Thanks, Sevo.
Hi Leigh,
Thanks for the response.
Exactly!!! - that's my problem: Aren't the sheets supposed to show the three stop exposure range, and the left and right sides supposed to show the difference between exposed and unexposed halves?!
Conventional wisdom says that for the (box and slower) ISO’s / apertures / shutter speeds exposed, there should be SOMETHING between the left and right half of the sheets. Why isn’t there any difference?
This is why I was confused, and started this thread. The only logical explanation that I can think of, is what IC-Racer and Bill Burk said.
I agree. Here are scans of two negatives, exposed with the same lens, film and same box ISO 100 and same developer (Rodinal).
The lakebed image was anticipated to have a wide Subject Brightness Range, and was given 1+100 compensating development.
The Bodie image was given 1+50 “normal” development.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suspend...n/10002835876/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suspend...n/10002834866/
While the Bodie negative has a well defined tonal range, I had to “print through” the lakebed to get the image details that I was looking for. When I print for shadows, am losing highlights, and vice versa.
Research on this led me to "printing the negative just long enough for the film base to print down to maximum black" -- which finally led me to give film speed testing a shot.
Of course, I readily admit that I am a noob, been doing LF / Film for 1 year, have only done 3 or 4 print sessions in my life. I only have a condenser enlarger and use RC MG paper. I consider myself a student, and all this a part of the learning process. As I learn, I'd like to keep things simple, reduce the variables, etc., and was certainly influenced by your earlier posts on the topic (ex., keep it simple, use incident metering, box iso, etc.).
But the questions I am asking myself are:
- Is “personal film speed determination” is part of “... you can adjust your processes accordingly... ”
- Will it help me get negatives with better tonal range, and make the whole exercise (of exposing, developing, printing) more predictable?
I am not (yet) wedded to the personalized film speed approach. If it doesn't work for me, I may go back to box ISO. But am curious to see how others are handling this, and if it is something that I can learn/adapt.
Thanks much once again,
Arun.
(By the way, the responses to this thread has been a tremendous learning opportunity! I have taken these responses, gone back to the books, my other negatives, and been trying to crystallize the problem as well as logical options for solutions. Thanks for all the LF'ers who make this forum so great!!)
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