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Message |
    
Florian Divis (Flo)
New member (<5 postings)
Username: Flo
Post Number: 2
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, January 06, 2005 - 10:02 am: | 
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What is your opinion on calibrating bw-film for development and "correct" exposure when using medium-format-cameras. Does it make sense?
Any suggestions as to what filmbrand you use and how you expose and develop it. And with what kind of developers?
flo |
Ted E. Felton (Ted)
Member ( <10 postings)
Username: Ted
Post Number: 8
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, January 08, 2005 - 6:30 pm: |
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Flo,
Film calibration is good, however, you do need a transmission desitometer to do it. It makes sense for any format.
As far as film goes, I'm partial to Kodak's Tmax 100 and 400 along with Tri-X all developed in Xtol 1:1; although others may prefer Ilford films. The choice is personal. I also think the choice will get pretty slim in the coming years.
Ted |
Dr. Elliot Puritz (Mahler_one)
New member (<5 postings)
Username: Mahler_one
Post Number: 1
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 5:28 am: |
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Flo: I have just returned from a very informative and fruitful week in Scotsdale, AZ learning the elements of Beyond the Zone System. As you might know, BTZS is predicated on doing testing of one's film and making film curves based upon the used of a densitometer. I won't bore you with the details, but the system is not meant for roll film. BTZS is about relating the film exposure and subsequent devlopment to one's own film curves ( in turn based upon standard reproducible development that one does in one's own home lab ). The system, when correctly learned and applied, will produce consistent negatives which will regularly print on Grade 2 enlarging paper. The system works best with sheet film wherein one can vary the development of each sheet based upon the data constructed using the film densities produced by your own standard development for the exposure taken on that particular sheet of film. The program is loaded onto a Palm Pilot which is easily used in the field. Alternately, one uses a Power Dial, and relates the data to film curves that one has constructed. Actually, the system is well taught by Fred Newman ( who was in turn taught by Phil Davis who developed the program and methodology ), and such system will enable you to make perfect negatives. Furthermore, it is not difficult to construct such film curves, for if you can't make the trip to Arizona Fred will expose the film for you, and after you develop the film and mail it back to him, he will construct your own film curves based upon your own develping techniques, but in his lab using his densitometer. By the way, incident metering is the preferred method. See viewcamerastore.com for details, and a link to Phil's site. By all means call Fred if you have any questions. He will certainly help you.
Having said all of the above, if one has two backs for one's Hasselblad, one can use one for the "normal" subject brightness range (SBR) of "7" and use devlopment that one has determined is correct for that film and that SBR, and one can use another back for more contrasty scenes with an SBR of 8, and use development correct for that SBR. I will be using Delta Pro 100 and 400 ( less likely Rollei R3 ) for MF work. However, to be candid, I see myself moving much more to 4x5 work and using individual sheets of film ( in that case, TMax 100 and 400 because of the availability of ready loads as needed ).
Let me know if I can help you further.
Edwin |
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