Focusing cloth...

<p>Can anybody recomend a decent focusing cloth for my 4X5 which wont break the bank. Thanks in advance. </p>

<p>It's not a bargain, but the focusing cloths from The View Camera store are terrific and don't become a sail in a breeze.</p>

<p>Why not innovate one? I bought one and all it's done is still in the equipment closest. If I need one, which isn't very often (Horseman has a built-in GG hood) I use a lightweight, rain-resistant running jacket, shown in the <a href="http://www.wsrphoto.com/lfblog15.html">photo</a>. And it's useful as a coat too.</p>

<p>i went to the fabric store 20 years ago and got a piece of black cloth<br>

it cost less than $5usd and works as well as anything else ...</p>

<p>Not cheap, but I like my BlackJacket.</p>

<p>http://www.quietworks.com/FRAMES_FILES/BJ_SPECIFICATIONS/BJ_NEW_HOME_FRAME_.htm</p>

<p>The best one I have used is the heavy duty large cloth from Calumet. Weighted at the corners & washable. I have been using the same one since 1982. We stock them in my store.</p>

<p>Do you have a black xl t-shirt?<br>

Do you have a white xl t-shirt?<br>

Put the black one inside the white one, stitch the sleeves, neck and waist in a couple spots and your done. Stick you head in the neck and go. If you get some xxl shirts, you can stretch the elastic neck over the camera for an even better fit.</p>

<p>Karen sewed mine...double thickness black, one layer white, sew edges and a cross thru the center and weight the corners. can double as a reflector as well a darkcloth.</p>

<p>I went to the fabric store and found some faux leather material. It doesn't fray on the edges, and it is soft on one side and waterproof on the other. I've had it for almost 20 years.</p>

<p>Good Evening Bruce,<br>

Have you had any issues with any of your Calumet dark cloths? <br>

I ask because I bought one from them back when I bought my Zone VI 4x5 kit from them about eight or nine years ago.  It was their "deluxe" model (or whatever they called the more expensive one they carried).  It worked fine, the few times I used it, but it wasn't anything special.  I already had a dark cloth from my other kit so the new one spent almost its entire life folded up in my Zone VI bag which lives in my bedroom closet with all of my clothes.  I'm sure the cloth hadn't seen more than ten hours of actual use in the time that I've owned it.<br>

I loaned my regular dark cloth out to a friend with one of my cameras a few weeks ago and then decided to go out and do some shooting myself.  I pulled out the Calumet dark cloth which looked brand new (as it should have).  After shooting for an hour or two I realized that my arms were both totally black...  not just a little black, I mean they looked like I had just dug myself out from under a giant pile of charcoal! <br>

At first I thought that I must have disturbed some soot that had been resting on the tall vegetation I was walking through, or perhaps I got in the way of some some kind of spore producing plant that just happened to go off as I was standing there, but then I realized that my legs were fine, it was only on the parts of me that had been covered with the dark cloth!  Hmmm.<br>

After cleaning myself up I took a closer look and could see that the black stuff was really millions of tiny black threads, each only a millimeter or two long.  I figured it wasn't a huge deal, although the thought of having a dark cloth come apart like that right on top of all of my film carriers and camera wasn't the most comforting thing in the world.  I threw the dark cloth into the washing machine thinking that a quick wash and rinse would free up any remaining fibers and wash them away.<br>

I guess I was right... what I didn't take into consideration was that those fibers were apparently what holds a dark cloth together because when I went to take the cloth out of the washing machine it literally fell apart in my hands...  it is so weak and brittle that it won't even support its own weight, it just tears apart like cheap tissue paper!<br>

I am at a total loss... I've never seen any piece of material do this before, especially one that has lived in a dark, temperature and humidity controlled environment it's entire life!  What's more strange is that it's only the black part of the cloth, the white side is as strong as ever, although it's covered with crud from the black side now.<br>

I sent Calumet an email last week asking if they had ever heard of this sort of thing happening before, but they haven't replied yet.<br>

I'm wondering if there was a known batch of bad cloth that they used, or if this is just a fluke. <br>

John</p>

<p>Wow! That is the first comment like that I have heard. I actually have two of these. The very old one which is dark navy and white, and one from the large batch we got from them a few years ago. The newer one is black and white. I use it as a background when I shoot small objects, and also as a light reflector. Neither cloth falls apart. They have these made and obviously bought a faulty batch. Call 1 800 CALUMET and maybe they can help.</p>

<p>"After cleaning myself up I took a closer look and could see that the black stuff was really millions of tiny black threads, each only a millimeter or two long. "<br>

Amazing ! Could it be that tiny moths used you black cloth as dinner while it was sitting in your closet ? I had that happened to a Tie that somebody gave me as a gift once. I never wore it because the colors were just too wierd. One day I was invited to halloween party so I figured that Tie might come in handy. When I pulled the Tie from the rack it was full of holes just like Swis Cheese. All the other ties on that rack were OK ? Thanks for advice all. Maybe I'll just make, but the the last one I had use to love getting caught in the Wind. </p>

<p>Good Evening All,</p>

<p>Bruce - I will call them this week, I haven't heard back from them after sending my email and I suppose it might have got lost in the spam filter or something. I'm not looking to 'get' anything from them, was just wondering if it was a known issue or just a total fluke.</p>

<p>Harry - I'm reasonably certain that it wasn't moths... the dark cloth lived inside of my 4x5 Zone VI bag with my lenses, film holders, etc. That bag stays zipped up unless I'm actively getting stuff out of it or putting things away. </p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>John</p>

<p>best answer is the black tshirt. forget all that white/black thing just take an old black tshirt and put it over your head, but neck first. then pull the "body" around the ground glass when you are viewing. nothing simpler or better out there, and won't blow away...another way to use it is to put the neck over a 4x5 back, and leave attached to the camera. then just pull the body around yourself when you need it...</p>

<p>Charles M says " forget all that white/black thing"</p>

<p>Being reasonably new to this I'm using a black jacket when i need shade. The problem here in the Austin Texas area is we are going over 100 degrees f every day right now I would welcome the white exterior to help reflect some of that heat.</p>

<p>After decades of using a traditional focus cloth, I finally tried the BTZS Focus Hoods from the View Camera Store. In the first 5 minutes of using it, I was SOLD. I will never use a traditional focus cloth again. They're a waste.</p>

<p>Spend $55 and get the BTZS Focus Hood. There's nothing better. Believe me, you won't be sorry.</p>

<p>Many years ago I bought a piece of black fabric, doubled it and sew in a lead-string (aimed for shower curtains) at the edges, to keep it stay on the camera and not blow away in the wind.</p>

<p>I would use a heavy material black cloth.... just go to a fabric store and get a good size, and you might want to double up on the material to add extra light protection and weight to prevent it blowing away. Then you want to go to a hardware store and pick up some thick heavy flat metal washers about a dozen or so. Shouldn't be much money at all. WHat you are going to do is fold them into the fabric and sew them in place. This will keep the focusing close tight around that camera for the fraction of the price of what you get that is exactly the same from the Calumet store.</p>

<p>Think creatively, do NOT use such a cloth. you can simply bring along a dark color light weight jacket. As Easy as That! </p>

<p>I just use a tshirt or sometimes a pile type sweater if that's what's in my daypack. With my horseman fa it has the dealy bopp that opens up on the back and I sometimes use no focusing cloth. </p>