From: Tom Ferguson (tomf2468@pipeline.com)
Date: 03/08/01-02:42:08 AM Z
Hello Lukas. This is "basically" what I did. I just couldn't justify the
cost of a densitometer, far better to spend my $$ on film ;-)
I too started with the "Beyond the Zone System" plans. I simplified a bit.
I added 3 "close-up filters" (diopters #1,2,4. Usually you can find these
as a cheap set) to the front of the meter, added some black paper baffles
(as per the book) and just hand held/focused it (rather than the mechanical
holder in the book).
First the good news. It works really well. I've never checked the range
(it would vary with your light source), but can read most of my step wedge
(more than I need for gum, cyan, or platinum).
Now the bad news.
The system is very sensitive to the light source. I had originally thought
that just laying the neg on a light box would allow me to measure anywhere
and quick. Too uneven or the flicker of the tubes was giving me grief. I
finally settled on using the head from one of my early condenser enlarger as
the light source. That worked great, but is far more of a point source (I
do have to move the neg around).
It isn't perfectly linear in the densest readings. I simply made a chart.
With my light source if I get reading "X" that corresponds to step "Y" on my
stepwedge.
I don't use pyro, but the meter is color, so the system should work (within
the limits of finding a blue filter that mimics pyro).
-- Tom Ferguson http://www.ferguson-photo-design.com> From: Lukas Werth <lukas.werth@rz.hu-berlin.de> > Subject: range of densitometers > > The question about densitometers brought another one to my mind: > > Since some time, I am playing with the idea to build my own densitometer by > using my spotmeter according to the plans of David Fokos in "Beyond the > Zone System". > > However, what range does such a densitometer have? My negs are developed in > pyro - can they be metered by such a self-built device with a blue filter > attached? > > Lukas >
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