Better PhotograPhy aPril 201550
The app is a fair bit
of nerdy fun. Just seeing
my images as a
greyscale map alone was
quite interesting.Zone System Analyzer
Aditya Nair tests the Zone System Analyser, and uncovers an exposure
correction tool that is great for beginners who are looking to experiment.Once You’re In the Zone
W
hat would it be like to have
Ansel Adams sitting next to
you pointing out exposure
errors before you begin
editing? That’s pretty much
what this app tries to do by using the Zone
Sytem created by Adams and Fred Archer.
This system is a means of getting the right
exposure even in tricky lighting situations.The Basics of the Zone System
The system divides every scene into 11 zones
from 0 (pure black) to 10 (pure white) in
greyscale. Each zone varies from the next by
1-stop of exposure and Zone 5 is considered
to be the midtone (18% grey). Using the app,
you can convert your images to a greyscale
map that shows you the zones that different
parts of the frame fall into. This map can be
saved and later used to fix exposure errors.
Cameras meter a scene and choose
exposure settings for 18% grey (Zone 5).
However, as a result, lighter or darker shades
don’t get reproduced accurately. Imagine, for
example, a dark red or pale yellow shade in
the photo. While it should fall in the earlier
and later zones respectively, the camera will
end up giving it a neutral Zone 5 exposuretestWith digital
photography,
you should be
concerned with
image data
between Zone
3 to Zone 7.
Anything outside
these zones may
be too dark or
too blown out
to recover. setting. This is when the map created by the
app will come in handy.How the App Works?
The overall design of the app is fairly simple.
It is divided into three tabs—Original, B&W
and Zone. Once the Zone tab is selected, tap
the image to get the Zone Options menu.
Here, the upper and lower limit for each
zone can be fine tuned.Should You Buy It?
It is a good tool for beginners to use when
they are correcting the exposure in their
photos. I just don’t think I would use the
app regularly. While I can be finicky when
editing and work on various parts of the
images separately, I don’t see myself referring
to a map such as this one too often.AT A glAnce
SpecIfIcAtIOnS iOS 6.0 and above, not available on other operating systems, Rs. 60
whAt we lIke The creation of the greyscale map, ability to highlight individual zones
whAt we dISlIke Crashes occasionally with images that have lots of tones
whY buY It? Good exposure tool for beginners
FInAl RATIngS 80%
feAtureS Controls to set limits in each zone, no unnecessary features 23/25
perfOrMAnce Lacks ability to tweak image exposure within the app 25/30
eASe Of uSe Simple interface, easy to understand 24/35
Speed & reSpOnSIVeneSS Quick and instant 8/10There is a bar on top that shows all the 11 Zones as
a gradation (highlighted in red). It lets you highlight
portions of an image in a particular Zone by tapping on
the corresponding shade of grey.Selecting One of the Zones
All photographs by Aditya Nair