The_Cheat said:I'm interested to learn about the zone system. Do anyone have any recommendations on any books to read on? Thanks.
student said:When I first made enquiries about the zone system, I was given much misleading information. I was asked to forget about the zone system. Now I know a little more.
There are several books on zone system. But trying to learn from books and apply it is at best laborious. Most books are too technical and drive people nuts!
I think it is best learnt in a practical manner.
Feinwerkbau said:Let's get one fact straight: Before being an 'art form', photography is a form of science.
It is through the mastering of the science that freedom and art was allowed to evolve.
The highest and most regarded masters of the art of photography, are, in some way or another, masters of the science, in parts or in whole.
To understand the Zone system is not difficult, if one has a sound grounding in all the other areas of the science of photography, aka, exposure, film, tonality, limitations of materials, chemistry, expansion of limitations and so on.
What it all boils down to is simply this: the zone system is an extended (and beautifully detailed but sometime extremely frustrating) form of working with whatever mechanical, optical and chemical means one has at one's disposal to achieve photographic nirvana, but in order to appreciate the zone system, one has to have a thorough understanding of the other basics of the physics, engineering and chemistry involved.
If I'm not mistaken, the first and most crucial step in the zone system is to first be able to produce a 'perfect' negative through one's understanding of the camera (includinjg lenses), the film and the printing processes.
Read Ansel Adams' 'The Camera, The Negative and The Print',
and Fred Picker's wide range of (sometimes) outspoken opinions in the Zone VI Newsletters.
All the best in your search!
The_Cheat said:I'm interested to learn about the zone system. Do anyone have any recommendations on any books to read on? Thanks.
taku1a said:But do not feel compelled to read everything about the Zone system. If you were being put down by "superior" photographers for being ignorant on the subject, just ask them to show you a picture that they took based on the zone system. Not some photographs by professionals such as Ansel Adams. Ask for their own efforts.
If they can't, it's your turn to act superior. If they can, just eat humble pie and ask them to point to you the various zones and how the system helped them. You probably learned much faster than reading the books or articles alone.
The_Cheat said:Student: Are you referring to this book? http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1873319304/wwwlink-software-21/026-0817188-9737250
Anyway, how come roll film differ from sheet film? Is it because of the flatness of the surface being exposed? So, will there be any difference even if I use a S-spool on a view camera?
Pro-New said:The best book is by the person 'invented' the zone system: Ansel Adam's The Film
May be take a look at this site as well:
http://www.fineimages.org/zone_system.htm
ortega said:The zone system is programmed into your matrix meter system.
Use the matrix meter and adjust it from there.
Overly simplified but true.
Note: the matrix meter cannot cope with all lighting situations,
but it is a good start, learn to see what your camera sees.
Learn how your camera works, what it can do and what it cannot.
If you come across a situation that you know the camera will get
wrong (to your taste), it is up to you to overide the system and take control.
Shoot slides to actually see what the exposure is,
negs will not give you an accurate view as the
exposure is corrected in the printing shop by
the machine or the person operating it.
I totally agree with singscott on this one. I have read the three books and have found them extremely useful. The contents is not constrained to the zone system but about photography equipment as a whole (where I include the zone system), Ansel's writting is a joy to read if you are ok with technical information.singscott said:There actual a series of three book which the The Film is one of them.
The other two are The Camera and The Print. If you want to learn from the master then all three book is a must. Must start from The Camera, then The Film lastly The Print in order to get head and tail :bsmilie:
singscott said:Oh Please If it SOOOO simple why ansel adam need to write three books on it. Please do some research if you wish to say something you don't have a idea. :what: Matrix is no where close to the zone system, people who master the zone system have become master photographer in their own right. I have been pratising zone system for years and I have not master it. Buy the books get your fact right and become a better photographer with the knowledge ;p Zone system is a total exposure discipline for photographer, starting from post metering adjustment, shooting the picture, delevoping the neg to printing the final print! Not something the maxtrix metering or personal taste can completely do. :sweatsm:
marios_pittas said:I totally agree with singscott on this one. I have read the three books and have found them extremely useful. The contents is not constrained to the zone system but about photography equipment as a whole (where I include the zone system), Ansel's writting is a joy to read if you are ok with technical information.
I believe the book is available from NLB's various branches for borrowing, even though I have my own set and enjoy to refer to it every once in a while. If you are planning to buy it you could also see whether you can find it used (e-bay, amazon, local forum dwellers etc) as there are so many who have the series (and no, I am not selling mine ). I am sure it is also available new in almost all(?) bookshops..
-- Marios
Did I forget to mention that they seem not to print that many and that it is hard to find..The_Cheat said:Sounds like a grand idea. I'll go and place an ad on Buy & Sell right now!
By the way, can't seems to locate Lenswork anywhere... Basheer just ran out.