Changing Bags: Which one? And why?

[Tel]

I have used a jacket (zipped closed) under a duvet in a hotel room successfully as a changing tent when necessity demanded. Not recommended for routine use though.

 

[Tel]

I have the eTone knockoff of the Harrison pup tent for 8x10, bought maybe eight or ten years ago. A bit complicated to set up and the materials used in the support structure could have been more robust (had to do some home repairs after some of the cloth failed) but it still works.

 

[4season]

While they can last for more than a decade, I think of changing bags as consumable items. And a Photoflex Changing Room that I must have purchased in the 1990s was no exception. I did think the metal frame design was useful though.

 

[Joel_L]

I use both, lots of tape in my changing bag from many years of accidentally snipping the inner liner while cutting the film with scissors. The bag has been fine for 35mm and 120, quick and convenient. I use the tent for 4x5 or loading my bulk loaders, just more room. The tent is fairly quick to set up and put away, just not as quick and easy as the bag.

 

[grainfall]

Takes up a lot more space, true, but I much prefer the tent. I feel far more clumsy in the bags and it just ends up taking me much longer.

 

[mshchem]

I really don't like changing bags! This is the one I can use, it's a good product quite robust

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/253370-REG/Paterson_PTP125.html

 

[Franklee]

Have owned the cheaper options but Harrison Tents are the best. Get the Standard size so you can do anything. The coated fabric can get sticky and gross if you have fresh insect repellent or sun screen on your arms so wash (wipe) your arms first. Same goes for other brands of coated fabrics.

 

[Ozark Wolverine]

I recently got this changing bag on Amazon for $18 and am very happy with it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XM17Y23?th=1

Although very inexpensive, it has double cuff seals and a single zipper with a secondary velcro cover that works well. My 30 year old loose cuffed rubber lined bag that I used only in darkened rooms and was becoming gritty on the inside with black rubber grit. Get the larger sized bag, it's very roomy and has a smooth shiny inside liner that will not moult rubber. It is very nearly air tight, and you can feel this after getting your hands in there when you try to raise the roof.

I use this bag indoors only since it has zero ventilation. Be careful with the velcros that are stitched on and it should last at least a few years. I was afraid to get a new bag for some time but very happy with this one. I remember paying about twice as much for my 30 year old rubber lined monster with only single cuffs, and this bag is less than half the weight but is slightly larger insidde. Simple is a good thing.

Thanks Allen. I ordered one of these.

 

[hardly any color]

Depends a lot on what you use it for. For roll film, a regular changing bag will work OK:
View attachment 419836

For sheet film, I find it inconvenient and the kind of tent you link to may work better.

You could also DIY a box with a lid and two sleeves sticking out from an appropriate blackout material. Takes a little time & ingenuity to build, but it's not super difficult and the total cost will be a fraction of the tent you referred to.

I like this flat style bettee than the “tent” type, I found they stay in place better and easier to store