Optical recording method and apparatus using this method.An optical recording method and recording apparatus using this method is described in which an optimum write power of a radiation beam in the apparatus is set by writing a series of test patterns on an optical recordable medium, forming a read signal from the patterns, reading a preset value of the derivative of the modulation of the read signal with respect to the write power from the medium, and processing the read signal together with the preset value to derive an optimum value of the write power.