I just wrote this to someone else and feel like I should have this somewhere for good.
Here is how I do things.
I (spot)meter the shadows and then I (spot)meter the highlights.
If there is a 7 stop difference: -2 development
If there is a 6 stop difference: -1 development
If there is a 5 stop difference: Normal Development
If there is a 4 stop difference: +1 development
If there is a 3 stop difference: +2 development
Now for developing the film:
I have my own times for Normal.
-2 developing is 40% less time than Normal
-1 developing is 20% less time than Normal
+1 developing is 20% more time than Normal
+2 developing is 40% more time than Normal
The ZS tells you to expose for the shadow and develop for the highlight. This is how you do it.
Now for the rest of the fun stuff.
Slow films such as FP4+ and Pan F+, I use at 1/3 stop less exposure, meaning I shoot FP4+ at 100 and Pan F+ at 40. Then I develop normally in Rodinal using Ilford times.
For faster films like HP5+, I shoot at box speed and develop in xtol using Ilford times.
Then I apply my +/- calculations as shown above.
If I shoot a sheet or roll of FP4+, I set my meter at 100. I meter the shadows at it gives me a number (I use EV's). Then I meter the highlights. If the difference is 6 stops, then I take 20% off my normal developing time.
My normal developing times are what the film manufacturer tells me. So for Ilford FP4+ in Rodinal 1+50, then Normal time is 15 minutes at an iso/asa of 125.
So, here are my times for Ilford FP4+ in Rodinal 1+50
Normal = 15 minutes
N-1 = 12 minutes
N-2 = 9 minutes
N+1 = 18 minutes
N+2 = 21 minutes
Got it ?
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Yep thanks, that's handy. Will link to it.
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I found this through flickr, thanks. I'm quite naive when it comes to the zone system. Thanks for sharing your techniques. I take it this means that if you are shooting various subjects on one roll of film in various lighting conditions the zone system is not useful. Correct?
Would be very helpful for large format/medium format stuff however.
Thanks again.
Shooting large format and using the ZS is ideal because you can separate the film.
Using roll film makes things a little more difficult as you will have to decide how to develop the entire roll, meaning if you have a shot that needs a +1 or a -1 development, you have to pick one. That is, unless you decide to use multiple film backs and mark them as N, N+1, N-1 and so one, meaning that when you need to do a N-1 shot, you put the back on loaded with the film that will be developed N-1.
Gotcha. Thanks!
"...Slow films such as FP4+ and Pan F+, I use at 1/3 stop less exposure, meaning I shoot FP4+ at 100 and Pan F+ at 40. Then I develop normally in Rodinal using Ilford times."
Dont you mean 1/3 more exposure since for FP4+ @ 100 requires 1/3 more light than box speed
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