Understanding Exposure:ZONE SYSTEM

[cmontoya]

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I'm not sure if someone is questioning the use of the Zone System in landscapes but isn't Ansel Adams - one of the people who invented the Zone System -- a landscape photographer first and foremost? Of course, I understand the need not to blow out or underexpose landscape photos so intelligent people invented CPL, GND, etc. filters para magamit.

There are people who will always look at the LCD and compensate for 'poor' exposure not knowing why the exposures were 'poor' in the first place. Some turn to Photoshop or other magical photo editors to save their 'poor' photos. Why not spend a few hours with a book or the net learning the Zone System and going out to Fort San Pedro or Family Park or even just shoot things around the house using Manual remembering where each color falls in the Zone System and expose properly? You'd be amazed.

[noelie_023]

When you asked the above question, I assume you've set your camera on aperture priority. Now, let's also assume you are using spot metering, using the center AF point and you are keeping the AF point squarely on the white t-shirt, then yes you're correct. But if you recompose and your AF point is now let's say pointing to a black t-shirt, then you're overexposing by +2EV because you should be at -2EV. The thing about aperture priority is that you don't have control over the shutter speed. Let me get my cam so I can see the actual values ha.

Consumer zoom ako gamit run (kapoy ilis to a prime).

Aperture f/4.5
ISO 800
Point at white bed spread:
At + 2EV, my shutter speed is 0.5 seconds

Now I'm going to point at the black framework of my bed, without changing my EV
The shutter is at 2 seconds

So this is the reason why I don't trust AV. Manual all the way.

If I set to manual, same aperture and ISO, my shutter speed is 0.5 seconds. I point at the black
framework, still 0.5 seconds and I want to keep it that way because I'd like the viewer to focus on my lovely white bed spread

As for blowing out highlights, well, as you've noticed current DSLRs have limited latitudes (nag-start Zone 3, no zone 1 to 2). It can't capture all the possible tonal range of high contrast scenes. Mao na uso HDR to compensate.

The rule of thumb (which I don't follow to the letter) is: Expose for midtones but check your highlights. The question is, are the highlights that important? For example, naa ka brother graduate Naval Academy and meter off his brown skin (assuming brown iya skin) under a noon sun, the tendency is his uniform would be blown out. So imo meter iya uniform at +2 but the problem is his skin tone is now lighter. Unsa man mas importante, iya nawong or iya uniform? Kung imo tubag both, aw, shoot RAW and use bracketing. Then pag HDR HDR

hehe WOW that why.. whne im using av mode and for example metering in a white lets say t-srth and recompose and pointing my meter in a balck. ma wash out.. now i get it.. its just a need a little practice.. gnha ako gi testingn. and yeah.. it works but it also hard. i need more practice.. and memorize and familiarize i mean.. the zone system, its not that easy, now im spending my time mastering and reading about zone system, it really help a lot... thanks. ^^

[noelie_023]

meter the middle gray area of your subject... kung sunog pa rin yung highlights mo adjust ka (shuterspeed or aperture) as popsimontoya's table adjust ka sa zone 6 to compensate. or adjust your EV to -1 or dropdown your ISO (I usually use ISO 200 para may adjustment pa ako upto 100)

madaming paraan

gotta try that pops. weee.. like kanina nag shoot ako.. wee.. im fraustrated at first im suing manual mode it turns out fine, since the sun is coming down argg... nag av ako.. na dark man ang mga image ko. tsk2... hehe.. i guess ill have to practice more more more more ^^...

[cmontoya]

Just in case you're wondering what's middle gray, these are in Zone 5:

Zone 5 or exposure indicator at 0

- Light blue, red, orange
- Average blue sky, red brick walls
- Slightly darker grass, deciduous (broadleaf) leaves
- Colors of sunsets and sunrises
- Skin tones of Latin, Greek, Indian, and Asian

Zone 6 or exposure indicator at 1 (usually 0.5 to 1.5)

- Pastel colors: Pink, yellow, very light red, green purple, blue
- lighter tone flowers
- light blue sky
- lighter colors of sunsets and sunrises
- average Caucasian skin, palm of hand

Zone 4 or exposure indicator at -1 (usually -.5 to -1.5)

- deep blues, greens, or brown
- dark green foliage and evergreen needles
- dark tree trunks
- deep blue sky
- fairly dark skin

As a photographer and hopefully as an artist, you should not be bound by these "rules". You can overexpose or underexpose your shots. The point is you know why.

It took me months to understand the Zone System (reading about it is easy but to actually go out there and meter off different colors is another). But let me tell you this, just like driving a car, it will be second nature if you do it every time. After that, you'd thank Ansel Adams and know why every photographer revere him so.

Good luck bro and happy shooting.

[szichri]

hehe WOW that why.. whne im using av mode and for example metering in a white lets say t-srth and recompose and pointing my meter in a balck. ma wash out.. now i get it.. its just a need a little practice.. gnha ako gi testingn. and yeah.. it works but it also hard. i need more practice.. and memorize and familiarize i mean.. the zone system, its not that easy, now im spending my time mastering and reading about zone system, it really help a lot... thanks. ^^

use the AE-L/AF-L para dili mausab ang metering when u use focus and recompose that is the reason why naa na siya nga button sa imo cam... to lock your metering/focus...
it is usually useful when using Aperture mode or Shutter mode... HTH

[hayden]

bro noelie shoot on manual most of the time, pag-AV ra if ma-corner ka nga kalit-kalit ang scenario, learn how to meter using the zone system ky it will work wonders sa photography walay uso or dili epektib ang cramming IMO

[noelie_023]

use the AE-L/AF-L para dili mausab ang metering when u use focus and recompose that is the reason why naa na siya nga button sa imo cam... to lock your metering/focus...
it is usually useful when using Aperture mode or Shutter mode... HTH

master szichri kong sa manual mode kay applicable pud ni cya ora sa av or shutter mode ra ni??

[noelie_023]

bro noelie shoot on manual most of the time, pag-AV ra if ma-corner ka nga kalit-kalit ang scenario, learn how to meter using the zone system ky it will work wonders sa photography walay uso or dili epektib ang cramming IMO

i usually shoot in manual.. yes i use zone system but wala ko familiar sa mga terms.. mao nangutana ko about ani. hehe. para mo dig deeper dyud ani. hehe.. mag practice pa ko og maayo. rn og master maayo sa ambient light. hehe

[szichri]

master szichri kong sa manual mode kay applicable pud ni cya ora sa av or shutter mode ra ni??

nope... kay in manual mode you control your exposure and not the camera... pero gamit sad na siya nga button when you use AF-C or continuous focusing imo gamiton instead of AF-S or AF-A... just hold it to lock your focus on that particular subject/object... and please drop the master as i've told you before...

[hayden]

hehehehehe mga 100 actuations per day syaro dili ma master