Black jacket focusing cloth users...

[premortho]

I went to the truckstop, and bought the biggest lined insulated flannel jacket they had. When I get out of my pick-em-up, I put the coat on, hang an el cheapo backpack containing 3 or 4 sheetfilm holders, hang my Weston Master 111 around my neck, camera in my left hand, tripod in the right. When I set up, I take the jacket off and use it for a dark-cloth. In the winter time I use two jackets.

[gtmatias]

Hello there,

I'm thinking about tailoring a focusing cloth. Did anybody thought about "starting" with something like a Motley Tube? One less thing to worry about. After using it, just put it around the neck like a scarf! (nice if it is cold!)

How much distance do you usually use between the head and the focusing screen? (4x5)

Regards

[Robert Langham]

3X4 feet, minimum, double-sided white and black. Can use white side as reflector. Sometimes takes one more black layer between to make them really dark, but that can make them too bulky. Use cotton, other types of fabric can slide off your head.

[Pamelageewhizz]

I went cheap and got some fabric from Joann Fabrics. The white cloth I got is silky and the black with some tooth to it so it doesn't slide too much on my head. A bit of hand stiching (no sewing machine) while watching a movie and good to go. I think the whole thing cost me $5.

[john borrelli]

I think the problem with dark cloths is with the camera not the cloths.
In other words, the camera needs to be designed around the dark cloth rather than retrofitting the dark cloth to a particular type of camera. Not sure how Ebony or Linhof would feel about that!

So for example, the film standard should protrude further from the camera body toward the photographer.
There shouldn't be knobs or tilt axis standards anywhere near the back of the camera where the cloth attaches.
You should be able to slide the film holder into the camera through a slot so that you don't have to remove the cloth to open the spring-back of the camera.
The dark cloth should have a built in attachment frame so that it attaches to a frame on the camera that is light tight and about 1 inch or less around the groundglass.

I have used the Black Jacket, that BZTS tube thing, A dark cloth that I sewed long strips of velcro to, in order to turn it into a tube shape, this one was white on one side and black on the other. I am presently using an all black Delta I cloth without the weights.

[John Layton]

Its so obvious that dark cloth design needs to evolve. And its so sad that, generally speaking, the evolution of analogue-based photography has been truncated by digital R+D. Please, lets make an effort to buck this trend...and keep the evolution of analogue alive! Also...please consider my recent dark cloth post. Thanks!

[bomzi]

Black Jacket is great to use and I use it every time I shoot.

That said, you dont need it and, for a beginner, I would suggest using a tshirt to start with. Spend your money on film.

[gtmatias]

Black Jacket is great to use and I use it every time I shoot.

That said, you dont need it and, for a beginner, I would suggest using a tshirt to start with. Spend your money on film.

Hello,

I asked your opinion because I don't really like either jackets, cloths or the BTZS 4x5 Focus Hood

The jackets:
volume.
Do your wear it?
Leave the sleeves hanging?
Between shoots or deciding the best place, how do you transport them?

Cloths:
volume.
Between shoots or deciding the best place, how do you transport them?

BTZS hood:
More compact.
Some people use it as an Motley tube or scarf, around the neck between shoots or deciding the best place.
Doesn´t look practical when you use a loupe to focus.

Until now I have been using the hood of coat that I'm wearing: not quite practical.

I really don't care much about spending money because I've been building my own equipment (developing equipment, camera, bellows...)
So, I'm thinking about something like the BTZS without the Velcro around the hole where I put my head and make a pocket / opening in the space between my head / camera so that I can put my hand with the loupe. After capturing the image, just use it around da neck.

After making a prototype, I'll share with you all.

Regards.

[seezee]

I bought some blackout cloth, which I also use to darken my bathroom for use as a darkroom, and some lightweight silver lamé (polyester, I think), plus some sew-on hook and loop fastener ('velcro'). Had my sister sew 'em together in a 40×40″ square with the velcro in the corners. Cloth weights from Adorama or B&H attach to the velcro on the inside of the cloth.

The blackout cloth is a little slippery, so if I do it again I'll make a 3-layer cloth with the blackout in the middle, and black cotton or linen on the inside.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Been using the BTZS hood on my 8x10 for years. I don't bother closing up the velcro to focus with the loupe, unless I have some serious glare bouncing up from the ground... which has only happened working in snow and sand. It's pretty dark under there to focus. I wear the hood around my neck as a fashion statement.