Those who use the ground glass to focus, without a tripod, what arrangement do you use for a 'dark cloth' to keep out the light?

My 3x4 back has only the top and 2 soft sides... and its bright out here in the southwest.

Peter, what I have now won't help you at all, but I like 'em.

A while ago I stumbled across a Cambo SF-321 inline viewing hood for a 2x3 Cambo. It replaces a 2x3 Graphic's Graflok focusing panel, has its own ground glass and loupe. Really cute. It has to be removed and a roll holder attached (or the focusing panel reattached and a film holder slipped in) before taking a shot.

Cambo has a vaguely similar device for their 4x5 cameras with Graflok, the T-21 viewing hood that clips on over their Graflok focusing panel; Cambo's Graflok focusing panel has a slider and clip that retain the T-21. I have no idea whether one will attach easily to a 4x5 Graphic's Graflok or whether one could be adapted to 3x4. A film holder can be slipped under the focusing panel with the viewer attached.

I tried to research what you where revering to without any luck.

But are you talking about something like this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GRAFLEX-2-1-4-X-3-1-4-GRAFLOK-FOCUSING-PANEL-VIEWING-HOOD-156292-/140912175396?pt=US_Film_Backs_Holders&hash=item20cf052924

Have you considered making one of these?
http://www.graflex.org/articles/view-hood/
Black or charcoal closed cell foam is easy to come by.

Have you considered the T shirt method?

Get a dark colored (black) T shirt or sweat shirt 2 or more sizes larger than you normally wear, put you head through the neck opening only then pull the tail up over the camera back when focusing.

ahhh yes... two solutions...
will try both and see which one like the best ... thank you.

Richard, go to www.cambo.com.

Click on Photo products (at the top of the frame).

Click on Traditional 4x5 (at the left of the frame).

Click on View camera accessories.

Click on Viewing accessories.

Nothing there, alas, for 3x4. You have an orphan format.

I've been shooting witha Crown Graphic and more recently a Super Graphic hand-held while in Turkey for about 6-7 years, so quite similar very bright light.

My experience is that the focus screen makes a huge difference, I was shocked one day when I had my Wista set up alongside my Crown Graphic and noticed the huge difference in screen brightness and useability, it measured as over 3 stop difference. The Crown actually had a faster lens but the original Graflex screen.

I replaced the screen in the Crown Graphic and recompared the two cameras and I'd gained approx 2 stops brightness, later I added a fresnel and now the brightness is only about 1/2 a stop less than the Wista.

The Super Graphic came with a broken focus frame so I used one off a Cambo for a year before finding a new back, this Cambo screen/fresnel was also half a stop less bright than the Wista. The Super graphic now has the correct back & a new screen alongside it's fresnel brightness is the same now as the Cambo back and the Crown Graphic.

Now I can use the Crown or Super Graphic hand held with ease and the focus hoodalone is enoough to shiled excess light.

Ian

Well Ing that's interesting... the problem is I have nothing to compare mine with. Hmmm..

I tried a dark t-shirt shirt, with its neck attached to the top of my baseball cap.. yesterday,, ah... next. If, it is to work.. needs to talk to the sewing machine, and be modified.