Dark cloth - attached or unattached?

[William McEwen]

Have you seen this funny (in a juvenile way!) video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a64iG-A-cRI

I think it's funny when he walks away from the camera and the dark cloth is completely covering his face.

This brought up a discussion, and I'd like to survey the gang here:

1. Do you attach your dark cloth to the camera?

2. If so, by what means? (Velcro, binder clips, etc.)

3. Plus any thoughts you might have...

Thanks!

William the Unclipped

[John Kasaian]

1. No
2. I simply drape it over the camera
3. Wind+a dark cloth fixed to the camera+tripod=a sail on a mast with my camera for the crow's nest! :)

[Stephen Lewis]

A tube, one end of which is elasticated and fits over the rear standard. In windy conditions, it's long enough to wind it around the tripod head when not being used, thus stopping it flapping around. See here http://www.lightandland.co.uk/article.aspx?articleId=326&typeId=2&conId=8

[Gem Singer]

I use a fairly large size dark cloth with my 8X10 camera.

It attaches to the camera with elastic and Velcro. I remove the cloth after composing and focusing when the wind is blowing hard.

On a calm day, it comes in handy for covering the film holder slot while the dark slide is removed, prior to pushing the cable release plunger.

Insurance against a leaking light trap in bright sunlight.

[Brian Ellis]

The BTZS hoods that I've always used for 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10 have an elastic opening that surrounds the camera back (like Stephen describes). I always remove it as soon as I've finished composing and use it to grasp the dark slide end of the film holder while putting the holder in the camera to minimize light leaks as Gem describes.

[Jan Pedersen]

As Gem, my home made darkcloth is attached to the camera with a 3/4" wide elastic which again is attached to the darkcloth with velcro. When windy i take it of the camera but often just wrap it so it doesn't move around. I like that extra "Light leak" protection on sunny days.

[Aender Brepsom]

My relatively small Ebony dark cloth is attached by a velcro strip to the top of the rear standard and then draped over the bottom part of the camera and fixed by another velcro.
I always remove it before making an exposure in order to avoid any vibration that could be caused by the wind.

[bvstaples]

I use to attach it to the rear standard with velcro, but it turned out to be more of a PITA than a help, so now I just drape it over me and the camera. In windy conditions, I have a french clip that I use to keep the bottom closed, but in reality I've gotten quite good and adjusting the camera with one hand while holding the cloth with the other.

[Vaughn]

Generally unattached (8x10), but occasionally I'll use a couple Australian plastic clothes pins t o hold it on.

I have a wood folding field camera -- I tuck the loose ends around and under the bellows while I am waiting to take the photo.

Vaughn

[timparkin]

I have a black jacket that hook over the back of my Ebony rear standard with a couple of mods.. ...

http://www.timparkin.co.uk/blog/5500784231778145784

[Eric James]

I also enjoy using the Black Jacket. If it's windy I keep it on the camera but I gather together the loose portion and tuck it on the camera base beneath the bellows. On the few occasions I've photographed in very strong winds I take it off when I'm not composing or focusing.

[Glenn Thoreson]

I carry some clothes pins for that. If the wind was to catch the cloth, I don't think the pins would hold it. They'd probably let it go flying before the camera could tip. I only use a pin or two if the cloth won't stay still while I'm fumbling around.

[Louie Powell]

I normally don't attach my darkcloth. It's a PITA to deal with darkslides with the darkcloth in place, and I do worry about the darkcloth acting as a sail. At best, it can introduce vibration, and at worst - well, I don't even want to think about that.

But if its a sunny day, I may decide that it would be prudent to leave the darkcloth over the camera to prevent inadvertent light leaks. In that case, drape the cloth over the camera, and then pinch the two ends together using an "a clamp" that lives in my backpack.

[William McEwen]

I just got off the phone with a medium-format photographer friend who used to assist a large-format architectural photographer.

He said his boss didn't allow attaching the dark cloth to the camera.

He said when you walk away from under the dark cloth, your shoulder or some other body part can drag a bit and move the camera.

[Gem Singer]

Older dark cloths were fabricated out of heavy weight cloth, usually two layered. They also had weighted corners that were supposed to hold the cloth in place in windy conditions.

They were heavy weight and bulky to pack into a camera bag.

They were usually draped over the camera like horse blankets. Even the ones with white fabric on the outside were extremely uncomfortable to work under in hot weather.

Newer dark cloths are constructed of lighter weight materials, reflective of light and heat under bright sunny conditions. Much more comfortable to work under.

For example, the top of the line Ebony, Harrison Classic Silver, and the Black Jacket are very light weight and fold into small, easy to carry packages.

These newer dark cloths are held in place by means of elastic, velcro, etc. Easy to fasten and unfasten from the camera. They do not exert as much drag on the camera as did the older type dark cloths.

[Richard Littlewood]

I like a dark cloth fixed round the camera back, it seems a good way to stop light coming up from the ground and being a bit distracting. It also has to be able to be whipped off quickly and stuffed in the sack!

[Archphoto]

I have a dark cloth with lead strips sewn into the sides, I don't need anything extra to keep it into place.

Peter