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Thread: DIY Changing Box (bag / tent)

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    DIY Changing Box (bag / tent)

    Hey all,

    Thought I'd share this thing I came up with because it seems to be working pretty good.

    Pretty self explanatory. Largeish cardboard box lined with "Husky" brand contractor clean up garbage bags. Tested the combination of cardboard and the garbage bag with a 5D and a 580 flash on full power. Camera was set at 3200, lens held hard against the bag, flash held hard against the cardboard. No difference on the LCD with the flash or without. So I think it's decent.

    I was fairly careful to cover all the joints with an extra layer of bag. Copious amounts of gaffer's tape in the corners. I cut an old changing bag in half. The outer layer of the bag gets taped to the outside of the box. The inside layer gets taped to the inside of the box.

    Only used it once but so far so good. It was relatively easy to load my Unicolor drum, which was just miserable in the changing bag.

    Can't fit it in a backpack but you can't beat the price. Had the changing bag and the tape, bought the box for $4.

    You all with huge darkrooms, don't be jealous, you can make your own.

    Paul


  2. #2
    おせわに なります! Andrew O'Neill's Avatar
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    Sep 2003
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    Coquitlam, BC, Canada, eh!
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    5,136

    Re: DIY Changing Box (bag / tent)

    Good on ya!

  3. #3
    Just waiting to be developed..
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    New Rochelle, NY 10804
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    501

    Re: DIY Changing Box (bag / tent)

    Great idea Paul! Thanks for sharing!
    Ive been thinking about one for my 12x20 holders in the field.
    I really like the idea of cutting up a junker changing bag for the arms. That saves a lot of sewing and pain.

    One thing ive used in the past for blackout is the dark bags that come in color and B&W paper boxes.
    I used a few 20x24’s slit down the sides to blackout my office/darkroom. Works perfectly!
    You can get them from local labs that have an analog darkroom. They usually just throw them out and you might be able to get a few.
    Even the 8x10 bags become 16x10 when cut down the side. Tape a few together with some overlap and it works out really well.
    I like them because they are much thicker then trash bags and are light tight. Ive used trash bags before to block out dim light but they tend to fail in brighter light.
    -Ian Mazursky
    www.ianmazursky.com Travel, Landscape, Portraits and my 12x20 diary
    PrePress Express

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    1,015

    Re: DIY Changing Box (bag / tent)

    Hi Ian,

    I was thinking about using a 16x20 bag I had, but it wasn't big enough to fill the whole box.

    You should check out these Husky Contractor bags. I originally got them to make sandbags for weight lifting. They are really thick and different from regular trash bags.

    I used the flash test, I think that's what Sorin used to test his bellows material. The trash bag by itself wasn't 100% but the bag and the box together were totally light tight.

    P

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