Big Changing Bag

George Papantoniou · Oct 5, 2006

Could someone help me finding an online resource that will sell me a big changing bag (about 60cm wide) for my 8x10 sheets and holders ?? The problem is that although B&H stocks a couple of inexpensive ones (about 30-50 bucks, I think) I would rather prefer a European seller, in order to avoid expensive postage fees and, especially, customs trouble and cost... Fotoimpex doesn't have a big one in their catalogue, sadly... (Calumet UK doesn't count, for they charge an incredible sum for shipping to Greece...)

Amund · Oct 5, 2006

Probably not what you want to hear, but a changing bag for 8x10 is a total PITA to use... When I was in NYC last year I bought a large changing bag, but after loading one holder I went down to B&H and got a Harrison changing tent instead. Worth every cent.

Jerevan · Oct 5, 2006

I think Harrison tents are the way to go. In Sweden they are used by people who make real film, so check if you can find any company locally that is selling film equipment. The Harrison tents was incidentally made by a camera assistant, so...

EDIT: check with Robert White in the UK: http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/dark.htm#LabelHarrison.

Don't ask me why he uses Quickloads with a changing tent...

ZorkiKat · Oct 5, 2006

O/T Make a tent out of your bag (a 3rd world solution)

A changing bag can be converted to a tent by simply inserting a collapsible corrugated carboard box in it. Most any used carton will do. Collapsible so it can be folded for transport; it should fit in with the rest of the gear.

Here is what it would look like inside. The open side of the box would be facing the arm holes, but in this picture, the box has been reversed to the
opening side to show what happens inside:

Box props up the bag so there's a free, flapless space within.
Jay

markbb · Oct 5, 2006

Jerevan said:
Don't ask me why he uses Quickloads with a changing tent...

Er, to get the film out of the envelope?

Jerevan · Oct 5, 2006

markbb said:
Er, to get the film out of the envelope?

Well, it could be that way, yes...

I develop film with trays in darkness, so going the route of using a changing tent for unloading quickloads (in the dark) seemed silly (to me). Mea culpa.

markbb · Oct 5, 2006

I understand. I have a greyroom - OK for printing but no use for handling film. Everything I do, therefore, is in a changing bag - so it seems quite natural for me.

David A. Goldfarb · Oct 5, 2006

I had a changing tent for a while that worked very much like Jay describes above. It was just a changing bag with a rectangular frame made of plastic tubes and corner connectors that could be built inside the bag. Get a big changing bag and a set of Tinkertoys, and that's about it, but any sort of box to keep the fabric off the film would do. I gave it away eventually, because it was only big enough for 4x5", and I don't really need a changing tent for 4x5".

JBrunner · Oct 5, 2006

The Harrison tent is by far the best thing I have found. The box in the bag thing is neato, but not exactly portable for field use. If you need it to pack, and you are not going to be around boxes, the Harrison is the bomb.

John Kasaian · Oct 5, 2006

My solution was to find a Panavision changing bag from the movie industry. Its about the size of a small sleeping bag and far less expensive than a tent. The material is so dense it practically stands up by itself (kind of like bag bellows)so I've not had any reason to 'tent' it so far....It'll cover 11x14 and even 12x20. You can certainly 'tent' it with cardboard but maybe something less likely to shed dust and fibers inside the bag might work better.

vet173 · Oct 6, 2006

Amund said:
Probably not what you want to hear, but a changing bag for 8x10 is a total PITA to use... When I was in NYC last year I bought a large changing bag, but after loading one holder I went down to B&H and got a Harrison changing tent instead. Worth every cent.

This will be your future quote if you get a changing bag for 8X10.

raucousimages · Oct 6, 2006

I tried the box in bag once in a hotel to reload some 4X5 holders and had a big problem with dust from the cardboard.

Amund · Oct 6, 2006

vet173 said:
This will be your future quote if you get a changing bag for 8X10.

I guess this comment is to the OP and not to me. And I couldn`t agree more!

George Papantoniou · Oct 7, 2006

Let's see... 150 sterling, that's about 250 euros... and 10x what I was planning to spend on a changing "thing" (bag, tent, room, balloon or something)... you guys are going to ruin me...

I was visiting a photo-fair some years ago in Athens and saw a lady importer I knew (she imported Sinar and Broncolor) showing a Harrison tent to a guy (this was the first time I ever saw a thing like that), it impressed me so much that I spontaneously made a bad joke to her (in front of the potential customer) which made her really mad at me (I think I said that it would make a perfect tent for my cat to go camping in, or something)... I can be a bad boy sometimes...

Seriously now, thank you all for your advice, I will surely take it under account when choosing what to buy for loading my film holders. Maybe stop ordering stuff from Amazon for a while so that I can save for a Harrison tent...

Bob F. · Oct 7, 2006

The Harrison tents come up on the auction site from time to time (where I got mine) - usually the smaller "Pup" one. That will be a bit tight for 10x8 but should be usable - plenty or room for 5x4.

The largest I have seen of the normal variety is the large Jessops one (69x74cm) http://www.firstcall-photographic.c...Jessops_Large_Changing_Bag,_27_x_29_inch.html

Good luck, Bob.

Big Changing Bag

George Papantoniou

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David A. Goldfarb

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JBrunner

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