Why don’t people learn how to use a Dark Cloth correctly?
I see post after post concerned because of light leaks.
When I was 7 years old a photographer friend gave me my first large format camera, a 4x5 Speed Graphic. He also gave me a dark cloth which was larger than I was. My memory says it was somewhere aaround 5 feet square. One of the admonitions he gave me was to never
use a too small dark cloth as they only lead to problems. I have never forgotten that.
Later in life I went out to photograph with Cole Weston. Cole was a good six feet plus. When he set up his old Calumet 8x10 and pulled out his dark cloth I was amazed. When draped over the camera the cloth touched the ground on both sides, it must have been 12 feet long.. He
focused and then with the cloth draped over his head he leaned over the film box and removed one of the old holders he inherited from Edward, then slid it into the camera. The moral of this paragraph is keep your film holders in the dark and stop worrying about light leaks.
Look at photos of photographers of the past. My vision of them is they were usually draped with a very large dark cloth. Learn from them.
I recently completed my 88th trip around the sun, and I still use large and ultra large cameras. Almost every time I see other LF photographers, I see people with the tiniest cloths imaginable. I have little doubt that these same people are the ones who write into the forums wondering why they have light leaks. Often included in their post is,"I checked the bellows with a flashlight and found no leaks."
Well, surprise, surprise there are a lot of other places on the camera where light is attempting to enter. The only way to be assured of keeping it out is to use a large cloth, and use it correctly. I know they are difficult to find, but they can be made. Have one made out of good
materials and you won’t ever need another one.
My primary dark cloth is 5x8 feet. I have a little 5x6 foot one which I sometimes use with the 5x7 when I am in a studio.
Here are some common errors and solutions.
1. Get rid of the handkerchief and get a big cloth, no less than 4x6 ft for 4x5 camera; at least 5x7 feet for 5x7 and larger camera.
2. Do not Velcro it to the rear edge of the camera, or clamp it there. Drape it all the way to the front standard so it covers all of the bellows as well as the back of the camera.
3. Carry your holders in a light tight container and keep it in the dark of the cloth when open.
4. Never have your holders in the light, keep them covered.
5. Forget those devices which fasten to the back of the camera and provide a nice dark view of the glass. They serve only one purpose, focusing in the dark. They do nothing to protect from light leaks, one of the primary purposes of a dark cloth.
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Originally Posted by Mark Sampson
! That's another story.
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