Harrison vs Wanderer 8x10 Dark Cloth

[r.e.]

I think you will be happy with the purchase.

Ryan Gillespie says that they do a fair amount of custom work when it comes to fabric, but I'm fine with this colour from Wanderer's website. When I've received the dark cloth, I'll post impressions. If I like it, I may purchase a fabric that I like and send it off to them. This could get addictive

[tykos]

i'd order a wanderer dark cloth, but the funny fabrics are almost all out of stock

[Ethan]

i'd order a wanderer dark cloth, but the funny fabrics are almost all out of stock

they re stock them occasionally, usually with new patterns. I think they do most patterns only once.

[r.e.]

I received the Wanderer dark cloth today and I'm very happy with it. The material seems to be high quality and it has some substance. It isn't going to flap around in a breeze. Dimensions are 36" x 56" (91cm x 142cm), and I think that 36" is plenty over my head. I also ordered the optional snaps ($12). As Ryan Gillespie says in the quote in post #6, the snaps make the front of the dark cloth a bit "tube-like". They help the dark cloth hold shape around the rear standard, and also block some of the light from below. I think that it's $12 well-spent.

Re the photo of my camera below, I attach the dark cloth around the camera's back (frame, bale, ground glass), but not around the function carrier and rail.

[r.e.]

Couple of photos of the Wanderer dark cloth with my 8x10 camera. The dark cloth consists of an outer blue fabric and an inner black twill fabric, probably both cotton or a cotton blend. The dark cloth hugs the standard due to a cinch cord, which is visible in the first photo. See the drawing in post #6. I like the fact that there's no Velcro. Wanderer's Instagram Page has photos showing its dark cloths with a wide variety of cameras.

[Willie]

Might look into making your own or having one made.
Ours is black breathable water/windproof fabric backed by a light grey capilene type cloth on the other side.
In a pinch it can keep us warm as well as keeping the photo gear dry.

A friend sewed it for us, sealing the seams. Still working well and looking good after a lot of use.

[Ethan]

Couple of photos of the Wanderer dark cloth with my 8x10 camera. The dark cloth consists on an outer blue fabric and an inner black twill fabric, probably both cotton or a cotton blend. The dark cloth hugs the standard due to a cinch cord, which is visible in the first photo. See the drawing in post #6. I like the fact that there's no Velcro. Wanderer's Instagram Page has photos showing its dark cloths with a wide variety of cameras.

looks great! I love how the wanderer cloths add some excitement to the camera, most dark cloths are fairly boring

[r.e.]

Might look into making your own or having one made.

As the thread documents, I just had one made My first post addresses DIY, which as a practical matter means prevailing on someone who knows how to use a sewing machine to do it for me: "I'm not interested in ... making one".

[r.e.]

looks great! I love how the wanderer cloths add some excitement to the camera, most dark cloths are fairly boring

Your endorsement helped me make the decision. I think the fact that Ryan shoots large format himself comes through in the design. I assume that it's a small business, and I'm happy to support it. The quality is good, and it's nice to see someone making dark cloths that aren't black and white with swaths of Velcro to make them work.

I'll be on the lookout for fabric for a second. For an 8x10 dark cloth, he needs 1⅓ yd x 1⅔ yards (~1.2m x 1.6m) of material. He'll supply the black twill liner. I think that the price that he's quoted me is quite reasonable.

[Mudrunner]

I just got a Wanderer 2 weeks ago. I'm impressed with the quality of the material and stitching. It's a fairly heavy piece of material and can stand up to a decent breeze. I've taken it out and stuffed in back into my pack quite a bit over the past 2 weeks and it still holds it's shape and looks clean (cold temps, some mist, dropped on the forest floor, etc...). I did not opt to get the extra snaps. I used a bull-clip for the 1st week, and I just sewed on some Velcro tabs...they work well. In retrospect, the $12 would have been worth saving me the time it took to get the tabs and sew them on.