[LargeFormat] Re: focusing cloth

[Paul and Paula Butzi]

In my not very humble opinion, the best focusing cloth is
actually more like a hood - the one I use was made by
the View Camera Store (aka Darkroom Innovations aka
Fred Newman) which you can check out at
http://www.darkroom-innovations.com/BTZS_Focus_Cloth/btzs_focus_cloth.html

The end that attaches to the camera is elasticized.  The entire
thing has a velcro closure on the bottom, so that you can open
up a hole and stick your hand (and the loupe) in.  The back
portion is a hood, rather like a jacket.  It's lightweight, folds
into a very small space, and is very dark, because no light
bleeds in from underneath.

I've been meaning to make a custom hood just for my
Technikardan - using Ultrasuede to form the front
(near the ground glass) portion, and nylon for the
hood portion.  Ultrasuede is a synthetic suede like
material that (at least for the black stuff) is very
black, very non-reflective, and has some considerable
stiffness to it.  This would prevent the portion of
the hood between your face from 'pooching' into
your line of sight when working in strong cross
winds.

I recommend against weighting a darkcloth -
it doesn't stop the cloth from flapping in the
wind, and instead the cloth acts like a sail
to impart near-lethal momentum to the weights
in any substantial wind.  If it hits you, you would
yell 'ouch'.  If it hits the GG, it's a goner.  If it
hits a lens, you'll really yell 'ouch.'

-Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Schraeder" <cestjeffici@yahoo.com>
To: <largeformat@f32.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2001 4:39 AM
Subject: [LargeFormat] Re: focusing cloth


> Does anyone know where I can get a patterns for a
> focusing cloth? My wife sews and I would like to have
> her make one for me. The large square cloth I use now
> is cumbersome, blows off in the wind, and is totally
> distracting. I heve seen some interesting cloths
> advertized that wrap around the camera in various ways
> and need a starting point to experiment.
> Jeff
>
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