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dengfang314
13-Oct-2015, 14:44
Hi there,

Anyone knows how is the scene in folding viewer compare to a traditional dark cloth?

Thanks,

Fang

diversey
13-Oct-2015, 14:47
The same?

dengfang314
13-Oct-2015, 15:00
The same?

I mean things like viewability, brightness and so on, especially in the middle of the day.

Jim C.
13-Oct-2015, 16:06
If you mean a folding viewer like a pop up shade versus a dark cloth, the dark cloth will win
with pop up shades and even monocular viewers there will always be extraneous light leaking in.

dengfang314
13-Oct-2015, 16:11
If you mean a folding viewer like a pop up shade versus a dark cloth, the dark cloth will win
with pop up shades and even monocular viewers there will always be extraneous light leaking in.

Is the light leak acceptable? I really want to find something instead of the dark cloth.

bobwysiwyg
13-Oct-2015, 16:14
There aren't many options. Sounds like you've already made up your mind.

Jac@stafford.net
13-Oct-2015, 16:27
If you mean a folding viewer like a pop up shade versus a dark cloth, the dark cloth will win
with pop up shades and even monocular viewers there will always be extraneous light leaking in.

What Jim said. If you can reach the controls with a dark cloth you are good to go. I suppose using BOTH would be cool, but I'm too lazy and broke to try. :)

Bruce Barlow
13-Oct-2015, 17:07
I use a black t-shirt, the neck stretched around the back of my 4x5. My nice sister sewed up the sleeves, but they can be useful to put your hands in to get to the rear tilt knobs.

The t-shirt lets no light in the bottom, so the GG is unimpaired, and really bright. If you get a XXL from Wally World, it's long enough, cheap and effective. I have no experience with a viewer, but I'll take my solution, even in bright sun, anytime.

If the shirt lets in too much light for your taste, put the black one inside a white one, and you have the equivalent of the fancier dark cloths, only cheaper and better.

Greg Y
13-Oct-2015, 21:14
I don't think there's a viewer out there that matches a dark cloth. I wrap my camera in the dark cloth to protect it in my backpack. The dark cloth shields the edge of the film holder when the light is on an angle. When the light is strong i cover my bellows. If the light falls a certain way, I cover the bellows with the dark cloth and then slide the darkslide in betwen to make a lens shade.

Jim C.
13-Oct-2015, 22:16
Is the light leak acceptable? I really want to find something instead of the dark cloth.

That depends on your personal preference, and what you deem acceptable
if you want to keep the ground glass image bright a dark cloth has no equal
with the bottom opening clothes pinned together, Bruce Barlows T shirt method
works very well too and there are dark cloths fashioned after that idea.
The only other way is to use monocular or binocular viewer with some sort of cushion ring that
you can push into to block out light.

neil poulsen
13-Oct-2015, 22:26
I have both a dark cloth and a folding binocular viewer that I customized from one Arca and three Sinar parts. (See the following thread.)

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?100825-Sinar-Binocular-Viewer-on-Arca-Swiss-Camera

Comparing the two, I think that it's a matter of convenience: it's easy to attach the viewer, whereas one needs to futz around with the darkcloth to keep out sufficient light. Change a lens, and one can momentarily leave the viewer hanging in place, versus having to repeat the process with a darkcloth. It's better, if one has clips or something to attach the darkcloth to the camera. The hanging binocular viewer (like the Sinar) does a decent job without much effort of keeping out light.

A disadvantage to the folding viewer, is that they take up room, and they have to be stored somewhere in my backpack.

A compromise between the two is something like the following:

http://www.viewcamerastore.com/5x7-btzs-focus-hood-dark-cloth/

I have one of these, and I find it more convenient than either of the other two. It has elastic that keeps it on the camera. So, changing a lens is no problem. It's lighter than the folding viewer, and I place it on top of my camera and lenses to cover and protect them. (Note that I linked to the 5x7, versus the 4x5. Depending on the 4x5 camera, I tend to opt for the next size up. It's not as much of a tight fit, and it works just fine.)

I also found a great buy on the traditional, box-like binocular reflex viewer that rights the image top to bottom. But, it stays on the shelf. It's awkward to carry, and it weighs quite a bit.

Cor
14-Oct-2015, 00:04
If money is not the problem:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/30811-REG/Linhof_002503_45_Focus_Metering_Bellows.html

dave_whatever
14-Oct-2015, 03:05
Folding viewer - I have the Chamonix one, and to be honest it's ok for general quick composition and setup, not really usable for critical focussing. Works better for viewing horizontal shots than vertical when your head blocks most of the extraneous light from entering, and you can use both eyes. In vertical shots you can only see with one eye, and there's too much spill of background light in - I've used it most with the ground glass masked down to 6x12 for shooting with the Horseman back.

Bellows type viewers - I had the Robert White bellows viewer when I had an Ebony, the previous owner had added an end plate with a 1" hole cut in to look through, eliminating background light entering. This was great for composition, but after a few months the "self supporting" bellows started to lose the required stiffness to hold their own weight when extended, so you lost the ability to use both hands for focus and tilt, so it became less handy, so I got rid.

Doremus Scudder
14-Oct-2015, 03:50
If you want to reduce the necessity for a dark cloth, first get a good Fresnel screen for your camera. That will brighten things up quite a bit in comparison to plain ground glass. It's also nice to have fast lenses and shoot only in bright sunlight. I use a wooden field camera with a Fresnel screen for most of my work and do not have to use the dark cloth when the subject is well lit and there isn't a lot of extraneous light falling on the ground glass. I don't even need a folding hood. If I had a field camera with a folding hood, I'd definitely use it.

However, there are situations when a dark cloth is indispensable. With a plain ground glass, lower light, wider-angle and slower lenses, my dark cloth comes out for viewing. It also comes out when the camera needs protection from water (mine is Gore-Tex) or I'm worried that direct sunlight is striking the filmholder slots, or when I need a bit of a lens shade; the dark cloth does all that too with a little creative folding.

Part of how troublesome a darkcloth is depends on its size and weight. Just big enough but not too small (you'll have to decide that), light and waterproof makes a package that folds up really small. You don't have to use it if not needed, but it's there if you do. FWIW, I don't spend a lot of time under the dark cloth; I compose the scene with a viewing filter and decide on my focus points before I even set up the camera. I usually know which lens I intend to use before setting up as well.

My time under the cloth is spent framing, applying movements and focusing. If you know what you want beforehand, you don't need to spend time composing your shot with a dark cloth flapping in the wind :)

Best,

Doremus

mdarnton
14-Oct-2015, 05:30
What kind of camera are we talking about? I have both Cambo viewers, the straight-through one and the mirror finder, for 4x5 and I love them. My 5x7 B&J has the old fashioned folding hood, and it is adequate for me, but not as nice as the closed Cambo finders. I really don't like using a dark cloth, but am forced to with a couple of other cameras. It's always getting in the way, forces me too close to the glass for a good overall view, and is just plain inconvenient--a sure last choice, for me.