I'm going to stop using a 4x5 BTZS focusing "tube" and get a dark cloth. Suggestions?

[AtlantaTerry]

I have read that some photographers use a large black towel while others use a Space Blanket from outdoor stores.

What have y'all tried?

Any suggestions for weights to hold the fabric down? I saw something on FleaBay that I'm going to try: weights that hold backdrops down.

Maybe add some fishing lead weights to these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Studio-Lighting-Backdrop-Muslin-Holder-Clamps-for-Green-Screen-/200942314911?pt=US_Photography_Background_Material&hash=item2ec918659f

The thing I don't like about the BTZS "tube" is that I have to remove the elastic end from my cameras each time I load a sheet film holder. When I do, (1) that takes time which means the light or subject can change and (b) I often end up moving my Cambo due to the rail design [user error].

Thanks,
Terry

[Kimberly Anderson]

Dark blue or black fleece blankie has worked wonders for me.

[Preston]

I have a Toyo that is white on one side, black on the other. It has Velcro along one edge so that you can secure it around the camera.

Be careful with weights--a strong wind could whip them into you or the camera/lens. That would hurt.

--P

[Gem Singer]

Cambo makes a compact, light weight monocular reflex viewer that fits over the ground glass.

Image is right side up. Magnifying loupe is built-in No need to use a dark cloth.

I use mine on the 4x5 back of my Canham MQC. Handy gadget to have.

[Regular Rod]

I have read that some photographers use a large black towel while others use a Space Blanket from outdoor stores.

What have y'all tried?

Any suggestions for weights to hold the fabric down? I saw something on FleaBay that I'm going to try: weights that hold backdrops down.

Maybe add some fishing lead weights to these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Studio-Lighting-Backdrop-Muslin-Holder-Clamps-for-Green-Screen-/200942314911?pt=US_Photography_Background_Material&hash=item2ec918659f

The thing I don't like about the BTZS "tube" is that I have to remove the elastic end from my cameras each time I load a sheet film holder. When I do, (1) that takes time which means the light or subject can change and (b) I often end up moving my Cambo due to the rail design [user error].

Thanks,
Terry

I use a high quality (thick) cotton black tee shirt, which cost less than £5 on eBay. Slip the neck opening over the camera. Put your head in as if you were going to wear it and wear a pair of +5 magnifying reading glasses.

RR

[C. D. Keth]

I got two XXL t-shirts from target. One is white, the other is black and I put one inside the other. The neck fits over the back of my camera nicely. They're cotton so you could clean a lens with them if you want, and they're cheap enough to toss without worry if you drop it in the LA river (just a hypothetical situation that did not happen to me, nope)

[Daniel Stone]

get some black gore-tex fabric, or some rubberized cloth(usually a lightweight nylon backed material) from these folks:

http://www.owfinc.com/

sold by-the-yard most of the time

joann fabrics occasionally has material similar to what I'm recommending, but I'd just go straight to OWF, personally

the Ripstop Breathable is ok stuff. give them a call(see 'contact') and tell them what you're looking to do.

-Dan

[Ari]

I sewed two pieces of cotton together, one black, one white; bought at the fabric store, total around $10.

[SergeiR]

being super lazy i just went to Hobby Lobby, got myself black moleskin cloth, cut about 1.5 yard of it (and use rest of it to light proof makeshift darkroom) and use it for 2 years - never had issue - its super light and compact and i use it across 4x5 and 8x10. To hold it in wind situation i just added cloth pins to it so they hook onto existing latches on deardorff, chamonix, korona.

[AtlantaTerry]

Cambo makes a compact, light weight monocular reflex viewer that fits over the ground glass.

Image is right side up. Magnifying loupe is built-in No need to use a dark cloth.

I use mine on the 4x5 back of my Canham MQC. Handy gadget to have.

I bought one of those Cambo reflex viewers from an eBay seller. It works wonders when the camera is lower than my eye level. But sucked for verticals when the camera was up at my eye level. I used it just five days ago for some vertical portraits and discovered I had to stand to the side (no problem). But trying to compose verticals from the side while looking into a mirror is nuts - left is right and down is up ... Ick! I finally took the reflex thingie off and composed the portraits using my BTZS tube. Then I put the reflex device back on to critical focus.

Cambo makes a device similar to their reflex one but it is designed to use while looking straight into the camera (no mirror). I'm shopping for one now to see how that works.

[vinny]

What are those weights going to do when the wind tosses them into your ground glass?
As Chris, i use two t shirts and have for 10+years.

If you wanna make your own, get this:http://www.cinegearstore.com/products/Ultrabounce-(60”)-Per-Yard.html

[jeroldharter]

The BTZS is good because it is secure and dark. It is not so good because it is impermeable so it gets very humid in there and requires a little wrestling to remove it between film holders.

Sounds like you need a conventional dark cloth. I have not found a perfect one. Although I don't own one, I would consider an Ebony dark cloth unless you want the DIY options.

https://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=671

[AtlantaTerry]

What are those weights going to do when the wind tosses them into your ground glass?

One thing I was thinking about was to sew some lead shot into the borders of the fabric. This would make the border a bit heavy without having individual points of weight.

[Mkillmer]

I bought some light weight black ultrasuede fom a fabric shopa few years ago and have been using it since. It was very very inexpensive.
you still will probably need some sort of lens for critical focussing. I bought a slide viewing loupe, popped off the back and mounted it on black card paper. This covers my 8x10 and means I dont need the cloth except for composition.
for my 4x5 I used a lens out of an old 50mm lens mounted in the top of an orange juice container - fits 4x5 perfectly!

[Robert Oliver]

Bought a cheap blackout curtain from Target for my 8x10. clips onto camera. Black on one side, white on the other.

[Brian Ellis]

Don't sell or throw away your BTZS hood. I started out in LF photography with a classic "blanket" dark cloth bought from Zone VI Studios I think. Heavy, hot, inconvenient to take on and off then folding and stuffing into back pack where it took up a lot of room. I switched to the BTZS hood almost 20 years ago and never regretted it. It's smaller,lighter, easier to take on and off, and takes up much less space in the backpack than the traditional dark cloth I used.

You may be perfectly fine with an alternative to the BTZS hood of course. I'm just suggesting that you might appreciate the hood more after trying alternatives.

[Kodachrome25]

Sounds like you need a conventional dark cloth. I have not found a perfect one. Although I don't own one, I would consider an Ebony dark cloth unless you want the DIY options.

https://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=671

I have this one and it is perfect for my needs, lightweight, coated white side, logical use of Velcro and can easily fit in my pocket when folded. It's probably the only Ebony brand thing I will ever own but it does work very well.

[Cletus]

Just ONE word.....Harrison Classic Darkcloth.

Lightweight, but heavy enough for a breezy day, compact, COOL, rainproof, velcroed (if you want to stick it on the back of your camera), quality through and through, including the heavy duty nylon storage bag. Use the Harrison one time and you'll kick yourself for using horseblankets and t-shirts all those years!

[AtlantaTerry]

Just ONE word.....Harrison Classic Darkcloth.

Lightweight, but heavy enough for a breezy day, compact, COOL, rainproof, velcroed (if you want to stick it on the back of your camera), quality through and through, including the heavy duty nylon storage bag. Use the Harrison one time and you'll kick yourself for using horseblankets and t-shirts all those years!

Where does one purchase a Harrison and what does it cost?

[AtlantaTerry]

Don't sell or throw away your BTZS hood. I started out in LF photography with a classic "blanket" dark cloth bought from Zone VI Studios I think. Heavy, hot, inconvenient to take on and off then folding and stuffing into back pack where it took up a lot of room. I switched to the BTZS hood almost 20 years ago and never regretted it. It's smaller,lighter, easier to take on and off, and takes up much less space in the backpack than the traditional dark cloth I used.

You may be perfectly fine with an alternative to the BTZS hood of course. I'm just suggesting that you might appreciate the hood more after trying alternatives.

OK. Then am I using my BTZS wrong?

Must I remove it each time I want to load a sheet film holder? That is my biggest complaint. I was thinking about this last night. Maybe what I should do is split open the Velcro then flip the tube up over the bellows prior to loading the film holder. Of course that means the bellows has to be pristine inside otherwise I would be stirring up a dust storm.

[nonuniform]

I have my ancient Zone VI cloth, heavy cotton canvas, black on one side, white on the other, weights in the corners. NEVER needed to attach it to the camera in any way. Also, spreading it white side up helps keep the film out of the sun in the desert.

[vinny]

Fwiw, i've seen/used the Ebony darkcloth and it's made from what appears to be Ultrabounce fabric, that I provided a link to.

[EdSawyer]

Blackjacket.

[Oren Grad]

I use larger BTZS hoods, specified for 8x10 or ULF, and put them on the camera the other way around - the cuffed end goes over my head, while the other end drapes over the camera. I know a tight fit on the camera back was supposed to be one of the distinctive benefits of this design, but I found using it that way to be more trouble than it was worth. OTOH, flipping one of the bigger ones around gives me a hood that goes on and off quickly and easily, while still being more secure and providing better shading compared to the proverbial horse blanket.

Using the hood the other way around has the added benefit that one large-sized hood can be used with many different sizes of camera.

[Drew Bedo]

My wife layered together a black velv et material with something white. works as well as any darkcloth I have seen and is special to me when ever I use it with my 8x10.

\For my 4x5 kit I use a BTZS hood: quick to use, folds small and its light.

[Brian Ellis]

OK. Then am I using my BTZS wrong?

Must I remove it each time I want to load a sheet film holder? That is my biggest complaint. I was thinking about this last night. Maybe what I should do is split open the Velcro then flip the tube up over the bellows prior to loading the film holder. Of course that means the bellows has to be pristine inside otherwise I would be stirring up a dust storm.

Yes, you have to remove it to get the holder in the camera after focusing and composing. Putting it on to compose and focus, then removing it to insert the holder, wasn't a problem for me but if it's a problem for you then it's a problem. Of course any system that I know of - t-shirt, blanket, whatever - requires that something be removed to get the holder in the camera and put back on to compose and focus for the next photograph. But you might find another product easier to do that with than the BTZS tube.

[Drew Bedo]

When using mine, I wrap the elastic section onto the rear standard, insert my head and shoulders into the open velcro section and go to work. when getting ready to actually shoot, I pull the elastic off the camera and pull it back over my head like a hood. I don't walk around like that, but it is convenient for inserting the film holder and making adjustments to the lens/shutter. Its right there when its time to drape the bellows, pull the slide and trip the shutter. Works for me.

But that is the whole issue: If it doesn't work comfortably into your creative flow . . .do something else.

[Noah A]

I've used t-shirts and jackets on occasion, but really I prefer the Harrison darkcloth. The small one is great for 4x5.

[Richard Wasserman]

Another nice thing about Harrison darkcloths (of which I'm a big fan) is that they are waterproof, or at least water-resistant, and you can wrap your camera with it and shoot in the rain. With a little creative folding you can even form it into a hood to protect the lens. I've done this a lot—the light can be very beautiful when it's raining.

[dave_whatever]

I had a Harrison cloth briefly that came with a camera I bought. I thought it was bloody awful. Huge, sweaty, bulky to pack and less effective than tube/tshirt type cloths.

[Richard Wasserman]

I had a Harrison cloth briefly that came with a camera I bought. I thought it was bloody awful. Huge, sweaty, bulky to pack and less effective than tube/tshirt type cloths.

Sounds like you had the wrong size...... Or, maybe your camera was too small. :rolleyes: The large Harrison's are very big and would be suitable for 8x10 or maybe even 11x14 cameras or for studio use perhaps. The smaller sizes, I think are great with 4x5. I don't care for tube type darkcloths. I work primarily in urban settings, often not great ones, and I feel too cut-off from the world under them. I feel much more comfortable if I can easily take a quick peek from under the cloth to check my surroundings.

[dave_whatever]

Sounds like you had the wrong size...... Or, maybe your camera was too small. :rolleyes: The large Harrison's are very big and would be suitable for 8x10 or maybe even 11x14 cameras or for studio use perhaps. The smaller sizes, I think are great with 4x5. I don't care for tube type darkcloths. I work primarily in urban settings, often not great ones, and I feel too cut-off from the world under them. I feel much more comfortable if I can easily take a quick peek from under the cloth to check my surroundings.

The one I had was the standard one for 5x4. As big blanket type affairs go it was probably one of the better ones, but that whole style of darkcloth doesn't suit me, I don't photograph by the car in guaranteed windless conditions.

As for the camera being too small, that's a different matter! Worryingly I do now own two lenses that will cover 10x8......

I know what you mean about working in urban areas. In these conditions I've sometimes just draped my tshirt type cloth over the top of the camera as a mini-horseblanket type thing and relied on the brightness of the maxwell screen, and in some situations been able to dispense with the cloth altogether. What would be best for urban use might be a graflex type short folding hood. I've got one spare here and I really should work out how to fashion an adapter to use it on the back of the Chamonix on those four round pegs that hold the screen protector.

[ROL]

Just ONE word.....Harrison Classic Darkcloth.

Lightweight, but heavy enough for a breezy day, compact, COOL, rainproof, velcroed (if you want to stick it on the back of your camera), quality through and through, including the heavy duty nylon storage bag. Use the Harrison one time and you'll kick yourself for using horseblankets and t-shirts all those years!

Prolly best not take advice from someone who can't count. ;)


While not directly addressing your application and removal issues, which it seems to me to be ultimately better handled by a basic secure lockdown, I just love these "Which dark cloth is better?" jousts: The Ideal View Camera Darkcloth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAwIWZ9H3ZU). :p

[Drew Wiley]

I've said it before, but logically, unequivocally, absolutely the finest darkcloth material you can find is black Goretex (though it can be hard to find). Breathable, lint-free, waterproof, opaque, tough. How you sew it together is Topic B. You can keep your T shirt with all its lint and BO, unless of course, you're Savanarola.

[AtlantaTerry]

It was quite easy to find Goretex by the yard:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gore-Tex-Performance-Shell-Material-Fabric-Sewing-Waterproof-Survival-Emergency-/251272586651

[Mark Sawyer]

After several decades of most imaginable options...

Out in the field: A black sweatshirt (t-shirts are too lightweight) with the neck-hole wrapped around the rear of the 4x5 camera to keep out the light. Cut the arms off short to stick your hand in with a loupe, and stick your head in through the waist. Turn it around with your head through the neck and it works for 8x10 and 11x14. And you can put it on to stay warm on the walk back after the light fades. (Saved me more than once...)

In the studio: Any dark bath towel. Functional and comfortable.

Anything more expensive and complicated was just more expensive and complicated...