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Thread: ZS/BTZS calibrations for different lenses?

  1. #11

    Join Date
    Dec 1997
    Location
    Baraboo, Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,697

    ZS/BTZS calibrations for different lenses?

    Michael Graves said: "I always take three readings. I meter for the lowest value where I want detail and place that on Zone II and then meter on the highest value that I want detail and calculate an estimated development factor. Then I try to find a place in the scene that I think SHOULD fall on Zone V and see what the meter thinks it will be. I don't do anything with that reading. Am I doing something wrong?"

    Michael - Putting the darkest important area in which you want detail on Zone II would usually lead to underexposed negatives unless the darkest area wasn't very dark. The usual zone system recommendation is to put that type area on Zone III but many people find even that leads to underexposed negatives so they put it on Zone IV (which is what I usually do). If that leads to the brightest important highlight being too bright then use minus development. If you've been gettting a lot of negatives that look too dense or even normal by placing the darkest important shadow on Zone II then there's something wrong somewhere ("wrong" in the sense that you shouldn't be getting many of those kinds of negatives with that shadow placement, assuming more or less typical scenes).

    Taking your Zone V reading is fine as long as you don't base your exposure or development time on that reading (unless, of course, the only areas in the scene that you care about are all on Zone V, which would be unusual). Normally the only areas over which the zone system gives you control are the darkest important shadow (on which you base your exposure) and the brightest important highlight (on which you base your development time). Everything in between falls where it falls once you've established those two things.

    I've used words like "usual" and "normal" here because the zone system isn't a rigid set of rules, it's actually very flexible and leaves a lot of room for creativity and personal refinements, but always with the goal of obtaining a negative that will allow you to make the print you want to make with the least possible effort.
    Brian Ellis
    Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
    a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Rondo, Missouri
    Posts
    2,125

    ZS/BTZS calibrations for different lenses?

    Thanks, Brian. I think you just solved my problem AND answered my original question all in on swell foop, er fell swoop, that is. Since the underexposures have occured when metering dismally dark areas, and I'm placing them on the wrong zone, the lower the light level, the more inaccurately, I'm likely to be selecting and metering the subject. Since I'm running new calibrations on film this weekend, I shall take that into consideration. I knew I liked this forum for some reason.
    Michael W. Graves
    Michael's Pub

    If it ain't broke....don't fix it!

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