A wet Easter weekend here in Sydney has me pondering, yet again, the musings of Phil Davis.

Firstly, I suppose, I should ask: How many of you folk use the BTZS techniques? How do you find it in terms of what it delivers?

But my main point of confusion is: I have read through the procedures of paper and film testing, flare and reciporcity evaluation and the incident vs. spotmeter debate but I can find no reference to callibrating your meter of choice with the system. Am I stupid?

For the most part I can see the advantages of the Davis's concept and I like the sound of it, but if you meter is out, how you you know or compensate? Or is this to be done by the old AA and MW systems I've used for years.

happy Easter, hope it's sunny where you are,

Walter Glover

-- Walter Glover (walterg@netaus.net.au), March 30, 2002

Answers

Walter I always thought the BTZS method was way too complicated for soemthing that is actually very simple. Yes I agree with you, in the old method when you took your meter readings and you developed, as long as you used the same lens, meter developer combination, you adjusted for any meter inaccuracies, with the Phil Davies method since you first test the film under an enlarger and then adjust for flare, I dont see how you take into account any meter flaws. To tell you the truth I found all that testing etc, way too tedious, for paper I took a step wedge and calibrated that way....much more simple than what they do with the wonder wheel etc.....anyhow, my advice....dont bother and keep doing what you do the old way!

-- Jorge Gasteazoro (rossorabbit@hotmail.com), March 30, 2002.

Thanks Jorge,

Like I said, wet long weekend and an idel mind. I do think that both 'systems' require their fair share of testing and the flare test that davis outlines seems it would be handy with either system - just handy to know what effect the flare is having.

But you're probably right. The sun will come out tomorrow and I'll leave well enough alone.

Thanks again,

Walter Glover

-- Walter Glover (walterg@netaus.net.au), March 31, 2002.