Nice succinct video. You might also mention that a reflective meter can be used to get an incident reading if the reflective meter is pointed towards an 18% neutral gray card in front of the scene or set. Also, you might also allude to standardizing the film processing to maintain that Zone V and that different developers can be used to extend/shorten the curve of some films--i.e. the use of Kodak D-23 or some dilutions of HC110 to help prevent highlights from blocking up while still holding shadow detail. One last thing--some photogs used to expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights which, I think, gave a somewhat flat neg that might be desirable for a condenser enlarger with a contrasty lens.
An 18% "Grey" Card reflects 18% of the light that hits it. It really should be called an 18% light card, though no body calls it that. Great video, btw.
I usually meter the snow and close down 2 stops. So that's about zone 7. Over the years I have built in an extra stop so that the highlights are very protected. It works for me and the rest of my process. 🙂
Well there shouldn't be a difference between digital or film, 18% grey refers to a flat object of a neutral gray color that derives from a flat reflectance spectrum. A typical example is the Kodak R-27 set, which contains one 8x10" card and one 4x5" card which have 18% reflectance across the visible spectrum, and the reflectance is a property of the card, not the medium it's being used for. If your grey cards are registering at zone 6 or 7, then something is basically just off. Either the card or the meter. To put it another way, Zone 5 is DEFINED AS 18% grey. If you are metering something and it's giving you Zone 6 or 7, then it's not 18% grey.
@@EdwardMartinsPhotography yes i have a few but got my daughter a card set the grey is lighter on some darker on others the new cards .. iv looked into some cards , the digital grey card has a higher reflectance , and is ballanced to favour the darker end of the 10 scale metering zones , where film is metered ( using a meter) favouring the lighter areas having a broader lattitude than digital (clipping etc) where as digital card favours digitals narrower lattitude for error ( with the presumption everyone edits)
@@joekelly9369 No ides what's going on with that. 18% grey is 18% grey, it shouldn't matter who's metering what and for why. It's an intrinsic and objective quality of the card, not how it will be used. Also, the digital cameras I'm using have about 13-14 stops of dynamic range. My b&w Ilford FP4+ has about 6-7 stops. Ektar maybe has 8 stops. The digital cameras these days have far exceeded films dr abilities.
@@EdwardMartinsPhotography avoid grey cards that say mid tone grey card,, or photographic grey card , not 18% grey im with you buddy on that , but buy a few / just look at a few the shades arent 18% on a good few ! some are darker some are lighter ! just an observation buddy
2:27 Black camera close to Zone 2, not Zone 9.
Nice succinct video. You might also mention that a reflective meter can be used to get an incident reading if the reflective meter is pointed towards an 18% neutral gray card in front of the scene or set. Also, you might also allude to standardizing the film processing to maintain that Zone V and that different developers can be used to extend/shorten the curve of some films--i.e. the use of Kodak D-23 or some dilutions of HC110 to help prevent highlights from blocking up while still holding shadow detail. One last thing--some photogs used to expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights which, I think, gave a somewhat flat neg that might be desirable for a condenser enlarger with a contrasty lens.
All great tips for sure. Thanks! 👍👍
An 18% "Grey" Card reflects 18% of the light that hits it. It really should be called an 18% light card, though no body calls it that. Great video, btw.
Thanks!
Great practical demonstration of the zone system.
Great way to show it 👍😊
Thanks!
Very interesting video, nice and simple explanation, Thanks….
in which zone do you put snow with details during a sunny day ? i would say zone IX, but in many videos, they will set it to zone VIII
I usually meter the snow and close down 2 stops. So that's about zone 7. Over the years I have built in an extra stop so that the highlights are very protected. It works for me and the rest of my process. 🙂
@@EdwardMartinsPhotography interesting, thank you
grey cards are now more zone 6-7 i have about 4 grey cards , the 2 newer are more ballanced for digital ,
Well there shouldn't be a difference between digital or film, 18% grey refers to a flat object of a neutral gray color that derives from a flat reflectance spectrum. A typical example is the Kodak R-27 set, which contains one 8x10" card and one 4x5" card which have 18% reflectance across the visible spectrum, and the reflectance is a property of the card, not the medium it's being used for. If your grey cards are registering at zone 6 or 7, then something is basically just off. Either the card or the meter.
To put it another way, Zone 5 is DEFINED AS 18% grey. If you are metering something and it's giving you Zone 6 or 7, then it's not 18% grey.
@@EdwardMartinsPhotography yes i have a few but got my daughter a card set the grey is lighter on some darker on others the new cards .. iv looked into some cards , the digital grey card has a higher reflectance , and is ballanced to favour the darker end of the 10 scale metering zones , where film is metered ( using a meter) favouring the lighter areas having a broader lattitude than digital (clipping etc) where as digital card favours digitals narrower lattitude for error ( with the presumption everyone edits)
@@joekelly9369 No ides what's going on with that. 18% grey is 18% grey, it shouldn't matter who's metering what and for why. It's an intrinsic and objective quality of the card, not how it will be used. Also, the digital cameras I'm using have about 13-14 stops of dynamic range. My b&w Ilford FP4+ has about 6-7 stops. Ektar maybe has 8 stops. The digital cameras these days have far exceeded films dr abilities.
@@EdwardMartinsPhotography avoid grey cards that say mid tone grey card,, or photographic grey card , not 18% grey im with you buddy on that , but buy a few / just look at a few the shades arent 18% on a good few ! some are darker some are lighter ! just an observation buddy
@@EdwardMartinsPhotography Totally agree. If he had a real gray card, then it is definitely the meter which is off, and need to be re-calibrated.
Fuji camera mentioned zone 9'ish?.
Just a slip, the black camera should be Zone 2.