Paint suggestions for internal reflections

Hi all,

I’ve got a 6x6 folder (a Super Fujica Six) that was giving me some reflection issues. Turns out the black coating on the film gate has a fairly “satiny” finish for some reason - perhaps it’s by design or perhaps there was some flocking that has worn off. Either way, I cut some super thin strips of matte black Shurtape and painstakingly stuck them around the gate. No more reflections!

Unfortunately I can see little bumps of the tape silhouetted around the border of frames. That, coupled with the probability that it’ll fall off at some point, makes me think that paint is the long term solution. So, does anyone have any recommendations for something that’ll work but won’t cost too much? I almost bought a bottle of Testers flat black enamel…if anybody knows if that’ll be ‘matte enough,’ I’d love to hear it!

Oh, and would rubbing the surface with super fine sandpaper accomplish the same thing? Definitely not something I just want to try without some foreknowledge.

For different camera's I have used acrylic black paint (about Euro 7 for a little tube) - which turns very matt when it has dried. It is easier to apply on a little sanded surface.
I've used it:
1.to blacken the back of lens panels of different LF camera's;
2. to blacken the whole inside of a wooden sliding box camera;
3. to blacken the inside of the top plates of Zorki's and Fed's since it will extremely enhance the contrast of the viewfinder.

Sliding box camera - Chambre à tiroir - Schiebekasten Kamera by Sliding Box Ron, on Flickr

You need to texture the paint to make it more mat. I use fine silica sand embedded in the paint. Works great. I had a Holga pinhole that was terrible with the shiny plastic. Gave it the treatment and it was good to go. The fine silica sand is the type that was used in those old public ashtrays outside buildings. The sand creates a texture that diffuses and traps the light. I typically put a thin layer of paint, then add the silica while the paint is still wet. Let it dry then another thin coat of paint. Testors works fine. Chalkboard paint is another possibility.

Hope that helps you...

Thanks for the advice! I do have some black acrylic lying around. Maybe I’ll test that out and see how it looks.

I recently read an article about how MIT engineers created the blackest black anywhere using carbon nanotubes. Put that on the inside of your camera! (Unfortunately, it’s not something commercially viable, but it would be cool to see something that absorbed 99.995% of all light.)

A small pot of black paint that I bought in the UK, and have used to paint up to 16" x 12" sized pinhole camera boxes etc. was in the store next to all the spray paints. It was labelled as MATT black paint and I have found it to be much better than black acrylics, which have a very slight sheen once dry, but the acrylics in the US may be different.

Terry S

tezzasmall said:

A small pot of black paint that I bought in the UK, and have used to paint up to 16" x 12" sized pinhole camera boxes etc. was in the store next to all the spray paints. It was labelled as MATT black paint and I have found it to be much better than black acrylics, which have a very slight sheen once dry, but the acrylics in the US may be different.

Terry S

Click to expand...

Which shop was that? I might give a similar treatment to my Holga.

sterioma said:

Which shop was that? I might give a similar treatment to my Holga.

Click to expand...

I'm in the UK and I bought it from b&q. The tin is up in my dark room so I would have to check the name when next up there, but it came in a small tin, probably about 200 ml, but I'll check if I remember and get back to you again.

As for using it on a holga camera, I have two of them and have never found the need to paint the insides of them.

Terry S