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Re: [OM] zone system - in olympus-digest V2 #1447

Subject: Re: [OM] zone system - in olympus-digest V2 #1447
From: John Pendley <jpendley@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 09:54:03 -0500
Chung, Stephen (AU) wrote:

> Greetings Oly-faithful,
>
>  I can understand how
> MMV between individuals, but when you find that in your own attempts at
> photography that invariably your own mileage is varying it's time to do
> something about it.  This revalation pretty much came about after leaving
> the relative safety of the color negative - minilab processed print world
> for the alternating triumphs and disasters of "do it yourself B&W, RA4 and
> E6" rollercoaster.

Stephen, I'm with you 100 0.000000e+00re.  Exercising the highest degree of 
control of
which one is capable, and then turning the film over to a lab makes no sense to
me.  (Unless the lab is highly professional and consults with the photographer
about desired results.)  Even then, I would feel robbed of participation in part
of the creative process.  What's driving me nuts right now is that I have been
away from serious B&W work for a long time and don't have a darkroom.  I will
later in the year, however.

>         In an effort to gain a higher degree of control and predictability,
> on the exposure side of my photography at least, I look upon techniques such
> as the Zone system with interest.  I suppose one could look upon products
> such as Photoshop in the same light, but being a non repentant glutton for
> punishment, I avoid such fast, sensible and efficient means of image
> processing - YMMV.

To be fare, I'm sure the digital darkroom is as demanding as the old fashioned
kind.  It undoubtedly offers even more control.  But I'm too old to learn an
entirely new technology now, and I love the magical experiences that occur when
only the safe light is on.

>         So to anyone out there on the same quest, I offer the following
> observations:-
>
> Joseph wrote:-
> > Ansel himself used the Zone system with hasselblad medium
> > format cameras
> > as well as large format cameras.  For this, you just need 5
> > film backs,
> > 1 for straight development, and a +1, +2, -1, -2 back as well.
> > alternatively, you can carry five 35mm SLR bodies and do the
> > zone system
> > in 35mm.
>
> How about just one of OM4/T/Ti, OM3/T/Ti, OM2S/Sp or OM2000 and a bag full
> of short loads from a bulk roll of 35mm instead?
>  - should cut down on exposure variation between bodies
>  - you'd think it would cut down on batch variation in your film

Good point, all.  But you're still working with a tiny negative.  Don't get me
wrong: I've been using 35mm all my life and have no plans of switching.  And
it's a challenge to milk the last ounce of performance out of 35mm materials.

> > Although not many color negative films are amenable to push and pull
> > processing (a few like Fuji 800 and Ektapress will push ok), you
> > can get the spirit of the zone system by carrying 3 films, say Reala
> > for long tonal scale negatives, Fuji Superia 100 for high
> > contrast negatives,
> > and Agfa Optima 100 for normal contrast negatives.  But you have to
> > calibrate your technique and meter if you plan to exercise the level
> > of control of tonal range that Ansel was able to marshall, and there
> > aren't as many printing controls on account of color shifts.
> >
> > Joseph
>
> I would like to add - determining the "correct" EI for your chosen film
> stock and camera to be an important addition to the above.  I recently read
> what appears to be a nice little methodology in a 1980's edition of the
> British version of PhotoTechnique magazine for determining EI for your film
> relative to the Zone system .  E-mail privately please if interested.

Look for my private email.

> In answer John Pendley wrote:-
> > Amen, Joseph.  Can you imagine making a once-in-a-lifetime
> > image like "Moonrise, Hernandez, NM"--in one exposure--based on
> > your knowledge of the zone system and the candle power of the
> > moon?  With a view camera?  In my experience, there's
> > nothing that allows me to relate to that.  Given the man's
> > obvious technical mastery, I think much too much has been made
> > of it at the expense of his talent as an artist.  He could
> > convey a mood with the best of them.
> > John
>
> When I am drooling over a good example of an AA print, I eventually get to
> thinking about the technique behind it.  I had been getting to know the spot
> meter on my OM4 for about a year when I read about the story behind the
> making of Moonrise over Hernandez.  Shortly after that I figured I'd go and
> test out what I had "learned" about exposure on the OM4. So I loaded some E6
> in my OM1 and went forth in search of deceptively tricky exposure
> situations. While I managed to bag a few exposures with the aid of centre
> weighted meter and my guesstimate of +- compensation, found I hadn't learnt
> enough.  I'm hoping judicial application of the zone system helps me in this
> respect.

Of course you have to wonder at his technique.  I was trying to say that his
technique is so spectacular that it has drawn attention away from his ability to
create a world, to elicit emotion.  And that's what great pictures are about, I
think.  One further observation about AA's prints (and, ironically, it's a
technical one).  Every one I've seen, and I've seen a museum full, seems to be a
source of light itself.  Those things actually seem to glow.  I've never been
able to get that to happen.

> Furthermore John Pendley wrote:-
>  SNIP
>
> > Or we could go with a 35 that has the feature of leaving the leader out
> when
> > you rewind.
>
> With someone awake in the driver's seat, any OM, and as far as I know any
> manual film advance camera, has this "feature".  If you don't mind the extra
> effort,inconvenience you don't always have to lug extra bodies for your
> different emulsions.  Then again I suspect the chances of scratching your
> film may increase if you do a lot of mid roll rewinding/reusing.

Point taken.  I've been working with electronic cameras way too long.  This will
give you a laugh at my expense, but that's ok.  I went out yesterday for the
first time with my newly acquired Olys.  Put film in a started shooting.  I had
a wonderful time getting reacquainted with spot metering.  But after about ten
exposures, I realized I hadn't set the ISO.  I'm too used to the camera doing
that for me.  I imagine there will be lots of readjustments like that, but I
love the idea of getting back to the kind of basic photography I used to
know.Regards,
John Pendley

> Regards
> S.C.
>
> PS. BTW YMMV
>
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