[Leica] Comparing B&W M9/MM

[john at mcmaster.co.nz (John McMaster)]

Different requirements, 35mm documentary vs 120 or sheet film 'fine art' ;-) 
I have seen some well-known negatives, so badly exposed that I knew I was 
not a good enough printer to get the final prints I had seen out of it. My 
negs printed straight onto Oriental Seagull/Record Rapid with full tonal 
range, any dodging or burning was for effect rather than recovery ;-)

john

-----Original Message-----


John McMaster wrote:

> You are correct Lluis, over 16 years since I last developed a B&W film! 
> Zone system all the way, spotmeter, exposure tests for base density 
> then development tests for highlights all measured on a densitometer - 
> how quickly I forgot :-(>

Hi John,
When I read about the shooting methods of many of the crew I become amazed I 
ever got an exposure during my 65 years of exposing film on any assignment 
in my life?
MY METHOD......"OBSERVE - SHOOT!" :-) KISS! :-) Of course many times I took 
light meter readings, generally landscapes and available light photos of my 
children. Or working a crowd situation? I would take a reading, then see 
what the camera was reading and if they were close?  generally were... 
SHOOT! Letting camera set and go with what it felt fit to use.

Imagine me shooting in an operating room and taking meter readings for every 
frame when on the last book. WOMEN IN MEDICINE! Where I exposed 500 rolls of 
tri-x at ASA 800 using three M7's and a couple of R8's only a quick peak at 
the shutter speed red in the view finder. If it looked cool? 99.9% of the 
time it was "CLICK!"

So you can imagine my surprise of many of you lads and all the testing and 
checking you went through. The zone system?  My interpretation of the zone 
system?

That's the demilitarized zone between the 2 Koreas and all you need to know 
about that??????  DON'T GO THERE! ;-) I could never understand about all the 
time wasted figuring it out unless you were shooting rocks and ferns and 
peeling paint?  REAL LIFE MOMENTS? And shooting 36 frames nearly every frame 
under various light conditions?

In any event as many of the LUG CREW who go through all the digital techie 
stuff, I still try to keep it KISS as much as possible as I'm shooting . 
It'll still be my method as I begin shooting with a new book designer and 
editor next week producing a book on the University of Victoria's School of 
Medicine and it's ten year celebration.

However I'm in awe of the folks who have the patients for all the extra 
"checking" and adjusting you go through in capturing your exposures. In deed 
great admiration!

HENNING RESPONDED:
Subject: Re: [Leica] Comparing B&W M9/MM


"I would say expose for the highlights, because if they're overcooked you'll 
never see them again. Process (develop) for the shadows. This is closer to 
how one treated slide film and in that sense it's like all digital files. 
With the MM files you just have more DR and can easily pull things out from 
the shadows when necessary.<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I suppose one could offer: "What works for one shooter is total confusion to 
another?"

BOTTOM-LINE? "Whatever ones method is, as long as the end result is a cool 
dude photo? Who cares how you capture it? Unless a special effect is 
required for a similar looking image... IE: SWISHY - PAN IMAGES CREATING 
SPEED APPEARANCES?"

cheers,
ted