Want to Buy WTB - WTT: Dark cloth for 8x10 view camera

I recently came into an 8x10, my first foray into LF. I picked up a Calumet focusing cloth, but it's too small, likely for 4x5 (I'd trade it out if someone thought they needed a smaller one). I thought I'd check here to see if someone has a spare one cheap before I go back to the *bay or elsewhere.

I'm located in Philadelphia, PA, USA, so likely only North American sources would be postage-friendly.

Go to a local material shop and get some heavy weight black cotton cloth. The white side black side thing is over rated.
Dennis

dpurdy said:

Go to a local material shop and get some heavy weight black cotton cloth. The white side black side thing is over rated.
Dennis

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So says someone living in Portland!

And not needed 95% of the time for me since I am mostly hiding under the redwoods -- but sure was nice in Death Valley at 90+F in the sun and out in Eastern WA in the coulee area at 100+F!

buy a yard/yard and a half of Ultrabounce. It's black ripstop type material that's waterproof, black one one side, white on the other. Very similar (if not the same) to what ebony dark cloth$ are made of.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ult...la:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb

I USE MY JACKET

illumiquest said:

I USE MY JACKET

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I used my jacket too for my first go around with paper negative trials last weekend. I was just hoping I might come across someone who had a cheap spare one.

Many thanks for the tips and suggestions. While I don't have a sewing machine to add velcro/elastic/fasteners, if I don't come across what I'm looking for here, the Ultrabounce looks like it might accept some of the adhesive velcro strips I have in house.

dpurdy said:

Go to a local material shop and get some heavy weight black cotton cloth. The white side black side thing is over rated.
Dennis

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Not when you work in the Southwest.

Sunday evening bump.

Another alternative to a traditional dark cloth is black or dark t-shirt.
Get an xxl or bigger (as many x's as you need for the body of the shirt to fit around the back of the camera).
Put your head through the neck hole, stretch the body of the shirt over the back of the camera. Drape it over your shoulders between shots. Compared to a regular dark cloth the t-shirt is more compact, and gives 360 degree coverage without a lot of extra material. The slight stretchy-ness of the knit keeps it in place on the camera.

You don't really need velcro, etc for the dark cloth, just drape it over the back of the camera. IMHO stuff like velcro makes them too fiddly, it sticks when you don't want it to, to stuff you don't want it to stick to, and doesn't when you do.
I have one ready-made Calumet dark cloth which has the white and black sides. It's kind of a pain because the fabric is very slippery and it doesn't stay in place, though it is noticeably cooler when working in the sun. The ones I have that are just a plain piece of cloth from the fabric store work better over all though.