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Two Cords are Better Than One!
Previous models of the BLACKJACKET™ featured a single, 1/8” shock
cord threaded through the front edge of the neck to attach the focusing
cloth to the camera.
The adjustable cord could be secured and released with the spring-loaded
toggle, permitting attachment and removal without disturbing the position
of the camera.
A single adjustment point in the upper left corner provided even tension
along all edges of the neck to ensure a better seal between the fabric
and camera cabinet. With care, the single-cord neck could be made to grasp
very narrow surfaces.
But… the width of view camera cabinets varies considerably, from
wooden cameras 2-1/2” to 3” thick, to metal studio cameras
with rear standards barely half an inch wide.
After much consideration,
I concluded that using smaller diameter shock cord, and using a pair of
cords, threaded through separate, parallel channels
to accommodate
the varying widths of the camera backs would signficantly improve how well,
and how easily the neck attaches to the camera.
For the greatest flexibilty, there are actually three parallel channels
running through the neck, but, by default, the cords are threaded in the
outermost casings.
This position is ideal for most wide, wooden and metal field camera cabinets.
For narrower cabinets like those typically found on monorails, the center
casing on the neck of the cloth may be used in lieu of the default position.
To make this change, the photographer simply removes
and
rethreads
the
innermost
cord through
the
center casing.
The neck may still be attached to the camera using a single
cord as in the past, (best accomplished with the cord threaded through
the front edge of the neck), but for best performance, we recommend
both cords be used, and the neck positioned to act like a flange,
with its diameter reduced by tensioning the shock cords so that the casings
are just slightly smaller than the cabinet. The paths of the cords would
run
just
in front
of and just behind the cabinet, with each cord working against the other
to keep the neck from moving either forward or backward on the camera back.
Please
note, very little tension is required to achieve this result, and if properly
attached, the operator can easily slide fingers in between
the rearmost casing and camera to reach controls on the side of the camera
such as rise, fall and tilt.
You may have noticed that the neck
is no longer silver, and not nearly as stiff as the previous versions.
In short, I admit to overdesigning the
original cloths with a robust, four layers of fabric in the neck. I found
over time that worrying about wear was unnecessary and that the extra fabric
actually impeded the neck's ability to gather easily. For this newest generation
of cloths, I’ve
reduced the number of layers of fabric in the neck from four to two, which
dramatically improves the fabric’s ability to gather when the neck
size shrinks. The difference in performance was so great that I now only
stock HYBRID cloths with a 46” neck for use with all 4x5 and 5x7
cameras. The 56” neck
of the new 8x10 Mark II now works even better with 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10 cameras,
without the clips I formerly used to restrict the neck when used with the
smaller
formats.
I am very pleased with the new design, and hope you are as well!
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Here's how the new design works! A pair
of cords (A and B),
threaded through separate, parallel channels accommodate the varying widths
of the camera backs on all HYBRID BLACKJACKET™ focusing
cloths for a better seal, and ease of use. The paths of the cords
run just in front of and just behind the cabinet, with each cord working
against the other
to keep the neck from moving either forward or backward on the camera back.
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