Originally Posted by
Andy Eads
Jason, I struggled with the Zone system and found there are some inherent problems understanding the concepts, especially when you read a variety of authors. There are exposure zones, print zones, density zones, etc. Sometimes the concept is well defined; sometimes it is implied; and sometimes the definitions are missing. To keep my sanity, I devised a system called VIDEC that overcomes these shortcomings. The system is described in capsule form in a series of three articles I wrote for PhotoTechniques Magazine. I deliberately avoid the use of the word "zone". Instead, I lay out a logical path that accounts for the exposure delivered to the film, the degree of development and the resulting density. By use of a graph, you can work the system backwards; that is, by correlating the brightness of areas in the scene to the graph, you choose the correct negative density to obtain the effect you desire in the print. The graph tells you what camera settings to use and what development time to use. How do you know what density to pick? By printing a step-tablet negative with your usual paper and developer, you can determine what printing density is needed to obtain any shade of gray. The result is a negative that is optimized for your printing system, be it silver, platinum or any other negative/positive printing system. I can only summarize the system here but I encourage you to read the articles and see if it doesn't make better sense than the Zone system. If you do try the system, I'd like to hear your reactions and, of course, I'd be happy to answer your questions.
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