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I will, eventually, do my own testing; but what do you use as a personal EI for new Tmax 400. (TMY2) in Xtol, either stock, or preferably 1:1?
...what do you use as a personal EI for new Tmax 400...
... Xtol, either stock, or preferably 1:1?
(TMY2) in Xtol
25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 with normal development regardless of EI.I will, eventually, do my own testing; but what do you use as a personal EI for new Tmax 400. (TMY2) in Xtol, either stock, or preferably 1:1?
Am I missing something here, is there something macho about doing your own testing? Is it a right of passage that separates the newbies from real photographers? As Mark points out Kodak is equipped to do these tests accurately whereas the average person has neither the equipment nor the knowledge to do them properly. So, if you were to do a test and it differed from Kodak's results it would only prove that there was something wrong with YOUR methods.
Am I missing something here, is there something macho about doing your own testing?...
I think the testing process is most important for what it actually teaches the tester.
It doesn't actually teach the tester anything. The test itself is based on a misunderstanding of film speed and tone reproduction. You can't draw meaningful conclusions from test results unless you understand the nature of the test, and what it is/isn't telling you.
If you determine your EI ... based on printing experience
"Personal EIs" have to do with how you meter and/or how you test for an EI. They don't have much to do with film speed.
1) ISO speed (what's on the box). This is the most logical place to start.
The truth is this, there were many super-fine photographers way before Ansel, Phil Davis, Howard Bond who never even heard of film or paper testing...
I used to go through the metering process just the way Adams describes in his three book series, using my fancy spot meter and it worked just as described. Now, after doing this for a few years, I have abandon that method of metering. I will still spot meter on occasion, but almost never anymore. What and how do I meter? After reading "Beyond the Zone System" and thinking about what I read, I now use incident metering for almost everything. I find that if I use a good, sensitive meter in the incident mode and meter my scene smartly and not sloppy, I get just what I need. Reading the light falling on a subject is much more accurate than a reflected reading that might be influenced by stray light coming into the scene. Back lighted beach scenes and snow scenes are but two examples of problems a reflected light meter runs into. Now, if the user is smart enough to know what to do in those situation like that then he or she is fine. Incident metering is not foolproof either, but it's much less troublesome if done right. You can master this whole thing either way................testing or by just doing and learning. I will admit that one takes longer and cost more. Which one? I'll let you figure that out.
It doesn't actually teach the tester anything. The test itself is based on a misunderstanding of film speed and tone reproduction. You can't draw meaningful conclusions from test results unless you understand the nature of the test, and what it is/isn't telling you.
If you determine your EI (which has mostly to do with metering) based on printing experience, that's one thing. Running an "EI test" is another.
... Most people waste their time testing end up deciding that they need to adjust a half stop. A half stop really does nothing. They would do better to learn not to aim the meter at the sky.
... Under exposing slide film by 1/4 to 1/2 f/stop will increase saturation. The danger is that, at least back then if one under exposed by 1 f/stop the slide would start getting too dark.
I'm going to disagree with your disagreement with meI agree, Thomas - IF:
1) You determine that EI based on how the negatives consistently come out and how they print, or
2) You just cut the EI in half to give yourself a bigger safety factor
If, on the other hand, you do the typical Zone System type of "EI test", then I disagree. These kinds of tests don't actually reveal new information.
I disagree with your disagreement!
I agree with somebody's disagreement, but I won't tell whose...
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