Film Testing Without a Densitometer

[Robert Ruderman]

Hi,

Does have a recommendation for a film test to determine one's film speed and "N" development time that does NOT reference a densitometer? I do not have access to one, but would sure like to try to work out my film speed and development times. Can you even do a film test without referencing a densitometer?

Thanks,
Robert

[Joe Smigiel]

Yes. Pick up a Stouffer 21-step density tablet for about $9 from Bostick & Sullivan and use it in conjunction with a light box to compare densities visually. Sullivan & Weese's "The New Platinum Print" outlines a procedure for doing this and I've seen it elsewhere but don't recall that source at the moment. Henry Horenstein's Book on basic photography outlines another method (for 35mm, but adaptable to lf) using Wratten 0.10 neutral density filters to nail the film speed.

[windpointphoto]

Load your holders and go out and make a a series of photos under different lighting conditions, esp the conditions you like to photograph under. Make an exposure for each asa speed, say 100 thru 400 for TriX. Develop in the developer you'll use. I use a hole punch and punch a hole 1 thru whatever in each neg and keep notes on how many holes to what asa. Develop and make prints. Whichever one looks good to YOU is the best one. Now here's the hard part: stick to that film, asa and developer combo. You can adjust if needed later but this will answer ALL your film questions and you can than make pictures and not waste your time as so many others do testing to the nth degree. Test once and be done with it!

[Ron Marshall]

Paul Butzi outlines the proceedure in detail on his website. It is quick, simple and requires only three sheets of film.

[steve simmons]

View Camera is doing an artile on how to deterjine your proofing time, your personal exposure index and your normal developing time in the Jan issue. It is simply a description of the minimum time for maximum black that Fre Picker wrote about in his book The Zone VI Workshop

steve simmons

www.viewcamera.com

[John Berry ( Roadkill )]

I would do the nine negative test.

[Kirk Gittings]

I have used the Picker method for 25 years with great results. Pick up an old copy off ebay or wait for Steve's article. It works very well.

[Robert C. McColloch]

Might be helpful for you to have a little more information regarding Kirk's suggestion. The book by Fred Picker is probably out of print (6th printing 1977). But you could probably find one in a used book store. Look for "The Fine Print in Black & White Photography" published by Amphoto, ISBN 0-8174-0574-7.

[Brian Ellis]

Last time I looked there were quite a few transmission densitometers for sale on ebay for very little, including several nice Macbeths and other well known brands on which nobody was bidding. So if you wanted one you probably could pick one up for $100 or so.

[Kirk Gittings]

I was actually thinking of the Zone VI manual. ASfter years of trying to figure out the zone system with minor Whiyes book and AA's first version of the Negative, Pickers Z6 manual was a beam of light.