Film changing bag or tent...

[jk0592]

Yes,
I know that the changing tent, à la Harrison, is much preferred by members of this forum; the main reason being the dust/dirt picked up by the changing bag during travels or hikes is considerable compared to a tent.
However i have used a changing bag for the last 20 years or so, without the dust/dirt problem, because I always loaded my 120 films in spirals, at home and in the darkroom.
Now i am wondering, while waiting for my first few film loaders, whether or not to buy a tent. Again, same pattern, I intend to load/unload film sheets at home in the darkroom, far away from dust problems; there will be no film manipulation away from home. The tent has to be setup and then would need a large area on the dry side of the darkroom.
What then would I gain from the tent?

[Roger Thoms]

Nice thing about a darkroom is that you shouldn't need a tent or changing bag. Is your darkroom completely dark? If not maybe you ahold address that problem rather than spending the money on a tent.

Roger

[lenser]

The tent isn't for your darkroom, it's for the bed in your motel room after a long day's shooting in the field, maybe even for the hood of your car or the grass along that dusty trail well back in the wilderness. But, I'm betting you flat out that once you own one, you will be kicking yourself for your years of fighting the collapsed cloth of the changing bag that is ALWAYS in the way of your hands and of finding the film, boxes, reels, tanks, etc that are inside, also draped in useless folds of cloth that is just a royal pain. It's much worse with sheet film than with roll film, so just wait and try it if you are unconvinced about the huge benefits of the tent design.

Once the gear and your arms are inside the tent, you have unlimited freedom of movement in a big open space and easy organization to move around and quickly locate your film, the holders and anything else you have inside.

One word, Get the Harrison, preferably mid size as it will allow for even 8x10 film and holders space. Avoid the Changing Room style as you have curved sides at the base of the walls. With a smaller footprint to begin with and the curved edges kicking back anything you try to push off to the edges, the design limits your usable floor area to considerably smaller than the given dimensions plus they are a bit of a pain to collapse.

The Harrison tent design may take a couple of minutes longer to set up, but it is way roomier, has a totally usable floor out to the edges, and is a dream to work in.

[r.e.]

I have a Harrison Jumbo tent, and I can't imagine anyone in his or her right mind using it in a darkroom. The whole point is that one uses it either if one doesn't have access to a darkroom or one prefers changing film in daylight while doing the changing by feel.

I happen to be in the latter camp (changing in a darkroom is after all also by feel), but I wouldn't do it for 8x10 with anything smaller than the Harrison Jumbo. Although I gather that lots of people do it with the standard Harrison. For 35mm and medium format, where the issue, for me at least, isn't loading film into a camera but rather transferring it to a Kindermann daylight tank, the much smaller Photoflex tent works fine.

[joselsgil]

JK0592,

What is the largest size film you plan on working with? If you plan on working in 8X10, I would recommend the Harrison Jumbo tent.

Personally, I have used a changing bag, Calumet's changing room and a Harrison Jumbo tent. I use the Calumet the most because of it's size, as I am loading film from 35mm to 5X7. The Jumbo tent is great, but requires more space to set up. Since I have been using X-ray film for my 8X10 camera, I can load the holders under a red safety light and have not used the Jumbo tent for 8X10 just yet. However, once out in the field or in a hotel room, the Harrison tent will be required.

Jose

[welly]

Has anyone seen, used or owned one of the Chinese rip-offs of the Harrison tent?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3S-KangRi...ht_5940wt_1042

I would love to order a Harrison tent but, as usual, the postage is prohibitive and adds another $150 to the price.

[chuck94022]

I only go up to 4x5. I use a calumet changing room a my darkroom at home (I am not doing wet printing.) it is sufficient for loading sheet film into holders and into development drums. I also load 35mm and 120 into drums in the calumet.

I pack a simple changing bag in my kit when I hike into the field as an emergency bag. I have had use for it on a couple of occasions. I would not hike with the calumet, the folded up disk is just too bulky compared to a simple bag.

I like the calumet a lot. It is easy one motion folding, and has a lot of room. I think it compares very favorably to the Harrison. The Harrison might fold up smaller, I don't know. But the calumet is quicker.

[C. D. Keth]

I think the tent is more than worth it.

I've loaded millions of feet of 35mm film (literally, I'm not exaggerating) and I would have gone nuts if I would have had to do it in a changing bag.

Bags tend to introduce more dust than tents, too, for a couple of reasons: The top side of the bag is always rubbing on your magazine/holder, possibly letting off bits of fabric. Also, you're constantly pushing the fabric up with your hands to try and make it "tent" by stiffness of fabric alone, which seems to increase the possibility of static problems.

Changing bags are spares or for emergencies. Use your darkroom at home and a tent elsewhere.

[l2oBiN]

Harrison is the way to go if you require reloading film when a darkroom is unavailable. It can get a bit sweety I'm there so a larger tent is most comfortable.

[John Kasaian]

I have a Panavision changing bag and no complaints.
If it was good enough for Panavision...