Changing bags - avoiding dust?

[Christopher Perez]

Prolific Prognosticators of Proper Photographic Punditry,

What approaches are you successfully deploying when changing film in the field?

Bag (known to deposit dust to film with ease)?

Tent (though I've heard they can have dust too)?

Technique that somehow ensures dust-free images?

[Ron Marshall]

I use a Photoflex changing tent. I periodically wipe the inside with a damp cloth to remove dust. I wipe my filmholders with an Ilford antistatic cloth just before loading. Only on two sheets have I ever noticed any dust specs.

[Walter Calahan]

I use a tent instead of a bag. Vacuum the inside of the tent from time to time. Also wipe it down from time to time. Use an anti-static cloth on the holders before loading.

[Lazybones]

Another vote for the vacuum. Works wonders wherever dust might want to live and breed. Just make sure that brush thingy is clean first.

[snuck]

I'm going to go against the grain and propose that the changing bag that I have is somewhat better than a tent. How? Well it's ultra cheap. So much so that the inner bag is actually somewhat porous. Wah? you ask? What does that have to do with anything? Well, dust that gets in gets stuck to the inner bag, then eventually gets pushed to the other side of the inner bag. In essence it gets trapped between the inner and outer bag.

Cheers

[OldBikerPete]

I use a tent at home, a bag in the field. I vacuum these at home and may use a damp cloth in the field.
Holders are individually washed and dried thoroughly, then vacuumed after use then stored individually in a (vacuumed) ziplock bag until I'm ready to load. After loading they are returned to the ziplock bag until exposure, after which they are returned to the ziplock bag until unloaded. Then around we go again.

[Bruce Barlow]

Try putting your film holders and film in a kitchen garbage bag, put that bag inside the changing bag. Change the film inside the garbage bag. I've had good dust luck with this method.

[Christopher Perez]

That's the one! That's what I was looking for.

Thanks!!!


Try putting your film holders and film in a kitchen garbage bag, put that bag inside the changing bag. Change the film inside the garbage bag. I've had good dust luck with this method.

[Alan Rabe]

I use a tent but I also load the holders facing down. This places the film with the emulsion side down, since dust doesn't fall up it is very hard to get dust on the film. Now remembering to dust the lens, thats another story.

[Frank Petronio]

umm, keep the changing tent or bag inside a plastic bag and never, ever let it get dirty in the first place (like your holders).

[Richard Ide]

Besides vacuuming out my changing bag; I made a frame of 2 light pieces of wood and 6 lengths of thin rigid plastic tube which gives me clear space inside and when taken apart is only 1" x 2.5" x 18' weighing 3 or 4 ounces.

[Jack Flesher]

I gave up 8x10 the first time due to dust... Prior to that, I had only shot with 4x5 using Quick or Ready lads. It turned out the large Photoflex tent I bought was a made in China cheapie and had *TONS* of remnant thread pieces and fabric dust in it -- though I did not realize this until after I sold off my Phillips 8x10 Compact, holders and film. That was 6 years ago.

As you know Chris, I just got back into 8x10. This time around, I spent the bucks and got a Harrison tent. AND I checked to make sure it was clean BEFORE I loaded my first sheet -- Kudos to Harrison, this tent was spotless...

I scrupulously cleaned all of my second-hand holders and this time around, the experience has been a pleasure. It is early, but so far I have had very few dust problems.

My procedure: 1) I blow each holder thoroughly, inside and out, before it goes into the tent; 2) I blow off the box of film before it goes into the tent; 3) I only open and assemble the tent in a relatively clean environment --I have a "clean" tarp I place the tent on if I need to change in the back of the car.

Cheers,

[C. D. Keth]

umm, keep the changing tent or bag inside a plastic bag and never, ever let it get dirty in the first place (like your holders).


This, I think, is the best answer. After loading LOTS (think hundreds of thousands of feet) of motion picture film and a hundred or so sheets of 5x7 like this I think it works best for me. I bought a harrison tent brand new and store it in a plastic garbage bag. I only open it to put in or take out mags/holders and film. I rubber band the arms tightly shut and I do not push them inside the tent like a lot of people do. I think that's invitation to introducing dust that had settled on the outside of the arms.

It's worked well for me and actually gotten me compliments from the other camera assistants I work with. They tell me they've never had as few dirty film gate problems with me loading as with other people.