Changing Bags

[fiddle]

I bought this one a few years ago

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1955922856...MPs3rvJnvH/KsXjUO19E+tR7Z5|tkp:Bk9SR4TJktDgYQ

Has worked out well so far. More of a changing tent not bag. Mostly used outdoors when away from home. So far so good.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

I bought this one a few years ago

https://www.ebay.com/itm/195592285606?hash=item2d8a356da6:g:zzQAAOSwIfFi-2h-&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAA4A5E1WpPiuh4aOjl8fxeFcn8ujOH7wJf8klzJ+IulWUKhTPsWZlgO7V4NLW/3BFZFHTqGzv+DLHlUmBsfyeaTEllsWBcyfhjKp1wcYIDNsHs1rC3AgKqCn3HoHtiQBXq728NtCgAIL9G/4PM3oGx729I45NHu6B5VhowQ+pva8EyxHz9BHTvYmVesEMK2xFjmV29Yms5n6LUsg7nSu8M11WrI0Xz80LDqzrCiZUbSECv+/0TgVXr4N03a5TiayC1++BCG30qjd4Y+E9b5bMPs3rvJnvH/KsXjUO19E+tR7Z5|tkp:Bk9SR4TJktDgYQ

Has worked out well so far. More of a changing tent not bag. Mostly used outdoors when away from home. So far so good.

That's the one I'd go for if buying today...looks more hiking/kayaking worthy than the Photoflex version

 

[fiddle]

Its no harrison tent, poles are much more sensitive, prone to break if forced the wrong way. But, very different pricetag knowing its sensitivities..

 

[Philippe-Georges]

I had a commercial one but didn't like it because it was to small, dusty inside, the zippers stuck and not zo practical for loading/unloading 4"x5" cassettes.
So, my mother in law made one for me, to my instructions, out of a decommissioned airforce blue trench coat (my father in law was an airforce officer), all sewn with an English seam. It's about 30 years old now and it still serves me above par!
It is waterproof (ofcourse), indestructible, easy to maintain, large, no zippers (she reused the brass buttons!), has raglan sleeves (what did you think) and strangely enough there gets hardly any dust inside!

 

[reddesert]

You don't need to put scissors in the bag , as you can cut the leader off and start loading the spiral in daylight before putting it in the bag.

I put scissors in the changing bag also to cut the end of 35mm film free from the cassette, and to cut 120 film free from the taped end. (You can often pull the 120 film free from the tape, but I don't like wrestling with the film esp. while it's mostly loaded onto the reel. I don't want to kink the film.)

I also put a small opaque foil bag in the changing bag, along with reels, tank, etc. Like the foil bag that coffee beans or dried fruit come in. If I am concerned that I misloaded a reel or something's amiss and I need to take a break, I can just pop the film back into the foil bag, fold it closed, and take my hands out of the changing bag without spoiling anything. I've only ever used this once or twice but it's good insurance.

 

[cliveh]

I put scissors in the changing bag also to cut the end of 35mm film free from the cassette, and to cut 120 film free from the taped end. (You can often pull the 120 film free from the tape, but I don't like wrestling with the film esp. while it's mostly loaded onto the reel. I don't want to kink the film.)

I also put a small opaque foil bag in the changing bag, along with reels, tank, etc. Like the foil bag that coffee beans or dried fruit come in. If I am concerned that I misloaded a reel or something's amiss and I need to take a break, I can just pop the film back into the foil bag, fold it closed, and take my hands out of the changing bag without spoiling anything. I've only ever used this once or twice but it's good insurance.

You don't need to cut the film free from the cassette, you can tear it off and pull taped end from 120.

 

[Anon Ymous]

You don't need to cut the film free from the cassette, you can tear it off and pull taped end from 120.

Not possible with polyester base films. It can also be tricky with triacetate base sometimes.

 

[madNbad]

You don't need to cut the film free from the cassette, you can tear it off and pull taped end from 120.

I leave a pair of safety scissors in my changing tent. There's also a cassette opener in there, just in case.

 

[reddesert]

You don't need to cut the film free from the cassette, you can tear it off and pull taped end from 120.

Darkroom work is all about finding your preferred workflow, so if other people like tearing the film by hand, that's ok. I prefer scissors for a couple of reasons - I load the reel directly from the cassette or spool, so by the time I get to the end, there is a full reel of loaded film and I would rather not have that flopping around while I try to tear the film or tape. And with a clean cut of the 35mm film end, I sometimes reload factory loaded cassettes (assuming I left the film leader out rather than popping the top off the cassette).

For those who have trouble with film jamming when loading plastic reels, it can sometimes help to use scissors to chamfer the leading corners of the film. You can do this outside the bag if you left the leader out, or inside if you didn't.

 

[Philippe-Georges]

For those who have trouble with film jamming when loading plastic reels, it can sometimes help to use scissors to chamfer the leading corners of the film. You can do this outside the bag if you left the leader out, or inside if you didn't.

Or, you can just thoroughly wash these reels with lots of warm water (and a bit salt) to solve the wetting agent (Agepon) and other chemicals which made them sticky.

A film retriever coms in handy too.

PS: I sometimes put my reels in the dishwasher (at 45°C)...

 

[Moose22]

I load the reel directly from the cassette or spool, so by the time I get to the end, there is a full reel of loaded film and I would rather not have that flopping around while I try to tear the film or tape. And with a clean cut of the 35mm film end, I sometimes reload factory loaded cassettes (assuming I left the film leader out rather than popping the top off the cassette).

I do exactly this. I have film leader retriever and almost always fish the leader out, prep the end before I start loading the changing bag, and at the end of the roll I cut with scissors and retain the cassette (sometimes -- I have more than enough now) for reloading.

I seldom cut 120, I just tear it from the tape. But for 135 I find prepping the end in the light easier whether or not I intend to reload, so it's a good method for me rather than cracking the can open.

 

[JerseyDoug]

I don't tear the tape off the 120 film. I tear it off the paper and fold it over the end of the film to stiffen the end of the film. It makes it a lot easier to start the film on the Hewes reel.

 

[MattKing]

I don't tear the tape off the 120 film. I tear it off the paper and fold it over the end of the film to stiffen the end of the film. It makes it a lot easier to start the film on the Hewes reel.

+1 - with the AP clone of Paterson reels too.

 

[RudyMerz]

A few months ago I started with 4x5. The changing bag I have was too cumbersome to load the film holders. I bought the Adorama Film Changing Room. Works like a charm.

 

[ic-racer]

How do you get your arms in the sleeves?

I only put my hands in; the sleeves go inside the tent, not outside like the picture.

 

[redbandit]

im confused.... seriously.... i just go in the darkroom and close the door and make sure no light can be seen and do it in the open....

Am i like crazy or just smart....

 

[MattKing]

im confused.... seriously.... i just go in the darkroom and close the door and make sure no light can be seen and do it in the open....

Am i like crazy or just smart....

Many people here don't have dedicated darkrooms and/or have the need to be able to load reels or film holders in multiple locations.

 

[redbandit]

Many people here don't have dedicated darkrooms and/or have the need to be able to load reels or film holders in multiple locations.

well if they have the ability to develop paper in a tray... they must have the ability to generate a black out condition in at least a bathroom.... so thus rendering the question of a changing bag to be moot....

Considering that changing bags may be nice for some, but adding a layer of door sealing felt to the bathroom door makes something far better.

 

[KerrKid]

I only put my hands in; the sleeves go inside the tent, not outside like the picture.

That's what I was thinking. The sellers should show the tent both ways.

 

[KerrKid]

well if they have the ability to develop paper in a tray... they must have the ability to generate a black out condition in at least a bathroom.... so thus rendering the question of a changing bag to be moot....

Considering that changing bags may be nice for some, but adding a layer of door sealing felt to the bathroom door makes something far better.

I am leaning this direction, but I may get the Adorama tent as well. Both have their advantages.

 

[madNbad]

well if they have the ability to develop paper in a tray... they must have the ability to generate a black out condition in at least a bathroom.... so thus rendering the question of a changing bag to be moot....

Considering that changing bags may be nice for some, but adding a layer of door sealing felt to the bathroom door makes something far better.

I do not have the ability to develop paper in a tray. Our small house has one bathroom and it has a skylight. None of our closets are deep enough to step in. We use our attached garage for both the car and as a pantry. If I wanted to add a darkroom, it would require an addition to the house, starting with the permitting fees of around fifteen thousand usd, then construction would be in the area of fifty thousand. Add in the cost of equipment plus the not inconsequential cost of water, we have some of the highest rates in the US, and power for heat/air conditioning. If you live in a house large enough for a darkroom or has a basement where one can be installed, that is a big advantage. The dark tent and the camera scanning provides me the ability to continue using film.

 

[madNbad]

I only put my hands in; the sleeves go inside the tent, not outside like the picture.

I've tried using the the sleeves like that but feel more restricted than pulling the sleeves over my elbows.

 

[ic-racer]

im confused.... seriously.... i just go in the darkroom and close the door and make sure no light can be seen and do it in the open....

Am i like crazy or just smart....

For over 20 years I never had a darkroom in the day due to windows. Darkroom work at night still is my preference even though I now have light-proof blinds on the windows.

 

[logan2z]

For over 20 years I never had a darkroom in the day due to windows. Darkroom work at night still is my preference even though I now have light-proof blinds on the windows.

I've been looking for some sort of removable light proof blinds that will work on our windows, but the window trim in our house is fairly complex and nothing I've seen will provide sufficient blockage . But I recently implemented a pretty simple solution that seems to be working well:

I removed the window screens and covered the back of them with lightproof material. When the screens are re-installed they block out 98% of the light coming through the window - there's just a couple of small gaps between the screen and the frame. To get the last 2% of blockage I just used a strip of gaffer's tape to fill the gaps. Unblocking the window is a simple matter of removing the small strips of gaffer's tape and removing the screen - important because my dry space shares the room with my home office and I'd hate to have to spend hours in my office without any natural light.

All of that said, I do use a changing bag when loading film onto reels. I don't find using the bag too difficult and it's a bit quicker than installing the screens on all of the windows in the room.

 

[reddesert]

Paper is much less sensitive to light than film, it's possible to make a room that is just dark enough to print, but not dark enough to load film. Or a room that is only fully dark at night. And if you light-fog a single sheet of paper it's much less of a disaster than fogging a roll of film. There are also many people now without a wet darkroom who develop film for scanning or possibly to send out for printing.

If you never need a changing bag that's great, but there are many people who use them frequently, I've been using them since learning to develop film as a teenager. They are also useful if you need to do something like unload a camera to resolve a jam or test if it has film in it.