Originally Posted by
Doremus Scudder
Since changing development time changes the film-base+fog density, any standard enlarging time derived from one development scheme will not automatically transfer to another. Ideally, E.I. should probably be adjusted for expansion and contraction developments as well (in practice, it's really only the contractions that we have to watch out for). Still, I'd do a separate test strip to find minimum time for maximum black if I increased or decreased development by 20% or so.
Regardless, the window of acceptable exposure and development is generous enough that one should be able to get in the ballpark fairly quickly for a "Normal" scheme of exposure and development. These days, it is less important that we have a lot of different development schemes, since the contrast controls in printing are greater and more flexible. And, even the classic Zone System as practiced by Ansel Adams never got closer than a "Zone," which means a stop, one way or the other.
Getting enough exposure so you have the information you need on the negative and then developing enough to get the print contrast you want (i.e., between the extremes of possibilities offered by VC paper) is all that we really need to do. Sure, dialing things in is great, but we shouldn't get lost in the rabbit hole of testing everything to perfection when it's not necessary and doesn't make any difference in the final print.
Best,
Doremus
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