Ready for the"Zone System"--but which one?

[Russell]

I've been playing with my 4X5 field camera, shooting polaroids and transparencie s, while I gathered equipment for using and processing B&W negs. Well I've mana ged an enlarger, a spotmeter, even a cheap working densitometer but now I'm face d with the problem--which Zone System. There's the original AA zone system, the non-technical zone system, zone system 2000, a new zone system, beyond the zone system and son of the zone system. My inclination is to start with Ansel Adams 's original scheme as described in the The Negative and when I've some experienc e under my belt to consider the "beyond the zone system". Any suggestions or c omments on the wisdom of this approach?

As an aside any comments using the Aristo w45 light (the older source) with vari able constrast papers or whether to even bother trying would be appreciated.

Thanks, Russell

[Don Welch]

I agree with some of what Dan said. Pick one authority and stay put until you really feel you understand what is being taught. It's easiest to start with Ansel, since all the "beyonds" and "even more beyonds" start there, too.

There IS a slop factor to LF gear, as Dan said, but it can be minimized by careful work, without having to obsess over precision. If adherence to any system takes away the enjoyment of making photographs, it's not right for you. However, I find that careful attention to detail, including knowing how well-calibrated my shutters and light meter are, results in more consistently good images (technically). Use the system you choose, and your equipment, until they become second nature. Until you aren't thinking about technique, rather you are concentrating on what no Zone System can teach you: making art out of light and shadow. Get that part right and you won't need Harry Pothead to make you feel good!

[Jim Chinn]

Rusell,

Don't make this into a complicated endeavor. I believe that the easiest to understand source is a book by Carson Graves, "Zone System for 35mm Photographers". Everything in it is applicable to large format, just substitute your spot meter when he discusses the cameras light meter. It covers every aspect of the zone system. For printing he also has an excellent book, "The Elements of Black and White Printing". Both books tell you exactly how to get the results you are looking for.

[Jim Chinn]

I forgot to address the Aristo question. From what I recall, because the light is primarily a blue source it only effects contrast correctly with the blue sensitive emulsion layer and not the green. To correct you can do two things: 1. get a 6x6 40Y color correction filter and place under the light source or inside the housing, 2. buy a replacement bulb, I believe it is a W54 that is color balanced for VC papers. The bulb can be ordered through B&H I think it is about $75-$90 depending on the enlarger you have.

[Stephen Vaughan]

Begin with the simple, fundamental principles of the Zone system. Try not to overcomplicate things or worry too much about the over-technical aspects. First, and most importantly, work out the TRUE speed of your film and use this as the basis for exposure. Second, develop a few sheets of film - one at the recommended time, one under and one over - and work out which gives the best negative for your enlarger/paper. Use these basic skills to go out and PRACTICE. The Zone system will then develop alongside your work. Being able to recognise where the zones correspond to the light reflected in the scene is the real key to the system, and this can only be done by getting out and seeing for yourself. Go

[jnantz]

aristo will install the new light source into your cold light head for $102.00. good luck john

[neil poulsen]

I agree that the Zone system is based on easy, fundamental principles. The over-riding principle is "expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights." If you think in these terms, then the Zone system will be intuitive.

That is, once you SET the level of exposure for the darker areas of your print, you can select a development time that will give you the right negative density for the lighter areas of your print. What makes the Zone system work is that changing development time has little effect on the darker areas of the print, and a much greater effect on the lighter areas of the print. (The longer the development time, the "whiter" will be the lighter areas of your print.)

Something that you will need is a test pattern so that you can determine your different (N-2,N-1,N,N+1,N+2) development times. Some people suggest using a gray card illuminated by lights. I've found this approach to be problematic. It's hard to get even coverage. A method that I've found to be effective is to take photos of about an 8 inch diameter frosted glass that has been illuminated from behind with blue, daylight corrected, tungston light. In fact, I use two layers, a translucent piece of 1/8th inch white plastic with a frosted glass placed behind, separated by about 3/4's of an inch. I mounted these onto a piece of plywood painted black on the front with an 8 inch hole cut in the center. I used three 250watt bulbs positioned in a triangular pattern, with the bulbs about 7-8 inches apart. With the bulbs about 8-10 feet behind the frosted glass, I get a very dim pattern. With the bulbs placed about 18 inches behind the frosted glass, I get a bright pattern. I placed the bulbs on a horizontal slide (mounted on a tripod) so that I could easily adjust the bulbs by small distances. I tried using regular tungston bulbs, but it didn't work very well. Perhaps with blue lights, I'm matching the light provided in outdoor scenics. But, I also get predictable results with photos taken indoors.

With all due respect to comments regarding "slop", the purpose of the zone system is to be able to produce prints with PREDICTABLE shadows and highlights. So, the less "slop", the better! Be as consistent as you can in your methods. (e.g. consistent temperatures, agitation, concentrations, etc., relating to the developer. Consistent shutter speeds, metering, etc.) But, I agree, keep it enjoyable.

A book I like is the Zone System Craftbook, by John Woods. But, I'm not sure if it's still in print. Whichever book, read passages before buying to see if it comes across in an intuitive way. As for general methodology of picture taking and darkroom practice, Ansel Adams three books (The Camera, The Negative, The Print) are unmatched.

[Kevin Kemner]

Russel,

Get "The Practical Zone System". I think its by Johnson. You can read it in the morning and be shooting that afternoon. Its clear, concise, and has rule of thumb answers.

Good Luck

[Jim Chinn]

Just remember, the zone system is just a tool to refine your technique and help you better translate what you see into the "reality" that you want to present in a print. You don't have to have the zone system to get perfectly acceptable B&W images. One time I took a weekend trip and after 200miles realized I left the light meter on the kitchen table. At first I thought no way I will get the kind of images I wanted. But I used the sunny 16 rule, adjusted shutter speed for required f-stop and made two negs for each scene, one with 1 extra stop exposure. Opened up additional stop for bright overcast. Made notes as always about how to process the negs when i got home. All the negatives were fine, most excellent. Could I have improved with the light meter- probably so, but I learned the zone system doesn't make the image, it is only a tool to help refine your vision.

[David Mark]

Hi Russell,

I would like to give Phil Davis's Beyond The Zone System (BTZS) a qualified recommendation. My recommendation is "qualified" because I cannot tell from your posting whether you would be comfortable with such a technical approach to photography -- though I note that you have acquired a densitometer.

BTZS requires a very significant upfront effort, as it is an integrated and comprehensive approach to black and white photography. Davis's idea is that we must make negatives that print easily on our printing paper of choice. Since different papers have different characteristics, the first thing we must do is determine what our paper of choice gives us as an available density range (i.e. what are the useful extremes of light and dark in the print). Then we learn how to make negatives that, no matter what the lighting conditions in which we photograph, fit that paper's density range.

There are several advantages to the BTZS approach. First and foremost, I think, is that it gives you a good understanding of the whole process of black and white photography. Aside from the pleasure of understanding a subject thoroughly, this has practical benefits: when something goes wrong it is a lot easier to ferret out the error if you understand how every part of the process, from exposure to final print, actually works.

Second, some important data are very difficult to generate through the more traditional zone system approach. For example, one of the first things you learn in the BTZS approach is that subject brightness range determines development time, which in turn determines film speed. This is obvious if you think about it. If you are photographing a scene with an extreme contrast range you will need to make a very flat (low contrast) negative. A zone system photographer would say that you need N minus development. To get the low contrast negative you will develop less than your normal developing time, perhaps much less than your normal time. But that reduction in development time will cost you film speed. Why is that? It turns out that even those parts of the negative that receive relatively little exposure, the shadow areas, are still affected by development time, though much less than those parts of the negative that have received relatively great exposure, the highlight areas. To compensate for the loss of shadow detail due to the reduced developing time, you must add exposure. In the BTZS approach you do this by downrating the speed of the film and calculating the exposure based on this revised film speed. How much of a correction you need depends very much on your film, developer, and development technique. However, a single set of BTZS film tests will generate all the information you need to work with your chosen film in a very broad range of lighting conditions.

How do conventional zone system photographers generate the data for exposure correction in subject brightness conditions that deviate from the normal? My observation is that most such photographers don't. Of course experienced photographers learn that they must add exposure when conditions dictate reduced development. But a significant increase in exposure would also affect the high values, thereby throwing off the original high zone placements. I think you can see why so many photographers speak of a 'slop' factor creeping into the process.

I do want to emphasize that many large format photographers make magnificent pictures, and very few use the BTZS approach. So BTZS is clearly not necessary. I do firmly believe, however, that BTZS will give you a higher percentage of 'keepers' than will the classic zone system approach.

Good luck and good shooting.

David