Focusing cloth

TerryThomasAtlanta

Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2005
Messages
24
Location
Atlanta, Geo
Format
Multi Format
Want a cheap dark cloth? A friend uses a large black bath towel. It's heavy and opaque as heck.

Terry Thomas
Atlanta, Georgia USA
 

raucousimages

Member
Joined
May 12, 2003
Messages
824
Location
Salt Lake
Format
Large Format
My favorite dark cloth is made by sewing heavy black fabric to the silver material used to cover ironing boards available at any good fabric store . It is opaque, cool (reflects sun off) and waterproof.
 

jimgalli

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Messages
4,236
Location
Tonopah Neva
Format
ULarge Format
Uncool but works excellent. Old heavy navy sweatshirt non hooded. Stick your head in backwards. Wrap the waist around the Ansco. Bingo. jg
 

removed account4

Subscriber
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
29,832
Format
Hybrid
i use a 3'x4' piece of black felt bought at a fabric store for less than $5.
15 years and going strong.

and if that is not enough, i made a sketch of a "grid" on white lined paper and had it photocopied onto clear film at a copy store.

it is ontop of my ground glass, and cost me 40¢, instead of ???$

cheep
 

doughowk

Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2003
Messages
1,809
Location
Kalamazoo, MI
Format
Large Format
My wife has made me two (for 4X5 & 8X10). For the larger one, she used white & black fabric with elastic for around the back standard. Works similiar to the BlackJacket as advertized on this site. She did say, though, that if I had to pay her a reasonable rate for sewing, the BlackJacket would be a better deal.
 

BradS

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
8,120
Location
Soulsbyville, California
Format
35mm
My wife made mine. She got two bed sheets - one black and one white - from walmart for $6.00 each. Folded each in half and sewed them together. Not totally light tight but, it works. I suspect that if one spent a little more on sheets, it would be plenty light tight.
 

maxmegger

Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2005
Messages
1
Format
35mm
I'm using an old skirt picked up for 50c from an op shop. My sister-in-law wasn't too impressed as it's supposedly a good brand.

Steve
 

joeyk49

Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2004
Messages
1,325
Location
New Jersey,
Format
Multi Format
jimgalli said:
Uncool but works excellent. Old heavy navy sweatshirt non hooded. Stick your head in backwards. Wrap the waist around the Ansco. Bingo. jg
Click to expand...

Who cares about cool (the metaphorical aspect), doesn't everyone get funny looks when you break out the LF gear anyway?....

This is a great idea! I've got two sweatshirts waiting to be darkcloths right now!
 

Charles Webb

Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Messages
1,723
Location
Colorfull, C
Format
Multi Format
I tried the "Girls Skirt" thing, but soon gave it up! The looks and side glances from by standers I got for looking up under the skirt were more than I could handle. I look enough like a suspicious character without chasing around the mountains with a girls skirt for a hat. Some how it just didn't seem proper!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…