Quote Originally Posted by JBrunner View Post

The actual real world curve is a result of the combination of exposure and developing, and changing these curves is something accomplished photographers do all the time. You are changing the curve of your film when you under expose it. The charts are very good ways to compare the exposure performance of one emulsion to another. A place to start. Pick one emulsion and learn how it performs under many combinations of exposure and developing. Once that is done you will be amazed how much you can do with just that one film.
I have to say that's one thing I've never agreed on (the bit about it being a good representation) I find them all very confusing and I know others see them so simply but my brain and charts never seem to be friends. All the cannon lenses have a chart too but I don't understand those either, nor these ones, to me a better example would be some kind of standardized grey scale "zone system" style from light to dark, it's visual and obvious to anyone, oh this ones grey is better here compared to this where it becomes black sooner in this one.

