Photography & Optics

Flocking is a critical technique in optical manufacturing and photography equipment designed to control light and prevent unwanted reflections. By coating surfaces with millions of tiny, perpendicularly aligned fibres, flocking creates an ultra-matte, textured surface that absorbs light rather than reflecting it. This functionality is essential for maximizing image quality and performance.

Light Baffling in Optical Equipment

The most important technical use of flocking is to eliminate stray light that could degrade the quality of an image or optical measurement.

• Telescope and Camera Tubes: The interior of telescope tubes, camera lenses, and binoculars are flocked to ensure any light that enters the barrel is fully absorbed. This stops light from bouncing off the interior walls and causing ghosting, flare, or reducing image contrast.

• Lens Hoods: Flocking material (often pre-made self-adhesive flock sheets) is used to line custom or DIY lens hoods, making them far more effective than standard painted or moulded plastic surfaces at preventing off-axis light from entering the lens.

• Bellows and Extension Tubes: The flexible bellows on large format cameras and rigid extension tubes used for macro photography are often flocked internally. This is critical for preventing stray light that can easily bounce around in the extended internal chamber.

Eliminating Glare and Reflections

In studio and laboratory environments, flocking is used directly on equipment near the subject to achieve a pure, reflection-free setup.

• Studio Props and Sets: For still life or product photography, flocking material is used to create reflection-free bases or backdrops. A flocked surface will appear absolutely black and non-reflective, ensuring the photographer has total control over lighting and shadow.

• Instrument Surfaces: In scientific or laboratory photography, instruments or mounts placed near the object being photographed are often flocked to guarantee they do not cast any stray specular highlights or reflections onto the subject.

Light-Tight Seals

The fibrous nature of flocking, combined with its adhesive base, provides an excellent, light-sealing barrier.

• Film Canisters and Cartridges: Flocked strips are used inside film cartridges and 135 film gates. This acts as a gentle, non-abrasive light trap, preventing light leakage without scratching the film.

• Camera Backs and Viewfinders: Flocking can be used as a sealing material in older cameras to create light-tight seals around the door or viewfinder components, preventing fogging of the film plane.