In Praise of the Black T-Shirt [Archive] - Large Format Photography Forum

Bruce Barlow

26-Feb-2011, 07:58

I've been using a black T-shirt as a 4x5 dark cloth for some time. Stretch the neck over the back of the camera and voila! Small, light, relatively cool in hot weather, easy to carry in the camera bag. $3 from Wally World.

The other day I was messing around with my 8x10 and 5x7. The big cloth was far away, so I tried reversing the t-shirt, stretching the neck around my face and draping it over the back of the camera. It worked great on both! I had enough distance to see the whole 8x10 frame (5x7 was a breeze), and could get close enough for these tired old eyes to focus finely.

I'll probably bring the big cloth along from now on, but I'll use the t-shirt. If I get fancy I can sew a loop at the bottom of the shirt, string a string and put on a clasp that I can tighten around the back of the camera. Or not. I could probably achieve the same result with a binder clip with less work Except I'll lose the binder clip.

Tony Evans

26-Feb-2011, 08:13

Bruce,
Thanks for a really practical tip. The weight and size of my dark cloth makes it awkward for a newbie to use. Will definitely try this.

Noah A

26-Feb-2011, 08:38

I did this for a while before getting a proper darkcloth. And still, sometimes I prefer the t-shirt.

Gem Singer

26-Feb-2011, 10:03

Light weight black T-shirts did not seem to reduce enough light. At least the ones that I tried.

They required an additional layer of material to cut down the amount of sunlight shining through the cloth in order to make it dark enough to compose on the ground glass.

I found a smaller size Harrison Silver Classic dark cloth, with Velcro, that fits my Canham 4x5/5x7 like a glove.

It's light weight, light proof, and folds small.

Used a larger Harrison dark cloth for my former Canham 8x0 Traditional.

Mark Sawyer

26-Feb-2011, 10:32

In the field, I use a black sweatshirt on my 8x10; it's more opaque than a t-shirt. The thickness also makes for a nice pad when carrying the tripod and camera over my shoulder And if it gets cold walking back to the truck at the end of the day, I can put it on.

In the studio, I prefer a bath towel.

vinny

26-Feb-2011, 10:35

I had my mom sew a black one inside a white one with elastic band at the neck. I've been using that for about 10 years.

ROL

26-Feb-2011, 10:54

Huzza, Huzzaa...

Used an XXXL for a while in both orientations, and still keep one in the "alternate" gear for emergencies (like being phat in hollyweird :rolleyes: ). The Blackjacket style of darkcloth is in fact, based on nothing more than the t-shirt design – having the additional advantage of being able to be worn as an emergency poncho. In fact, I've taken the concept one downmarket stage further.

I picked up a black XL lightweight waterproof/breathable REI Elements shell at one of their "garage sales" for $5 a few years ago. It has elastic drawcords on all apertures, allowing it to be snugged effortlessly around the camera back, at the waist. I used it exclusively during impromptu shooting last summer within the Sawtooth NRA in Idaho. Of course, it doubles as the really nice lightweight technical shell that it is designed to be. It worked every bit as well as the Blackjacket for the purposes of a darkcloth – and I think may be preferable on several counts.

Bruce Barlow

26-Feb-2011, 11:24

Gem - You just don't go to the right cheap places to shop for T-shirts.

Mark - I like the sweatshirt idea a lot. Doesn't even need to be black, I suspect. I have non-black, will have to try ASAP.

ROL - may I be as blessed as to find what you did. Sounds wonderful.

Brian C. Miller

26-Feb-2011, 14:41

Every time I cover my camera with my tshirt, everybody tells me to put it back on. (I've been described as having the reflective qualities of an emergency road triangle.)

"Olde Frothingslosh -- a whale of an ale for the pale stale male."

I usually just envelope the camera with my jacket.

Gem Singer

26-Feb-2011, 15:33

Composing and focusing under a black heavy weight dark cloth in the Texas sun can be compared to sticking your head into a hot oven.

A reflective white or silver outer covering on the dark cloth helps but does not completely eliminate the problem.

When shooting on those hot summer days here in Texas, it's more comfortable to use a Cambo reflex viewer or a folding focusing hood, instead of a dark cloth, whenever possible.

Gary Tarbert

26-Feb-2011, 16:51

Bruce Barlow

27-Feb-2011, 05:16

Did this for a while myself but found i had to double up and have two so i permanatley had them in my bag doubled up .Worked well , but i do prefer the ones i use now which are white on the outer helping with the heat have elastic around the opening and you velcro up to your chin once organised. Interesting with 8x10 though , you would have to find a lady with a plunging neckline / black top and ask her ask her if she wouldn't mind taking it off while you tried it for size;) Cheers Gary

While your suggestion sounds like a lot of fun, careful readers will note that for 8x10 I put the neck around my face and the bottom of the shirt around the camera.

Were I to take your suggestion, there's a risk that photography would be left behind, and we couldn't have that in this forum!

Nacio Jan Brown

27-Feb-2011, 18:08

I use a black sweat shirt with the sleeves cut off and the arm holes sewn up. I find it easiest to stick my head in the neck opening and wear the thing kind of like a cowl, the body of the shirt resting on my shoulders. It's like I'm wearing it upside down. When I want to focus I just grab the bottom edge of the sweat shirt, lift and drape it over the camera back. When done I just flip it back onto my shoulders. I've tried all designs of dark cloths and have found that what I describe above is the easiest for me.

j.e.simmons

27-Feb-2011, 18:38

Ditto what Nacio does. I doubled the t-shirts, one inside the other to block more light.
juan

ki6mf

1-Mar-2011, 04:41

Ditto on the black T Shirt. I picked up mine from the sports section of Marshalls and decided on a long sleeve polypropylene stylish design. One thing i do is pull the shirt over my camera then use the long sleeves to wrap around and tie T Shirt Dark Cloth around the camera. I then pop a nylon bag over for additional protection. Light weight, waterproof, and oh so stylish! Oh yea my poly t shirt cost all of $7.00.

Jay DeFehr

1-Mar-2011, 14:45

Last night I had a meeting with my older, and more skilled brother about a partnership, by which we would fabricate some of the many plans I have for photographic equipment and accessories, among them an innovative dark cloth. Other projects include: finishing my 14 x 17 location portrait camera, 4x5 portrait camera, sheet film processing system, printing frames, sheet film holders, and many others. In another era we might have become a profitable business! Still, it will be good to see some of these projects completed, for my own satisfaction, and maybe someone else will find some among them useful.

Tim Meisburger

1-Mar-2011, 15:19

I also use a black sweat shirt with the sleeves cut off. Its an old one I bought at Lynn's General Store in Occoquan about 1984. I stick my head through the neck and drape it on the camera as Nacio does. The rest of the time it covers my ground glass; or if its cold I wear it, but it doesn't quite cover my belly anymore. I think it must have shrunk...

letchhausen

1-Mar-2011, 16:35

I was with a friend who used a black jacket and I tried it but realized that if someone on the street makes a grab for my bag I'm going to look pretty silly running around with that thing over my head as I try to get it off. Since most of my shooting is urban my Harrison dark cloth has the advantage of allowing me to able to see my bag beneath my tripod and easily throw it off if some homeless guy starts getting aggressive (which happened once).

Heroique

1-Mar-2011, 16:47

Cotton kills.

Well, at least it has that potential in my chilly, rain-drenched part of the planet.

I use an Adirondack-style windbreaker, sharing many of the excellent “t-shirt tricks” above.

For example, I tighten its waist (w/ cinch cord) around the camera back (a tailored fit!), and slip my head through the zippered neck. When I use a loupe, I zip-open the V-neck a little more so I can fit my forearm inside. (My other arm operates the camera.) Depending on movements, I might have to switch arms. A little clumsy, but I’ve gotten used to it. The windbreaker is light-weight, light-tight, breathable & water resistant. So if it rains, I wear it. Or I might slip it over my camera in hostile environments.

Like many here, I’ve never owned a real darkcloth.

zeitguy

2-Mar-2011, 08:03

Has anyone else mentioned this: A heavyweight black tee worn as a cowl + 1 clothespin to cinch the tee waist around the back frame? Thanks for the tee solution. Solved my immediate issues with dim ground glass image from a 90mm SuperAngulon, at least for daylight. Still working on solution for indoors. I keep seeing reference to fresnel. Is that an add on, and will it work on the Calumet CC-401 w/revolving spring back? A lot of accessories for 4x5 don't work on this back config.

There is a 1+" gap between the bottom of the standard and the back frame, which needs to be plugged also. I am going to try a loose, cut-to-size piece of foam on a string tied to the back standard which should allow back movement, and not get left in the field.

Randy

3-Mar-2011, 05:18

I have been wrestling with my Zone VI dark-cloth for about 20 years now. Makes me think the right side of my brain doesn't function at all.
On my next outing with the 8X10 I will take both black T and Sweat shirts along.

Nacio Jan Brown

3-Mar-2011, 19:07

I don't use a clothes pin or other fastener to secure the waist of the tee shirt to the camera because both my hands are in and out under the tee shirt to use the loupe. I find it dark enough under there. The idea of doubling up on the tee shirts with the outer one white for coolth sounds good.

Bruce Barlow

4-Mar-2011, 08:22