Lightweight focusing cloth for Chamonix 45

[Neil Grant]

..what can you people suggest? Thanks.

 

[Besk]

I have the Wanderer cloth. Lightweight version. Excellent quality - but not cheap.

 

[Jarno]

I use a microfiber towel from Decathlon, a black one, cheap, works fine. Wildly impractical in the rain or snow (but, dries really quickly when wet)

 

[abruzzi]

I love the ultralight Wanderer. Its not fully dark but its dark enough for everything I need to do, even in the bright sun.

"Ultra Light" Regular - Dark Cloth | wanderer

Custom Dark Cloth "Ultralight"

www.wandererphotogear.com

 

[Steve Goldstein]

I own, but rarely use, an extremely light weight Ebony dark cloth. While I love the weight, I find it difficult to manage in even a slight wind, so it stays at home pretty much all the time.

The moral is that too light and too heavy can both be problematic, but in different ways.

 

[Tel]

I have an old home-made one (two layers of cotton cloth sewn together) that was cumbersome and heavy and frustrating to use. So I bought a new one from Etone on ebay and I like it a lot: lightweight, light-tight and easy to use. Shipped from Texas and $30.

 

[djdister]

I bought one of the BTZS Focusing Hoods from Fred Newman of the View Camera Store - lightweight and it snugs around the rear standard.

BTZS Focus Hoods

Designed by a leading commercial photographer the BTZS Focusing Hood is far more functional than the traditional "horse blanket." Made from a durable but lightweight (less than 1 lb. in 4x5 size) sports cloth it protects the ground glass from reflected light from below and stays firmly attached...

viewcamerastore.com

 

[Alan9940]

I have a not lightweight Wanderer because I heard that the lightweight version allowed a bit of sunlight through the fabric and I wanted something pretty much totally dark. These are absolutely top quality dark cloths, albeit not cheap as already mentioned. Highly recommended, though.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

BTZS

 

[loccdor]

I made a focusing hood and had it printed in CF-PETG. It friction fits into my ground glass holder. If you do it this way you design it in CAD by doing a simple Loft between a circle and a rectangle, it allows you to decide how long you want it - corresponding to the diopter strength you like, then mount the diopter in the viewing hole. I went with a +4 diopter for a 127mm length. The upside to the rigidity is immunity to wind, the downside is it takes up more space when you put it away.

 

[MTGseattle]

I bought an eTone chinese one off of ebay that I've been happy with. It was cheaper at the time than buying a water resistant fabric at a local fabric store.