Terry,
this mail, I think, was otiose. Don't mix your personal aversion to the zone
system (or to some people who brought discredit upon it) with sensitometric
facts. Those who managed to calibrate their 'normal' silver gelatin materials
with the zone system may easily adapt the procedure to any of the "straight"
alt. processes like platinum, carbon transfer etc., as long as they can keep
these processes' variables under control. They will certainly get 'perfect'
negatives and prints.
<I do own a densitometer and I get quite good prints.>
<I have never used the zone system for alternative processes. It is a waste of
time and effort.>
Don't you see how you contradict yourself? Or could you please explain to me the
difference between adjusting negative exposure and development after having done
densitometric readings/printing greyscales vs. adjusting negative exposure and
development after having printed zones?
As long as you don't paint your negs you still have to use some kind of contrast
control. Wether you call it 'zone system' or 'applied sensitometry' makes no
difference. But if we want to talk about an image, it wouldn't help much to tell
me the density readings of your neg, as we may use different papers, chemicals,
lighting equipment etc. If in your lab a 0.8 neg density gives a mid grey, in my
lab it may be 0.7 or 0.9. Zone VI instead is a term for a certain grey - no
matter what negative density hides behind it. As I assume you are using this
densitometer, the only difference between you and a zone freak is your
terminology (and - very likely - your individual understanding of photography).
That you (and me...) think these processes should be used in another way as
silver gelatin is another thing.
'Chacun a son gout' as our emperor Frederic the Great used to say...
Klaus Pollmeier