Pick one film and one film only.. Pick one developer and one developer only. Fix the developer mix ratio, Fix the developer temperature, Fix the developing method.. these three basic post exposure items must be maintained consistent. No variations allowed as with film and developer.
Get a gray step scale and 18% gray card. Load film into film holders, one lens-shutter on one camera and one light meter.
Make an image of the gray scale step tablet and 18% gray card, metered using the meter that has been used to date. Ideally, this would be a spot meter (on the 18% gray card), then check with a incident light meter. Add bellows factor compensation. Do this on a "Sunny 16 day".
Make a series of film exposures at say 1/2 f-stop or 1 f-stop increments +/- (this is kind_A big). Develop the film in the chosen developer "normal development time".
Ideally check the negative film density with a densitometer. Alternatively, make a print or scan to calibrate the gray scale step tablet and 18% gray card. Match up gray step tablet and 18% gray card to post process image. Once this is known, the basic density range based on exposure and post process system has some what of a handle allowing assessment of how the taking scene light range might render on the print image.
Essentially you're trying to calibrate the post film exposure process to film and lens-shutter to what your print goals are to within the limits of the film-developer.
What is marked on the box might not meet your image making goals at all. This is why calibrating the system is so important. Once the system mid-point is figured out. Test again for over expose-under develop (contrast range compression) and under expose-over develop (contrast range expansion).
Trying too many variables like film, developer and all that can often result in KYOS, following what is written on the box or instructions is at best guess based on some one's ideal of what the negative to print image should look like.
Stick with one set of photographic materials, and image making tools. Get to know them really well before trying other photographic materials.
Bernice
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