 and 3:00. You want the light to be constant, not changing, and the sun should be high in the sky.<br>

Paul</p>