Black jacket focusing cloth users...

[Eric James]

Having watched the embedded video I'd have to say that the Black Jacket makes a better jacket than a jacket makes a dark cloth. I've used a Black Jacket on a Ebony 4X5 and liked it very much.

For the short period that I used a Chamonix 4X5 I preferred using Ebony's small dark cloth - it's lighter and more compact, and the Black Jacket seemed a bit bulky for the Chamonix's rear standard.

Eric "who on occasion has resorted to wearing a Black Jacket" James

[Struan Gray]

I use a Hybrid 5x7 Blackjacket on my 4x5 Norma. Prior to getting it I used a T-shirt. It is better than the T-shirt by enough to justify the price. For my use, the biggest benefits were better lightproofing and higher water-resistance.

1) I have used mine in side-on gale-force winds. I could have done with a third arm - one to focus, one to loupe, one to hold the windward side away from my face - but just moving my upwind arm inside the cloth and sticking my elbow out a bit worked well enough.

2) The quality on mine is excellent. It does now have that sought-after outward bound cagoule smell, but that just adds to the outdoor adventure.

3) I don't leave my camera set up in heavy downpours, but I do leave it in moderate rain and drizzle while waiting for a clearing or the right light. In that case, it is actually really useful to drape the Blackjacket forwards over the camera and lens and use it as a rain cover. This may be one reason for the cagoule smell :-)


I do get light coming in between the bottom of the standard and the Blackjacket. How much you will suffer from this depends on the design of your camera back. On my Sinar Norma the Blackjacket loops nicely around the whole rear standard, and the rear frame with the ground glass is a sub-frame within that, so there is space around the edges, particularly at the bottom. I can't say I'm bothered by it, and have only had minor practical problems when shooting towards the setting sun. I think modern Blackjackets come with some kind of flap you can stick in there with Velcro, but you're unlikely to need it in UK conditions.

[rdenney]

"Snippy" today aren't we?

Probably. I'm still grumpy at the potential death of my Nikon scanner.

But on a more serious note, I sometimes find it ironic that guys who favor spending real money on ancient wooden cameras (or their modern replicas) cheap out on really important accessories like focus cloths, loupes, and focus screens. And those accessories often make a bigger difference on the quality of the experience of large-format photography than do cameras and lenses.

I didn't see the video as a satire on this inveterate cheapness, so maybe I missed the joke. I watched the video half expecting the dog to knock over the camera while the guy was tangled up in his parka/focusing cloth, based on the comments. Now, that would have been funny.

Rick "whose only financial stake in Blackjacket is having bought one" Denney

[Meekyman]

Hi Everyone,

The OP here....reckon it's looking like 50/50 but I guess that whenever you ask about something you always get those that love it and those that don't.

Thanks Eric, as you have actually used one on a chamonix. Was it tiresome, or did the bulk mean that light entered?

Cheers

Graham

[Eric James]

If you look at the first embedded photo in BarryS's review ( http://tinyurl.com/8d6su79 ), you'll be able imagine the problems you'll run into. Along the top of the rear standard you have to carefully position the elastic of the Black Jacket; if it becomes dislodged it will either pop off the back, or engulf the rear standard and come to rest on the bellows. On the bottom of the rear standard there's really not enough room for the elastic band - it'll easily pop off the back. To prevent this you're forced to extend the Black Jacket opening around the camera's base, but then you compromise your access to the tilt and rear extension knobs. It's unfortunate because both the Chamonix and the Black Jacket are great designs - they just don't play well together.

[Meekyman]

Hi Eric,

Thanks for that.....actual user experience of both the black jacket and the chamonix helps me a lot and I can easily see what you're saying.

On a workshop where I used a Chamonix, we used the btzs tube type hood and that seemed OK but a bit of contortion of my arm getting the loupe in there without opening up too much such that no end of light came in. Maybe user inexperience? I'll look into Ebony's small dark cloth that you mentioned in your earlier post.

Cheers

Graham

[welly]

I've got two blackjackets - the 8x10 and 5x7 (for my 4x5s). I think they're brilliant and not unreasonably priced. Having read what Eric said above, I can see where he might be coming from with that comment. My current field camera has a handle on the top which I have the black jacket wrap around so it stays in place fine. I'm actually going to pick up the same camera as you so will be interesting to see how it gets on with it. We shall see and I'll let you know.

[Meekyman]

"I'm actually going to pick up the same camera as you so will be interesting to see how it gets on with it. We shall see and I'll let you know."

Thanks Welly!

Graham

[Martin Aislabie]

Have you thought about a Walker Darkcloth available from Mike Walker of Walker Cameras ?

At the moment it is my Darkcloth of choice - small, light easy to put on the camera and snug fit for my head.

Its not the darkest Darkcloth I have ever used - but its fine for what I want/need

Just offering an alternative for you to consider

Martin

[Ed Bray]

Andy, your description of me almost gave me a heart attack (inside joke). I'm with Frank on this one. The BlackJacket is great but does take a bit of setup time (I had the one with the dark slide removal slot so proper orientation on the camera was important. Also you need a different BlackJacket for each camera format. These days I travel light and just use a piece of blackout cloth (white) which I painted black on the outside.

Okay, I'll bite as no one else has, why would you paint the outside black? Wouldn't you want the black side inwards to prevent stray light bouncing around and the reflection of the white side onto the ground glass? and wouldn't you want the white side on the outside to reflect the sun and keep the heat down inside the focusing cloth?