Harrison Film Changing Tent Versus eTone Branded Changing Tent.

[Mick Fagan]

Over the years I have managed to wear out my first Harrison small changing tent, and now my larger Harrison tent has gone all sticky and gooey. Mainly I suspect as I haven't really used it since the end of 2019 when Covid hit. We have a trip coming up and will be on the road for an unspecified time and as we are self contained in a truck with a camper on the tray and will be literally in deserts, film changing will be done with the tent on our bed.

Upon perusal of the available products, there is the Harrison tent, which I found out was patented by Patricia L Harrison and granted on May the 28th of 1991. Her tent is wonderful, but quite pricey and as usage is only on trips, possibly two to three a year, I've looked at cheaper alternatives.

One that caught my eye was the eTone branded tent, which is 500mm cubed. Tight, but as I'm only using 4x5 film holders, doable.

Peoples thoughts would be appreciated.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/304933931554?hash=item46ff7a8a22:g:6qIAAOSw5cpivpNg&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwPs87hiuo3aPr0wyeCzkoHxu1DPb%2FwPluxEaJrKQxw5uF10%2FtLRIUMK1pfo%2BMwVHRCFrHIP2xW%2BK%2FdzG4%2Fq%2BR75XrYRRrdvfyyYyoB4l8%2FtTBb6nR%2B2jGmEtxB3mEWOQQRkkKEJLquj2nLcLxqUembOs7yaR82%2F%2BtbwkXuIGO7geLGI7H%2FfqqQZ88bBUGwK%2Bl829Iuch3dyQFva51PazFu7fBUuaLxioH2rar%2BXjGqKA18jX0agHAw5H9PphRpYelg%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4S1rMuLYg

[Alan Klein]

Over the years I have managed to wear out my first Harrison small changing tent, and now my larger Harrison tent has gone all sticky and gooey. Mainly I suspect as I haven't really used it since the end of 2019 when Covid hit. We have a trip coming up and will be on the road for an unspecified time and as we are self contained in a truck with a camper on the tray and will be literally in deserts, film changing will be done with the tent on our bed.

Upon perusal of the available products, there is the Harrison tent, which I found out was patented by Patricia L Harrison and granted on May the 28th of 1991. Her tent is wonderful, but quite pricey and as usage is only on trips, possibly two to three a year, I've looked at cheaper alternatives.

One that caught my eye was the eTone branded tent, which is 500mm cubed. Tight, but as I'm only using 4x5 film holders, doable.

Peoples thoughts would be appreciated.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/304933931554?hash=item46ff7a8a22:g:6qIAAOSw5cpivpNg&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwPs87hiuo3aPr0wyeCzkoHxu1DPb%2FwPluxEaJrKQxw5uF10%2FtLRIUMK1pfo%2BMwVHRCFrHIP2xW%2BK%2FdzG4%2Fq%2BR75XrYRRrdvfyyYyoB4l8%2FtTBb6nR%2B2jGmEtxB3mEWOQQRkkKEJLquj2nLcLxqUembOs7yaR82%2F%2BtbwkXuIGO7geLGI7H%2FfqqQZ88bBUGwK%2Bl829Iuch3dyQFva51PazFu7fBUuaLxioH2rar%2BXjGqKA18jX0agHAw5H9PphRpYelg%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4S1rMuLYg

How and where did you store the Harrison?

[Mick Fagan]

Fully assembled with the double walled front flaps wide open and leaning against a wall. So it was effectively standing on two (narrow end) of the poles on the floor and leaning on two poles on the wall.

I might add that over the last three years it has endured three summers where the temperatures regularly were above 40ºC and in the winters down to near 2ºC. Which if I've understood forum remarks and other remarks found around the web, is possibly a good indicator of how to reduce the longevity of these kinds of materials.

[darr]

I had a Harrison Changing Tent years ago that went gooey within five years. It was stowed in the darkroom I had at the time. I still have its fabric draw-string case that I now use to stow my e-bike battery in. I swore I would never buy another. I purchased it second-hand, but it was still expensive for what happened to it. For the past few years, I have used this very economical Adorama changing room: https://www.adorama.com/adpfcr.html. I have no problems changing 4x5 and 120 film into holders and tanks in this changing room (as Adorama calls it), but practice makes perfect.

Best to you,
Darr

[Drew Wiley]

Harrison tents are really the best. But just like most camping tents, the fabric is urethane coated, and this breaks down over time. All such things should be stored loosely, not rolled up tight like for travel. I sure learned that mistake the hard way.
Hot or humid storage conditions make the rate of breakdown worse. Store them in a cool dry environment, and you should get several decades of use. But I always use a supplementary poly liner inside the tent anyway - just a thin black kitchen trashcan liner. Those can be changed out anytime, and help both to prevent dust inside the tent, as well as to keep your hands, holders, and film isolated from anything sticky or dirty. But when these urethane coatings are seriously failing, they start to smell just like the chemical they came from - urea, piss.

There is an old thread somewhere on how to potentially restore the urethane coating. It isn't fun or easy. I did it with an expensive expedition-grade mountaineering tent. I don't know if it would be worth it for a film tent.

One of the advantages of the Harrison design is that is has more floor area per volume than box-shaped options. This is important when needing room for both a holder, room to pull out its darkslide, as well as for the film box plus your hands. I have both a Harrison Pup tent suitable for 4x5, as well as a large Harrison suitable for 8x10 film changing. I haven't used either of these for a long time. Quickload and Readyload 4X5 sleeves preempted them in my case for quite awhile; and now I mostly use roll film holders when I travel, along with just a limited number of sheet film holders. I ration my use of 8x10 film. But I should probably dig out my Harrison tents someday just to see how they've fared.

[Alan Klein]

Harrison specifically advises not to regularly store the tent in their travel case in your home. Just fold it loosely in the box.

[Ian David]

Harrison tents are nice but I have had two Pups start to go sticky on me (in the warm humid climate of Brisbane), even when stored loosely folded. Any future changing tents I buy will be of the cheaper variety, I think...

[Mick Fagan]

Darr, thanks for the link, only trouble is that their changing tent is on backorder until at least November this year.

Alan, I would have thought having it fully assembled and touching almost nothing would be of help, apparently not.

Ian, the last 18 months in Melbourne with all of the rain, gave us extreme humidity, not to mention squillions of mosquitoes. I'm suspecting that the Brisbane type weather we've had down here has accelerated the demise of my Harrison tent somewhat.

Drew, storing in a cool or dry environment has been pretty hard in general where I live and nearly impossible over the last few years with ever present heat and humidity.

Looks like I'll make up a mock changing tent 500mm cubed from cardboard and see how I can do film unloading and reloading in that footprint.

I'll keep you posted.

[warpath]

I have that adorama changing tent. I believe it's just a private labeled version of the photoflex... https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/41880-REG/Photoflex_AC_CROO1_Film_Changing_Room_25.html

And I recently bought the larger version of that etone for 8x10. I liked that it was a pop-up and didn't need to fuss with poles. I haven't used it yet but looked fine when I was checking it out.

[mpirie]

Take a look at the Calumet film changing tent.

I use one regularly when in the field and have a spare just in case.

Mike

[Vaughan]

I have the larger version of the eTone tent which I use for 8x10.

It arrived neatly coiled in a compact circular bag, but I have not been able to work out how to fold it back up so it lives loosely collapsed under my bed. I am pleased with the tent and have no problems with it, though a potential failure point may be the zip on the front flap. Other brands and designs probably have similar failure points.

[Mick Fagan]

Interesting about the possible zip failure point, Vaughan.

Well, time to spill the beans, after much back and forth decisions whether to get the 4x5" or 8x10" unit, I opted for the eTone 8x10" unit. Ordered it this morning, should arrive before the end of the month, we'll see.

Vaughan, with regard to folding up the 8x10" unit, there is a video of how it is done if you do a search. If that isn't possible, then consider asking someone who owns one of those portable fold up toilet/shower tents. It's the same procedure.

As to why I decided to go with the larger tent, in simple words, real estate. I measured my normal film loading area that I use in the darkroom with things laid out as normal, I've been using around 700mm x 380mm for years now, so 8x10" it is. As the eTone 8x10" tent is 700mm cubed, I should be sweet.

Asking questions like I did in this thread certainly enhances one opportunities; I didn't know that an 8x10" eTone tent was available. On the Australian ebay site, the 8x10" eTone tent is not listed, once I checked out the local supplier of the eTone 4x5" tent, they directed me to the 8x10" eTone tent that they sold, but didn't, as far as I know, list on the Australian site. I might add that that ebay seller has somewhere around 250 items listed in their store, every one of which is photographic film related, or at least it seemed to me film related.

[Vaughan]

I buy from the Aliexpress web site, eTone sells on there.

[warpath]

they also have those tents on amazon. can get the next day if you don't want to wait a month

[Mick Fagan]

Well, in Australia, the amazon site does list it, it would've been delivered around 3 days earlier, give or take, which is a plus. But, it is $42.41 AUD more expensive through them, which is a negative.

The Australian amazon site sources this item via the UK, as we know it originates from Asia, travelling around the world like that is unbelievable.

[warpath]

Ah I see. In the US, I think merchants take advantage of fulfillment by amazon so it gets shipped to amazon's warehouse and amazon takes care of all the logistics. That way customers benefit from prime shipping. Luckily, prices are about the same or if you're lucky even cheaper than the asian ebay sellers. That's the case when I bought the etone 8x10 tent. I think it was some $50 cheaper than the prices on ebay or aliexpress at the time plus I got it the next day free shipping with prime. If it wasn't for that good deal I'm not sure if I even would've bought at that moment. I've still yet to use it, but looks to be good

[Mick Fagan]

Well the tent arrived yesterday while I was out exposing film, which is a bit of a rarity of late.

I decided to erect both side by side in the backyard, interesting is all I can say. The Harrison jumbo tent looks positively tiny alongside the Etone tent. The Etone tent is 700mm cubed.

The light tightness design of the Etone isn't quite the same as the Harrison around the zipper area, if one works on the design technique.

The Etone tent has one zipper with inner and outer elongated flaps, for light tightness, while the Harrison tent has a complete inner with zipper and a complete outer with zipper on the front section where you pass film into the tent.

I would suggest the Etone works well, otherwise there would be plenty of naysayers extolling the bad points. Nonetheless, it will almost certainly only be used in our camper, where direct sunlight or any kind of bright light won't be around.

Now this link is for Vaughan, it shows how to fold (and unfold) the Etone film changing tents. If you scroll down the pictures on the left, you'll see a video link. For what it's worth, I needed to see it so I could fold my new Etone tent...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/eTone-Portable-Developing-Processing-Equipment/dp/B0B7QJYBGT


Folded tents, unfolded tents, in the camper and detail of the failing Harrison tent.

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