{"id":2335,"date":"2020-05-21T18:02:25","date_gmt":"2020-05-21T18:02:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lensnotes.com\/?p=2335"},"modified":"2022-01-11T12:00:04","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T12:00:04","slug":"dark-cloth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lensnotes.com\/photography\/dark-cloth\/","title":{"rendered":"Dark Cloth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"eTone<\/a>
eTone Dark Cloth<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>What is a dark cloth?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A dark cloth, also called a focusing cloth or hood, is a photographic accessory that is primarily used with large format view cameras. In it’s simplest form, the dark cloth is a piece of light-proof that covers your head and the back of the camera. It eliminates stray light to allow for proper viewing of the relatively dim image on the camera ground glass during framing and focusing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dark cloths are also used when viewing LCD monitors in adverse lighting conditions. You can use one with a DSLR or a mirrorless camera and they are a popular film set accessory. Many focus pullers<\/a> use some form of a dark cloth when pulling focus off a monitor in bright sunlight. Digital imaging technicians (DITs) also commonly use dark tents or cloths to shade their monitors when evaluating exposure or color balance. Astronomers observing the sun also report the benefits of a dark cloth both for improving visibility and for cutting down on the heat by covering their telescopes with the reflecting fabric. Pretty much anyone that needs to closely observe a dim projected image in bright ambient light can benefit from a dark cloth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the name, dark cloths often come in lighter colors<\/a>. A popular approach is to have one side black and the other white or silvered. The light side reflects the sun, keeping the temperature under the dark cloth more manageable. In addition, the brighter color is more conspicuous, reducing the chance of someone bumping into you as you are fine tuning your composition. Focusing cloths come in different sizes to match the various camera formats, starting with the smallest 5×4″ press cameras, all the way up into ultra-large format (ULF) territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>What are the different dark cloth types?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Adorama<\/a>
Adorama dark cloth<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Classic<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most basic dark cloths are simple pieces of lightproof fabric cut to appropriate sizes. Classic dark cloths are readily available or can be easily custom made. As discussed above, more often than not focusing cloths are not all black. The most popular option is a black \/ silver combination<\/a> that provides the most heat reflection and visibility. Harrison dark cloths are a popular traditional black\/silver option. Red models<\/a> are also popular, both as a fashion statement and to maximize visibility. If you are getting one custom made, you can pick any color for your dark cloth. As long as the cloth has one black side, the other one is mostly decorative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some models come with weights sewn in the corners to prevent the cloth blowing about in the wind. More sophisticated options<\/a> have touch fasteners sewn along one or more edges to make attaching them to a camera back easy. Many photographers also keep a few clothes pins or clips handy to fasten the ends of the cloth improving shading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the design of the classic dark cloth, the bottom is always going to be open to some degree, even if you do use attachments or clips. This allows light reflected off the ground to hit your screen. Depending on the conditions, this may or may not interfere with your work. If you find this to be an issue, you might look into more elaborate focusing cloth desings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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