Zone System - Find EI and dev time without resorting to sensitometry

In Adams book "The Negative" he shows on page 50 a series of zone patches which are photographs of a piece of hardboard. This quick methodology gives you a suggested starting point tells you how to work out your EI and dev time for the zone system without resorting to sensitometry.

So Look at Adams The Negative on page 50, read what it says and reproduce those test patches yourself and actually print them for the visual proof.

As a starting point use half the film ISO speed, use a standard developer and reduce the recommended dev time by 30%. You may need to tweak that but start at 30% reduction of recommended print time.

When you do your printing of the test patches, use the zone 1 negative to determine print time. Produce a test strip from it until you find the step which produces the first perceptibly lighter than black step (after dry down). Then use that time to produce each of zone 0 thru 10 patches.

Notes:

1. Put camera about 6 feet from a piece hardboard (or textured wall such as rough rendering or possibly brick wall but we are looking for some texture in it) so hardboard fills the frame. And focus on hardboard accurately. Hardboard must be evenly illuminated and texture in it visible. Light must stay constant during the test which should be done in daylight.
2. Meter hardboard and close down 5 stops and expose. Then open up 1 stop and expose. Repeat until you have exposed at all zones upto and including zone 10. So you will have 11 negatives zone 0 thru zone 10.
3. Paper max black obtained in a normal print is not as black as the paper will actually go if you over print it. It is for this reason you MUST NOT use the zone 0 negative to work out print time for each patch. Adams uses zone 5 negative to get print time. I strongly recommend using zone 1 negative (We are not trying to reproduce a gray card on zone 5 by doing this test so don't try).
4. When you print each patch you really should use the exact same print exposures you used in the test strip of the zone 1 neg. e.g if you used 8 1 second exposures to find the step then you should use 8 1 second expsoures to print each patch.
5. I would print the patches using your preferred paper and developer and use NO FILTRATION. However, you may find its better to use your Y+M grade 2 setting if you are not intending to use Ilford filters for printing later on. I strongly recommend the use of Ilford filters for ease of printing.
6. If you find the zone 10 patch print has some tone in it then you will need to increase your neg dev by another 10% next time. If you find your zone 9 neg has no tone in the print, then you will need to reduce your neg dev by another 10% next time, so by 40% of manufacturers recommended time.
7. When inspecting your negs, the zone 0 neg should have a small tad of density above fb+fog density. If it does not have density above fb+fog then reduce your EI by another 1/3 stop next time. So if you were using 400 film and started with 200, then use 160 next time.
8. That just about covers it. You'll learn a lot by doing this. Not only what your EI is but also confirm your development time is correct for a 10 stop SBR range as the zone system teaches. And be able to see that what is being taught in the Zone System is actually happening. i.e. full textural detail in zone 3 and zone 7 etc.
9. What you need to know is that the typical closed subject (no sky) is less than a 10 Stop SBR, maybe only 5 to 7 stops of SBR. However it is simple to increase printing contrast to produce a print with some bite in it from a slightly soft negative. Much simpler than trying to take contrast out of an overly hard negative, so 10 stops range is good as it covers most scenarios even though it may give slightly soft negs depending on SBR.
10. The beauty of doing this totally practical evaluation is that it is calibrating to your meter, lens and shutter all in one go so you don't have to worry about any of the usual stuff that people like to throw in to complicate things such as flare and densitometry. Also, for the vast majority of your shots you will have some lens extension and focussing from 6 feet will include that in your calibration so you don't have to consider it when out in the field. If you do happen to focus further away when you are out in the field then you will get a tad of extra exposure which won't harm at all and in fact gives a small safety margin to guard against underexpsoing zone 0.
11. Finally when in the field with your trusty spot meter, meter and expsoe for a highlight and not a shadow. Use a zone 7 or 8 highlight. Only meter and expose for a shadow if the subject brightness range is greater than 10 stops. Doing this will make your printing much easier allowing you to increase print contrast without fear of blocking shadows, epsecially if you are using Ilford print contrast filters.

This methodolgy is particulaly good for roll film users. It does really require a spot meter but you can get by with an incident meter.

Go enjoy and don't let the people with their sensitometry agendas ruin your day. None of it is necessary if you follow this practical evaluation methodolgy to finding EI and dev time for zone system.

OK so if you want to go down the sensitometry route then you can but not without a densitometer and it won't make your photography any better or more accurate than the above. And remember what John Sexton is quoted as saying: "It's a zone system and NOT a pinpoint system".

Barry Thornton also recommended something similar in "Elements" and his writing on the "No-Zone System" which I found very helpful as well.

well Adams is suggesting it long before me or Thornton. And if I'm not mistaken Thornton says focus on infinity for the test which A) doesn't include any lens extension in your calibration and B) doesn't allow you to see from the prints of the patches whether full textural detail kicks in where it should. For films with a long toe toe it won't but you'll probably not realise that if you've focussed on infinity for the test.

Thanks RobC for opening a new thread to hold the counterpoint discussion.

I take a different position, but it's like driving... we get where we are going either route we take, highway or back roads.

Your system has my endorsement. It will work.

this is very similar to the system that I use. I explained it to my friend, who then said he didnt have an enlarger, which is what promoted the question in the other thread. well, my friend broke down and bought an enlarger for very cheap off of craigslist and is now gonna explore this route.

thanks for pointing out another choice or option.

john

Bill Burk said:

Thanks RobC for opening a new thread to hold the counterpoint discussion.

I take a different position, but it's like driving... we get where we are going either route we take, highway or back roads.

Your system has my endorsement. It will work.

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Yeah you're right it's like driving. Some people should be allowed on the roads and others shouldn't

You only need a densitometer for the 0.1 measurement. You can borrow one, send the film to someone to has one or use the light meter. The higher value density measurements are all based on printing technique anyway.

you don't need a densitometer at all.

@RobC, is it fair to summarize your process as, determine Exposure and development required to capture a 10 stop range via inspection, adjust print contrast as needed, possibly with split grade printing, to achieve a print with sufficient bite?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I'd say,
Calibrate film EI and dev to capture a 10 stop range which fits a grade 2 paper a la "The Zone System" using visual inspection of negatives and test prints.
After calibration use normal printing methods to print your images using Y+M or Ilford filters to obtain image contrast required.

To find the EI, read the box!

To find development time to your satisfaction, run a test roll cut into parts and developed for different times. You can gain an approximation by developing small pieces of the film in room light to determine the time it takes to get a maximum black. Strip tests or dip and dunk tests.

Why make an easy job so complex. You know, when we have a new box of emulsion, we have no instruction manual but we can do simple exposures using the MacBetch color checker and center the gray scale on the film.

PE

Thanks

I read the box to find ISO speed not Exposure Index which I set to match my own working procdures and equipment.

You might find paper max black by exposing to room light but you won't find print max black that way. I think you need to understand the zone system better and fine print control better too. Not the same thing as manufacturing methods and targets.

RobC said:

you don't need a densitometer at all.

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Unless someone gives you a 0.1logd frame for comparison, I don't think someone can guess it without knowing. A light meter is already included in the description. A densitometer is a light meter.

your assumption is that you must target a specific density. I say you do not need to target a specific density value by measurement, you just need to know where it will roughly be visually and you visually aim for what you want which is illustrated in Adams zone patches. If you can achieve that easily then thats all you need. There is no need to cling to target numbers.

when you print anything its a visual exercise based on instincts and perception so why can't judging a negative density be exactly the same especially when you have fb+fog film rebate as a side by side reference which makes it blindingly easy. I don't mean to get exactly some target value, I mean close enough that it works and you prove it works by printing the zone patches so you can see if its worked or not.

"Science!" - Bill Nye

RobC said:

I read the box to find ISO speed not Exposure Index which I set to match my own working procdures and equipment.

You might find paper max black by exposing to room light but you won't find print max black that way. I think you need to understand the zone system better and fine print control better too. Not the same thing as manufacturing methods and targets.

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Rob, I spent 32+ years developing products for EK and also applying them at the Cape. I think that I understand these better than most.

Think on that!

PE

Photo Engineer said:

Rob, I spent 32+ years developing products for EK and also applying them at the Cape. I think that I understand these better than most.

Think on that!

PE

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You should know better then.

You should take advice from your elders.

PE

a full film tet for EI and development times alaZone system is a very valuable exercise and the data will serve you for years.Don't look for a shortcut or you'll cheat yourself.There is no shortcut to quality;onlyresults short of quality

RalphLambrecht said:

a full film tet for EI and development times alaZone system is a very valuable exercise and the data will serve you for years.Don't look for a shortcut or you'll cheat yourself.There is no shortcut to quality;onlyresults short of quality

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It's better than nothing, but people should be aware of its short comings.

Just to give another twist, here is the system that I use with my students. They all find it quite boring but, in one day, they are able to achieve results better than many people who have spent years 'experimenting'. By the way, if you choose to use a two-bath developer (such as Barry Thornton's) you can ignore the second development time tests.

The real key to testing a film/developer combination is to use a consistent and repeatable system. For your information, here is the testing system that I have taught for many years:

Now the key to achieving consistently good negatives is the correct placement of your shadows when exposing the film and ascertaining the correct development time for achieving good separation without losing the highlights. A simple and relatively quick way to way to pin all this down for the future is to do the following (WARNING: reading these instructions is more time consuming and a lot more laborious than actually doing it!!):

1. Find a scene with with a good range of tones
2. Using the box speed, meter the darkest area in which you wish to retain shadow detail
3. Move the camera so that you are only photographing this shadow area
4. From the meter's reading close down the aperture by 2 stops or increase the shutter speed by two stops and then expose 6 frames at: the given exposure then +1 stop, +2 stops, -1 stop, -2 stops and -3 stops less than the meter has indicated

5. Process the film

6. Using the frame that was exposed at -3 stops less than the meter indicated (which should be practically clear but will have received lens flair and fogging - i.e a real world maximum black rather than an exposed piece of film that has processing fog) and do a test strip to find out what is the minimum exposure to achieve maximum black - Print must be fully dry before assessing this
7. Do another test strip with the first exposure being what you have selected for achieving maximum black minus your dry-down compensation then plus 1 second, 2 seconds, etc
8. The time that achieves full black inclusive of compensation for dry-down is you minimum exposure to achieve maximum black for all future printing sessions - print must be fully dry before assessing
9 You now know the minimum time to achieve full black inclusive of exposure reduction to accommodate dry-down
10. Using this minimum exposure to achieve maximum black exposure time, expose all of the other test frames.
11. The test print that has good shadow detail indicates which exposure will render good shadow detail and achieve maximum black and provides you with your personal EI for the tested film/developer combination

12 If the negative exposed at the meter reading gives good shadows, your EI is (when metering shadows where you wish to retain good detail) the box speed (i.e. for 400 film you need to set your meter at 400)
13. If the negative exposed at +1 stop more than the meter reading gives good shadows, your EI is (when metering shadows where you wish to retain good detail) 1/2 the box speed (i.e. for 400 film you need to set your meter at 200)
14. If the negative exposed at +2 stops more than the meter reading gives good shadows, you EI is (when metering shadows where you wish to retain good detail) 1/4 box speed (i.e. for 400 film you need to set your meter at 100)
15. If the negative exposed at -1 stop less than the meter reading gives good shadows, you EI is (when metering shadows where you wish to retain good detail) double the box speed (i.e. for 400 film you need to set your meter at 800)
16. If the negative exposed at -2 stop less than the meter reading gives good shadows, you EI is (when metering shadows where you wish to retain good detail) 4x the box speed (i.e. for 400 film you need to set your meter at 1600)

You have now fixed your personal EI but there is one more testing stage to go.

1. Find a scene with with a good range of tones
2. Using your EI, meter the brightest area in which you wish to retain highlight detail
3. Move the camera so that you are only photographing this highlight area
4. From the meter's reading open up the aperture by 3 stops or decrease the shutter speed by three stops
5. Expose the whole roll at this setting
6. In the darkroom, process one third of the film for recommended development time

7. When dry put negative in the enlarger and make a three section test strip exposing for half the minimum black time established earlier, for the established minimum black time and for double the minimum black time.
8. Process print and dry it.
9. If the section of the test strip exposed for 1/2 the minimum black time gives bright highlights with a trace of detail then the film requires 20% more development
10. If the section of the test strip exposed for the minimum black time gives bright highlights with a trace of detail then the film is correctly developed
11. If the section of the test strip exposed for double the minimum black time gives bright highlights with a trace of detail then the film requires 20% less development
12. You can use the rest of the exposed highlight test film to fine tune the development time.

YES - it is VERY boring but . . .for the investment of minimal materials and a few of hours you will have pinned down so many variables that it is really worth doing.

Back in the real world, all you need to do in future is meter the shadows that you wish to retain good detail with meter set at your EI and then stop down the aperture 2 stops or increase the shutter speed by 2 stops. In the darkroom start your first test print with the minimum exposure to achieve maximum black (inclusive of dry-down compensation) and go from there.

Best,

David
www.dsallen.de

Back in the 80's I started doing my own Zone System tests based on Ansel Adams method in "The Negative" and it's always worked well for me.

A little later I came across a slightly simpler approach which had come from Minor White workshops, and his assistants, to the UK, while the method was essentially the same the written explanation and methodology was clearer and simpler and made far more logical sens, But then Minor white pioneered the Zone systen with AA.

When it come to bos ISO/EI we need to be quite clear what we are after, Kodak for instance claimed Tmax100 was 100 ISO on its release yet in its (original) data-sheet suggest using it at 50EI for an improved Tonal range, As the Zone System is about control over the the Tonal range it makes perfect sense when personal testing indicated my personal EI for Tmax100 was 50EI, this matches Kodak and the tests John Sexton carried out and published (in Darkroom Technique) before Tmax films were publicly released.

So RobC, yes your correct the box EI is not necessarily the correct EI for all applications and Kodak made that quite clear in their literature.

Ian

David Allen said:

YES - it is VERY boring but . . .for the investment of minimal materials and a few of hours you will have pinned down so many variables that it is really worth doing.

Back in the real world, all you need to do in future is meter the shadows that you wish to retain good detail with meter set at your EI and then stop down the aperture 2 stops or increase the shutter speed by 2 stops. In the darkroom start your first test print with the minimum exposure to achieve maximum black (inclusive of dry-down compensation) and go from there.

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Thanks, David!
This sound like a nice experiment for a free weekend this fall/winter.

Photo Engineer said:

You should take advice from your elders.

PE

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The Japanese have a word for old men. They say "That old man is Bokeh".