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  #1  
Old October 2nd 03, 09:28 PM
sonsdad
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Posts: n/a
Default test strip

Hi

What can anyone tell me about making a test strip. I am anxious to improve
my Black&White photography. I have a Nikon F60. Should I consider buying a
spotmeter, if so which, or will the cameras meter be adequate?

Thanking you group


  #2  
Old October 2nd 03, 11:28 PM
Nick Zentena
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Posts: n/a
Default test strip

sonsdad wrote:
Hi

What can anyone tell me about making a test strip. I am anxious to improve
my Black&White photography. I have a Nikon F60. Should I consider buying a
spotmeter, if so which, or will the cameras meter be adequate?



Some how I think this is one case that English is different on each side
of the Ocean. What do you mean by a test strip?

Nick

--
"It is a mistake, however, to assume that the Zone System therefore 'does
not work' with roll-film cameras; since it is a practical expression of
sensitometric principles, the Zone System remains valid, even though its use
is somewhat different." Adams _The_Negative_
  #3  
Old October 3rd 03, 02:57 AM
Ken Hart
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Default test strip


"sonsdad" wrote in message
...
Hi

What can anyone tell me about making a test strip. I am anxious to improve
my Black&White photography. I have a Nikon F60. Should I consider buying a
spotmeter, if so which, or will the cameras meter be adequate?

Thanking you group



To me, "test strip" is something used in the darkroom. Perhaps you mean
something else, since you don't mention anything about darkrooms.

Anyway, a test strip is used to determine proper exposure of the negative
onto the printing paper. The negative is placed in the enlarger and focused.
A piece of photo printing paper is placed in the easel, and all but 1/4 of
it is covered with an opaque card. An exposure of 5 seconds is made
(typically 5 seconds). The cover is moved back so that 1/2 of it is covered
and another 5 second exposure is made. The cover is moved back so that only
1/4 of it is covered and another 5 second exposure is made. The cover is
removed entirely and a final 5 second exposure is made. After processing,
you have a print with four exposures: 20, 15, 10, and 5 seconds. You pick
the best exposure, and make your print.

Sorry of this isn't what you mean!
Ken


  #4  
Old October 3rd 03, 03:01 AM
Michael Scarpitti
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Posts: n/a
Default test strip

"sonsdad" wrote in message ...
Hi

What can anyone tell me about making a test strip.


No. I never use them. They're useless. Make a test ***print*** or two
so you can see the ***whole*** image, and adjust the exposure
accordingly. If your negatives are consistent, there will be little
change in exposure from one print to the next. One may be 6 seconds,
another 7.2, but after a while you'll be able to judge this by eye
anyway.

I am anxious to improve
my Black&White photography.



Practice, practice, practice.

I have a Nikon F60. Should I consider buying a
spotmeter,


No. You don't need it. Learn the basic exposures by heart for most
scenes. I did it, and you can too. Use 1 or two films at the most, and
learn them PERFECTLY. I suggest you start with Tri-X Pan and FP4.
DON'T push them. Learn how to expose them properly EVERY time. If it's
too dark, it's too dark! Tough! That''s how life is sometimes. Deal
with it and go on with your life.

if so which, or will the cameras meter be adequate?

Thanking you group


See:

http://zd.csimultimedia.com/

No spot meters were used in the creation of these images. Half of them
were exposed by memory of the correct exposure.
  #5  
Old October 3rd 03, 08:53 AM
sonsdad
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Posts: n/a
Default test strip

Hi Group

Thanks for your comments. I think Michael interpreted my question fine.

Cheers
"Michael Scarpitti" wrote in message
m...
"sonsdad" wrote in message

...
Hi

What can anyone tell me about making a test strip.


No. I never use them. They're useless. Make a test ***print*** or two
so you can see the ***whole*** image, and adjust the exposure
accordingly. If your negatives are consistent, there will be little
change in exposure from one print to the next. One may be 6 seconds,
another 7.2, but after a while you'll be able to judge this by eye
anyway.

I am anxious to improve
my Black&White photography.



Practice, practice, practice.

I have a Nikon F60. Should I consider buying a
spotmeter,


No. You don't need it. Learn the basic exposures by heart for most
scenes. I did it, and you can too. Use 1 or two films at the most, and
learn them PERFECTLY. I suggest you start with Tri-X Pan and FP4.
DON'T push them. Learn how to expose them properly EVERY time. If it's
too dark, it's too dark! Tough! That''s how life is sometimes. Deal
with it and go on with your life.

if so which, or will the cameras meter be adequate?

Thanking you group


See:

http://zd.csimultimedia.com/

No spot meters were used in the creation of these images. Half of them
were exposed by memory of the correct exposure.



  #6  
Old October 3rd 03, 01:54 PM
Alexis Neel
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Posts: n/a
Default test strip

sonsdad,

A few things Michael said have some validity, others don't.

If you wish your images and prints to look like his, then sure, do
EXACTLY what he says. However, if you are looking to have more
control, express your images in a variety of ways, and shoot a variety
of things, I'd reccomend you expand your understanding of photography
further than his limited approach.

Take this:



No. I never use them. They're useless. Make a test ***print*** or two
so you can see the ***whole*** image, and adjust the exposure
accordingly. If your negatives are consistent, there will be little
change in exposure from one print to the next. One may be 6 seconds,
another 7.2, but after a while you'll be able to judge this by eye
anyway.



I agree in part, but, and this is especially if you are just starting
out, or are not familar with the wide variety of materials out there,
test strips can be valuable. I personally rarely do them, BUT I've
been printing professionally for about 28 yrears (33 years total) and
they can give you a lot of information. Don't use just a little piece
of the paper, though, go ahead and use a full sheet. That way you can
make sure your borders are correct, and you see all the areas of the
image that need to be "adjusted".


I am anxious to improve
my Black&White photography.



Practice, practice, practice.


And open your mind to the possibilities of the medium and materials.
They are quite numerous.


I have a Nikon F60. Should I consider buying a
spotmeter,


No. You don't need it. Learn the basic exposures by heart for most
scenes. I did it, and you can too. Use 1 or two films at the most, and
learn them PERFECTLY. I suggest you start with Tri-X Pan and FP4.
DON'T push them. Learn how to expose them properly EVERY time. If it's
too dark, it's too dark! Tough! That''s how life is sometimes. Deal
with it and go on with your life.



It really depends on what you are going to shoot. Outdoors and using
the dreaded Zone System which Michael hates so much, they are
indespensible. Or at least they can make exposing an image easy or
harder. If you plan to do studio work, they can have some benifits.
Street photography, for yearbooks, well, Michael is right there. It
would slow you down considerable and most likely make you lose that
special shot of syrup slowly cascading over a stack of pancakes. With
reportage, you will need to learn some basic "exposure" facts
regarding certain film speeds that will help when shooting off the
cuff. Also, learning to develop for the particular scene you shot is
essential. And BTW, pushing, even pulling, development works, but
there is a trade off on results and must be considered based on your
personal choice and desires for the image.
As for film, Tri-X is the standard for sure, but I'd suggest Agfa 100
over FP-4 for its better tonality and gradation of tones. Better
grain also.


See:

http://zd.csimultimedia.com/

No spot meters were used in the creation of these images. Half of them
were exposed by memory of the correct exposure.


I'm not gonna touch this again.

Alexis
www.alexisneel.com
  #7  
Old October 3rd 03, 09:50 PM
Michael Scarpitti
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default test strip

(Alexis Neel) wrote in message

. com...
sonsdad,

A few things Michael said have some validity, others don't.


I agree with what you say, Alexis, and actually we're in substantial
agreement, except for the bits about the zs.

If you wish your images and prints to look like his, then sure, do
EXACTLY what he says. However, if you are looking to have more
control, express your images in a variety of ways, and shoot a variety
of things, I'd reccomend you expand your understanding of photography
further than his limited approach.


I prefer the term 'specialized', but that's ironic because it actually
allows you the most options at the time of taking, especially where
time is limited or things (things like lighting and angles) are not
under your control. The world is not nice to photographers. You have
to be flexible.


Take this:



No. I never use them. They're useless. Make a test ***print*** or two
so you can see the ***whole*** image, and adjust the exposure
accordingly. If your negatives are consistent, there will be little
change in exposure from one print to the next. One may be 6 seconds,
another 7.2, but after a while you'll be able to judge this by eye
anyway.



I agree in part, but, and this is especially if you are just starting
out, or are not familar with the wide variety of materials out there,
test strips can be valuable. I personally rarely do them, BUT I've
been printing professionally for about 28 yrears (33 years total) and
they can give you a lot of information. Don't use just a little piece
of the paper, though, go ahead and use a full sheet. That way you can
make sure your borders are correct, and you see all the areas of the
image that need to be "adjusted".


If your negatives are fairly consistent, there is little need to see
whether you need to use 3 seconds or 33, if you use the same negative
materials and papers. For me, it's a matter of 6.2 or 7.4 seconds. And
given that the negative can vary quite a bit from one side to the
other, I see good reason to expose the whole sheet at one time. Seeing
only one end can give you a wrong basis for evaluation, meaning you
need to make another test anyway. On the other hand, if one day you're
using FP4 and Multigrade, but tomorrow you're using Agfapan 400 and
Brovira, yes, the exposure may be a lot different.


Maybe because, like you, Alexis, I have been doing this for 35 years,
I never use test

strips.

I am anxious to improve
my Black&White photography.


Practice, practice, practice.


And open your mind to the possibilities of the medium and materials.
They are quite numerous.


Yes. That's why it's more important to learn your materials
intimately, and how they respond under various conditions. It's
impractical to do this with 33 films and 133 developers. You'll go
broke, and the universe will collapse while you're still working on
the 10,000,000th permutation of film and developer and dilution....


I have a Nikon F60. Should I consider buying a
spotmeter,

No. You don't need it. Learn the basic exposures by heart for most
scenes. I did it, and you can too. Use 1 or two films at the most, and
learn them PERFECTLY. I suggest you start with Tri-X Pan and FP4.
DON'T push them. Learn how to expose them properly EVERY time. If it's
too dark, it's too dark! Tough! That''s how life is sometimes. Deal
with it and go on with your life.



It really depends on what you are going to shoot. Outdoors and using
the dreaded Zone System which Michael hates so much, they are
indespensible. Or at least they can make exposing an image easy or
harder. If you plan to do studio work, they can have some benifits.
Street photography, for yearbooks, well, Michael is right there. It
would slow you down considerable and most likely make you lose that
special shot of syrup slowly cascading over a stack of pancakes.


Watch it! Haven't I seen harshly-lit pictures of people smoking
cigarettes hanging in galleries? How about wrinkled old women dressed
in black in the doorway in Sicily. Or is it Greece? Or is it Tunisia?
Aren't they all the same anyway? And how about those little starving
African children with the pot bellies, stick legs, and flies all over
them? At least my guy isn't starving! manga! manga! manga! Eat
something! (You have to be Italian to understand this, I guess.)

With
reportage, you will need to learn some basic "exposure" facts
regarding certain film speeds that will help when shooting off the
cuff.


This comes with years of practice and ruthless self-criticism. (I
wonder where Ruth is....!)

Also, learning to develop for the particular scene you shot is
essential. And BTW, pushing, even pulling, development works, but
there is a trade off on results and must be considered based on your
personal choice and desires for the image.
As for film, Tri-X is the standard for sure, but I'd suggest Agfa 100
over FP-4 for its better tonality and gradation of tones. Better
grain also.


Huh? I'd like to see this! Are you sure about that?

See:

http://zd.csimultimedia.com/

No spot meters were used in the creation of these images. Half of them
were exposed by memory of the correct exposure.


I'm not gonna touch this again.

Alexis
www.alexisneel.com

  #8  
Old October 5th 03, 11:45 AM
sonsdad
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default test strip

Thanks for everything. What you are saying is that I need to take shots, log
my settings and decide which are the most pleasing to me. Than take more
shots to confirm my results. I never thought about the differences in
particular films of the same ISO. I have ordered some TRI X 400!

Cheers
"sonsdad" wrote in message
...
Hi

What can anyone tell me about making a test strip. I am anxious to improve
my Black&White photography. I have a Nikon F60. Should I consider buying a
spotmeter, if so which, or will the cameras meter be adequate?

Thanking you group




 




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