Response to the zone system and the use of filters

I think the issue here is not how to calculate the filter factor in order to just expose correctly, although it is also important and Volker has made a point talking about the red sensitivity of different films. What our friend is really asking is how to place different coloured areas in their perspective zones when he is using a red filter. Actually, this is a problem even when not using any filter at all, since most spot meters don't measure all the colours correctly. The solution is to find a colour corrected spot meter (the pentax meter can be made to measure all colours correctly by a special treatment) and then, if you want to use filters, you will be able to measure through them with your spot meter and be quite close to the real thing. Of course, with superpanchromatic films you will have to do some guessing, but I think that with films that have a relatively flat colour sensitivity curve from blue to red, it will be rather safe to trust the reading of your corrected meter. The exposure meter of the Nikon F5 is supposed to measure all colours correctly.

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