Zone system for scanning

[Ed Richards]

I am curious about others experience in adapting the Zone system for negatives that will be scanned and printed digitally. I am curious about the tonal range for scanning compared to printing, at least for consumer scanners. (Drum scanning is a different issue.) My initial experiments make me think that one could do fine with three processing levels, sort of N-2, N, N+2. Contrast adjustment in the scanner/Photoshop could then produce the finer gradations.

[Brian Ellis]

I continue to use the zone system for determining exposure. But on the development side I aim for a slightly flatter negative than I would have in the darkroom so I rarely use plus development any more and I've reduced my N time by about 10%. I haven't conducted any scientific experiments but in general my scanner (Epson 4990) seems to have problems when the highlights are too dense and it isn't easy (for me at least) to correct those problems in Photoshop. OTOH, as long as the shadow detail is there (a function of exposure) it's not usually a problem to brighten the highlights in Photoshop while still retaining detail. But I don't consider myself an expert in this, I'd be interested in hearing what others have to say.

There have been quite a few threads here devoted to the zone system and scanning. If you run a search you might be able to find quite a lot of information.

[Bruce Watson]

I am curious about others experience in adapting the Zone system for negatives that will be scanned and printed digitally. I am curious about the tonal range for scanning compared to printing, at least for consumer scanners. (Drum scanning is a different issue.) My initial experiments make me think that one could do fine with three processing levels, sort of N-2, N, N+2. Contrast adjustment in the scanner/Photoshop could then produce the finer gradations.

As Brian says, this topic has been covered exhaustively in previous threads.

What it seems to come down to is the diffusion lighting of the film by a flat bed scanner, how this diffusion lighting effects local contrast in the highlights of B&W film due to Callier Effect, and to what level you want to try to control it.

The bottom line always seems to be the same -- just like testing for your own EI, you'll have to do your own testing to learn how to optimize your process for your equipment (camera, darkroom, scanner, photoeditor, printer, printer driver and/or RIP, paper, and inks).

[Ed Richards]

Been through those, but did not find what I was looking for. But I agree - there have been enough posts on this. Let's let this one die. I will reopen the topic in a few weeks when I have some new data to add.