which darkcloth for Chamonix?

[stompyq]

I'am the happy owner of a new chamonix thanks to hugo. The camera is great but i'am going crazy when using my blackjacket dark cloth with it. The damn thing just wouldn't stay attached!! I've not had any issues with it with my old wista DX but b/c of the design of the chamonix the blackjacket keeps coming off!! It's maddening . What do you guys use?

[Daniel_Buck]

I've been using a black t-shirt, neck-hole around the camera, sick my head through the waist hole.

[Peter De Smidt]

Hi Stompyq,

I have the same problem with my black jacket. Before the black jacket, which works great with my Sinar btw., I used a black t-shirt like Daniel or a heavy dark sweatshirt. I'll have to give that a try again.

[Brian Ellis]

BTZS hood. www.theviewcamerastore.com

[IanG]

Back in the late 70's I made 2 from an old red velvet curtain which I dyed black, they are only just wearing out now.

Ian

[Aahx]

BTZS hood. www.theviewcamerastore.com

You know I bought one of those and hate it for my Chamoinx... The elastic compressed the bellows if I push it foward, and the seam at the bottom interfieres with focusing if I pull it back so it's not compressing the bellows. It also is pain to use when trying rear tilt. So I am back to using my old hand made lightwieght 2.5' x 2.5' cloth with little velcro strip on two corners.

[davemiller]

I use a BTZS hood and I must admit it has taken a while to get used to it, but I wouldn't change know. The link by the way is http://www.viewcamerastore.com/

[Keith S. Walklet]

As Peter has pointed out, the BLACKJACKET neck size is not an idle choice. If one has selected a 32" neck, perfectly suited for cameras such as the Linhof Master Teknika, Wista metal field, Tachihara, it will do fine. Try and put that 32" same neck on a Technikardan, and it won't be big enough. That is why I sell larger neck sizes, such as the 40" and 46", which can be used with cameras such as the Shen Hao, Ebony and Lotus, and monorails.

So if one is expecting to work with a series of progressively larger cameras, or a mix of monorail and field cameras, they should choose the larger neck size.

The shock-cord threaded through the neck permits the neck to be reduced in size, and more importantly, released so that one doesn't disturb their composition when removing the cloth from the camera (if they choose).

If I might add, I find one of the great things about the large format community is that it is small enough that you are often speaking to the actual designer/manufacturer. That conversation is something that should happen, and that you, as customers should take advantage of.

If you recall, I created the BLACKJACKET out of frustration with the cloths I had been using. So I understand frustratation, and I work very hard to do what I can to minimize it. So, when you are buying one of my cloths, you are dealing with the person that makes the decisions, hears from the customers, makes the modifications and ships your product. I encourage you to communicate. I listen.

[stompyq]

Keith i use the 32" necksize. My problem is the blackjacket just dosen't stay on the chamonix and there is so much light coming from the bottom b/c of the open design (and worm drive) that it's difficult to focus in bright light.

[mealers]

You know I bought one of those and hate it for my Chamoinx... The elastic compressed the bellows if I push it foward, and the seam at the bottom interfieres with focusing if I pull it back so it's not compressing the bellows. It also is pain to use when trying rear tilt.

I've had the same problem using the BTZS with my Shen Hao. I'm thinking of modifying it and adding a draw string like the Black Jacket.
Has anyone else tried anything similar?
Maybe it could work with the Chamonix?