Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/11/29

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Subject: TX@200 and zone system
From: George Huczek <ghuczek@sk.sympatico.ca>
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 15:20:43 -0600

>Oldleica wrote:
>
><<<<< Has anyone tried this and does anyone have any suggetstions of
>film/developer
>combinations for B&W.>>>>>>>
>
>ted:
>I've seen spectatcular prints made from using the zone system, but each has
>come from a single sheet of film "developed individually". Not 36 frames at
>the same time.

>I have great admiration for Ansel and his technologies, but only where it
>applies to single sheet film. (Again I'm going to get nuked here!) 


>My way isn't the be all to end all and neither is Ansel's, but you asked
>for how other folks do their thing in the darkroom.
>
>Having said this I am most certainly already in trouble with some folks.
>
>

No Ted.  This is right on.  

On a given roll of film, contrasts are likely to vary considerably, and
some exposures may be slightly off, in spite of things, unless of course
you can fire off all 36 frames under controlled lighting conditions.  Using
multiple bodies (or extra film backs in MF) to expose each roll for N-1, N,
and N+1 development is quite ridiculous and completely unnecessary today.
   The zone system worked great when paper was only available in single
grades.  It still works great for large format cameras with sheet film.
Each negative can be exposed and developed individually.
   Multigraded paper has been a tremendous benefit to the roll film user.
So has chromogenic film technology.  




- -GH