Film changing bag or tent

[Drew Wiley]

I don't care for the way a bag collapses on you. The Harrison tent gives plenty of wiggle room so nothing touches the film.
The holders can be stacked side by side just like on a darkroom workbench. I got this pretty much down to a science, with
a little accessory kit of wipes and finger cots and liners, and lacquered lint-free film boxes, so I can change film in the field completely dust free, all in a compact backpacking or airline carry-on kit. Granted, I preferred Quickloads.... but you all know how that story ended!

[David R Munson]

I got this pretty much down to a science, with a little accessory kit of wipes and finger cots and liners, and lacquered lint-free film boxes, so I can change film in the field completely dust free, all in a compact backpacking or airline carry-on kit.

I'm officially intrigued. Care to elaborate? Or point me to where you might have already done so?

[austin granger]

As someone who has been using a bag for over ten years now, I'd like to chime in and recommend that you buy a tent. Seriously, whenever I use the bag I think to myself, "I've really got to get myself a tent," and then afterward I forget about it until the next time. I think a changing tent is one of those unglamorous items that you don't want to spend money on but that you probably should. Kind of like car insurance.

[C. D. Keth]

I don't care for the way a bag collapses on you.

Precisely why I can't stand them either. Working in a bag gets really miserable when it's hot and humid, too. If somebody wanted to save the weight of tentpoles, you can attach a bit of para cord to the peak of the tent and use that to hold it up. I do that inside my tent from time to time.

[Dwarak Calayampundi]

Thanks for all the replies I went ahead and purchased a Harrison's standard tent I guess the decision was quiet clear weight is not a problem.

[Drew Bedo]

C.D. Kieth:

These are just different ways to go about changing film. I learned to change 8x10 film holders standing at a waist-high counter top in an X-Ray dark room. The X_Ray safelight was too bright and the wrong color for our Ultra-Sound and Nuclear Medicine films (similar to Tri-X) so we turned the light off. It was as dark as Carlsbad Caverns in there. The work space was huge and flat. Film was in an open bin just above knee height and at my fingertips. Ventilation was filtered dehumidified and cool.

I still prefer stand-up dark room film changing. Everything else is less convenient and less comfortable. Sadly, I can't bring along a dark room. I use a tent when I can, and a bag when I must.

Lacking that dark room, I will use whatever keeps my film in the dark and just deal with the difficulty—whatever the down-side is.

Hey everyone: What is the craziest improvisation you have ever used to change film holders?

[MrFujicaman]

I made a framework for my changing bag out of Tinker-Toy's..it slides into the bag and keeps the bag from flopping onto my film & holders or 35mm bulkloader. Not elegant,but it works.

[Valdecus]

Hey everyone: What is the craziest improvisation you have ever used to change film holders?

A large down jacket with my hands stuck through the sleeves. All that in a tent at 10000 feet and -15 C. One of the holders then contained a small feather, making a nice photogram.

Andreas

[Jim Andrada]

Just wondering what IR camera was used for the dark box. Seems like a great idea.

[C. D. Keth]

Hey everyone: What is the craziest improvisation you have ever used to change film holders?

I've changed film a couple times in black garbage bags. I doubled them to be sure it was totally black. It worked fine and they were new so totally clean.