State of the art with Dark Cloths

David Brown

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I would ask over on LFF. That's like asking what's the best film/developer/etc. over there.
 

mfagan

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That’s what I did. Went through fabric store remnants pile for discounted short pieces. Put a couple of button holes in it and tied it onto the top of my MT2000 with an old shoestring. I guess maybe <$3.00 and I got to feel the heft of the material bwfore buying.
 

awty

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Double thickness black material, not too heavy. My wife sowed in some elastic one end to fit tightish to the rear standard. Its good doesnt slide off.
Im sure you could find someone to make some for you. In fact if you pay for airfares I will happily send my wife over.
 

DREW WILEY

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Ordinary fabric = lint, heat, weight, and water absorbency. If you want the cat's meow, order some black Goretex = lint-free, breathable, lightwt, waterproof.
 

bdial

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XXX-large t-shirts work very well, sort of like a BTZS hood with arm holes (which are not used).
 

MattKing

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I keep seeing ads on the top of the Photrio screen for "Blackjacket" products.
I think they have been advertisers for a while.
 

David A. Goldfarb

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MattKing said:
I keep seeing ads on the top of the Photrio screen for "Blackjacket" products.
I think they have been advertisers for a while.
Click to expand...

I have one for 8x10”, and I like it. It’s light and compact for field use, and does a good job of keeping stray light out. I’ve also got a couple of traditional darkcloths, and they’re ok, too.
 

silveror0

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David A. Goldfarb said:
I have one for 8x10”, and I like it. It’s light and compact for field use, and does a good job of keeping stray light out. I’ve also got a couple of traditional darkcloths, and they’re ok, too.
Click to expand...

+1
And it also handles wind very well while composing; granted, one must then be patient for the wind to subside before exposure.

 

Alan Gales

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I use a Blackjacket for 8x10. They seal up real well if you like it really dark under there. They are a little more finicky than the BTZS that I used to use for 4x5. The Blackjackets are darker because of the sleeves and more finicky due to the sleeves.
 

Doremus Scudder

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DREW WILEY said:
Ordinary fabric = lint, heat, weight, and water absorbency. If you want the cat's meow, order some black Goretex = lint-free, breathable, lightwt, waterproof.
Click to expand...

I second this, except I went for white Gore-Tex with a black liner. It's cooler in the summer than black by a long shot. My homemade cloth is about 3x5 feet and has Velcro around the edges so I can close it completely around me and the camera. It doubles as a reflector, a rain poncho and Superman cape.

Best,

Doremus
 

mweintraub

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I borrowed my friends Wista setup and he had one that had velcro and had elastic on one side... I promptly went to the fabric store to get material to make my own.
 

Sirius Glass

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MattKing said:
I keep seeing ads on the top of the Photrio screen for "Blackjacket" products.
I think they have been advertisers for a while.
Click to expand...

David A. Goldfarb said:
I have one for 8x10”, and I like it. It’s light and compact for field use, and does a good job of keeping stray light out. I’ve also got a couple of traditional darkcloths, and they’re ok, too.
Click to expand...

silveror0 said:
+1
And it also handles wind very well while composing; granted, one must then be patient for the wind to subside before exposure.

Click to expand...


If I need to replace my dark cloth would consider getting a Blackhacket, but I see that the ground glass image will still be upside down.
 

mpirie

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I use a dark-cloth made by Paramo and designed by Joe Cornish.

It's light, compact and elasticated at one end......it's not cheap, but worth it's weight in gold.

Mike
 

paul ron

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i just pull my shirt over my head.
 

juan

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For years I used two black t-shirts, one inside the other. I put the head hole over my head and the waist over the camera. It worked pretty well. I use a BTZS now and it is definitely darker. Both are hot and fog the ground glass in Florida.
 

removed account4

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fabric store dark piece of cloth.
felt is super cheap, that is what i have been using for about 30years.
they sell other non felty cloths too, nothing like 125$ more like 1.25/yard
 

removedacct1

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I used a piece of black velvet I had been using as a backdrop until it got too roughed up for the purpose. It leaked light and was difficult to keep on the camera. Then I went to a fabric store and bought a fabric that was light tight, but was very slippery when used as a dark cloth, and was far heavier than I wanted. Then I gave in and bought a Harrison dark cloth from B&H, and it was a far better cloth than the make-do bits of fabric I had bought. It has Velcro for attaching to the camera, it’s silver on the reverse, which keeps you cooler when out in the sun, it weighs practically nothing, and folds up to a tiny volume. These traits make it a vastly superior tool for the purpose. Unless you are adamant that you save a few dollars, this is a much better dark cloth than some random bit of fabric from your local fabric store.
 
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