Test negatives in need of a densitometer

Renato Tonelli · May 5, 2007

I am testing some negatives for "my personal" exposure index. The last time I did this, I sent the negatives to Zone VI studios to be checked with a densitometer. I have done some searches but have come up empty.

Any recommendations on who offers this service these days? I am looking for good turn-around time (besides accuracy).

...should have bought that densitometer when I had the money...

dancqu · May 5, 2007

Renato Tonelli said:
...should have bought that densitometer
when I had the money...

I got a Tobias TB+ in near new condition complete
with instructions, tool kit, and calibration standards
for under $80. EBay.

If 1/6 +/- stop will do an Ilford EM-10 can be calibrated
against a step wedge. It will then perform as a projection
densitometer. I used a 21 step step wedge. For more info
search this NG for, EM-10 densitometer. Dan

payral · May 5, 2007

Ask Richard Ritter, from Zone VI.
He is still making the readings
http://www.lg4mat.net/index.html

Peter De Smidt · May 5, 2007

Or I could do it for free. Send me a PM if you'd like.

BBarlow690 · May 5, 2007

Get a Film Test Kit from www.circleofthesunproductions.com. It has a way of doing Zone I tests without a densitometer.

Renato Tonelli · May 5, 2007

Thank you for the fast responses.
Peter, I don't want to impose, but thank you for the offer.
Ritter is the name I was looking for but couldn't remember.

chrisofwlp · May 5, 2007

Renato;

If you are shooting sheet film it is much easier to make a few test exposures (to determin film speed) then develop by inspection.
I used a densitometer at one point in time, and realized that not every scene has a perfect 7 zones between highlights and shadows. Many times its 5.6 or some other fractional number that dosn't fall perfectly into your N +/- development times. I finally realized that all that testing was nearly worthless, because I ended up guessing most of the time any way.

Plus learning to develop by inspection requires far fewer sheets of film.

Sincerely;

Christopher J. Breitenstein

Renato Tonelli · May 6, 2007

I have tried developing by inspection but I was a total failure at it - I just couldn't get the hang of it and finally gave up trying. After twenty years of printing, I still have a hard time figuring out what contrast a certain negative should be printed at. I use the results from testing as a guide, the rest is intuition.

Test negatives in need of a densitometer

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency