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12/06/2005 04:12:36 PM · #26 |
Count me in on that one as well, Robert.
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12/06/2005 04:32:03 PM · #27 |
Originally posted by petrakka:
if there's one thing I'd love to learn about photography right now it's the zone system.
I'm about to spend some weeks in Mexico, and I need to travel light.
The only camera I'm bringing is my mamiya 7 range finder. I'm really concerned about getting the best possible exposures using the Mamiya's spot meter (unless my next check is bigger i cant buy a handheld to bring, and im not messin with my digital stuff on this trip).
I'm gonna be shootin 6x7 chrome, so needless to say at 10 exposures a roll a messed up shot gets pricey, I want to make the best photos I can, I think knowing zone would help me a lot here. but then again I could be wrong since I know nothign about it. I've heard knowledge of the zone works well with a spot meter... |
Zone System is of marginal help on transparency film. Here's what you NEED to know:
1. Your meter calculates to a Zone V, middle-gray. Point it at a white wall, give indicated exposure, the wall will render as a middle-gray.
2. With transparency film we "expose for the highlights". With negative film we "expose for the shadows". This is because these are the areas where the emulsion is thineest; the most transparent areas of the image.
3. Zone VII (two stops brighter than Zone V) is the brightest highlight you can render with true detail. Zone VIII, in theory, is visibly less-than-pure-white but has no detail visible.
4. Your approach would be to look at the scene and meter off the brightest areas on which you wish to preserve detail, then add two stops to that exposuyre to render these areas to Zone VII. If they are really large areas and the detail is very significant you might consider an exposure halfway between Zone VI and Zone VII (add 1.5 stops to base indicated exposure)
5. Use the calculated Zone VII exposure as your baseline and bracket off that if you bracket at all.
Hope this helps.
Robt. |
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12/06/2005 04:58:59 PM · #28 |
Originally posted by bear_music:
Originally posted by petrakka:
if there's one thing I'd love to learn about photography right now it's the zone system.
I'm about to spend some weeks in Mexico, and I need to travel light.
The only camera I'm bringing is my mamiya 7 range finder. I'm really concerned about getting the best possible exposures using the Mamiya's spot meter (unless my next check is bigger i cant buy a handheld to bring, and im not messin with my digital stuff on this trip).
I'm gonna be shootin 6x7 chrome, so needless to say at 10 exposures a roll a messed up shot gets pricey, I want to make the best photos I can, I think knowing zone would help me a lot here. but then again I could be wrong since I know nothign about it. I've heard knowledge of the zone works well with a spot meter... |
Zone System is of marginal help on transparency film. Here's what you NEED to know:
1. Your meter calculates to a Zone V, middle-gray. Point it at a white wall, give indicated exposure, the wall will render as a middle-gray.
2. With transparency film we "expose for the highlights". With negative film we "expose for the shadows". This is because these are the areas where the emulsion is thineest; the most transparent areas of the image.
3. Zone VII (two stops brighter than Zone V) is the brightest highlight you can render with true detail. Zone VIII, in theory, is visibly less-than-pure-white but has no detail visible.
4. Your approach would be to look at the scene and meter off the brightest areas on which you wish to preserve detail, then add two stops to that exposuyre to render these areas to Zone VII. If they are really large areas and the detail is very significant you might consider an exposure halfway between Zone VI and Zone VII (add 1.5 stops to base indicated exposure)
5. Use the calculated Zone VII exposure as your baseline and bracket off that if you bracket at all.
Hope this helps.
Robt. |
Don't forget sunny 11, 16 & 22. These always help to determine if my meters on or not.
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12/06/2005 05:08:12 PM · #29 |
Originally posted by Brent_Ward:
Don't forget sunny 11, 16 & 22. These always help to determine if my meters on or not. |
Yeah, but that's got nothing to do with Zone System and Petrakka's an accomplished shooter already so he's probably aware of that rule-of-thumb. For the uninitated, "correct" exposure on an average scene in full daylight is f/16 at the reciprocal of the film speed: with an ISO of 200, shoot f/16 @ 1/200th of a second, in other words.
Robt. |
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12/06/2005 05:11:24 PM · #30 |
Chris,
I highly recommend taking a film-based course first.
I am just finishing a Photo I course (black and white film-based) in a university fine arts department and am so thrilled with it that I plan another film course next semester.
If you take a film-based course, emphasis will be on manually controlling the camera and composition. Be prepared to spend a significant amount of time in the darkroom.
I have a Canon film camera, the Elan EOS 7NE. This uses EF lenses that can be used by some Canon digital cameras.
I would go to a camera store and explain what you want and see what they suggest.
-Mary |
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12/06/2005 05:12:21 PM · #31 |
Originally posted by bear_music:
Originally posted by Brent_Ward:
Don't forget sunny 11, 16 & 22. These always help to determine if my meters on or not. |
Yeah, but that's got nothing to do with Zone System and Petrakka's an accomplished shooter already so he's probably aware of that rule-of-thumb. For the uninitated, "correct" exposure on an average scene in full daylight is f/16 at the reciprocal of the film speed: with an ISO of 200, shoot f/16 @ 1/200th of a second, in other words.
Robt. |
I was just referring to the in camera meter and shooting slides. I know a little about the zone system...hehe.
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