Homemade Changing Bag

aaronmichael · Jan 7, 2011

The title says it all. I built a large format pinhole camera but will only be able to take one shot at a time without a changing bag. Camera is 8" tall, 11" wide, and 8" deep. Have no money for a changing bag. Any suggestions for something homemade? I was thinking a heavy duty black trash bag might work? Any opinion and ideas are greatly appreciated, thanks.

John Kasaian · Jan 7, 2011

You might look for one of those large heavy vinyl atheletic gear bags, the kind ice hockey players use, and sew some sleeves on it. Or change film in the trunk of your car? Or the Ansel Adams way---head first in a sleeping bag.

guitstik · Jan 7, 2011

Two large sweat shirts, one inside the other. The darker the better.

frobozz · Jan 7, 2011

You can get big changing bags awfully darn cheap on That Auction Site... I've picked up two there, for about $10 each.

Duncan

mjs · Jan 7, 2011

Plastic trash bags won't work -- they aren't light-tight, even doubled. You can sew one out of blackout curtain material (your local fabric store likely has it,) but in all honesty, a couple of sweatshirts (the largest size you can get cheap,) with the bottoms sewed shut will work as well and likely be cheaper.

Mike

Christopher Walrath · Jan 7, 2011

Or just turn out the lights.

Mark_S · Jan 7, 2011

I have used something similar to what Guitstik suggested, except that my improvised bag was a winter coat, with potatoe chip bag clips holding the bottom and neck openings closed.

tkamiya · Jan 7, 2011

mjs said:
Plastic trash bags won't work

Typical trash bags do not work but ones sold as "contractor's cleaning bag" in home improvement centers do work. These are larger, extra thick, and durable. I use double layers of it as window shield for my darkroom setup. Even in Florida's strong summer time sun, they do shield sunlight just fine.

bblhed · Jan 7, 2011

Spend the $10 to $25 dollars and get a proper changing bag, even if you have to wait to save the money it will be worth it.

The problem with anything home made is that you run a really high risk of static discharge that could ruin your image, or give it nice artistic lines depending on your point of view.

aaronmichael · Jan 7, 2011

frobozz said:
You can get big changing bags awfully darn cheap on That Auction Site... I've picked up two there, for about $10 each.

Duncan

Is that the actual name of the website?

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Unfortunately I don't have any sweatshirts laying around but maybe I'll ask around to see if anyone has any they don't need. Or some blackout curtain might work well. It would be nice since it's lightweight. I think the black trash bags we have are made for industrial purposes. I have used them to cover the backs of some of my pinhole cameras to make it light tight and it seems to have worked, but I'll double check on that. I'm always more apt to make something from what I have around rather than going out and buying materials.

bblhed · Jan 7, 2011

aaronmichael said:
Is that the actual name of the website?

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Unfortunately I don't have any sweatshirts laying around but maybe I'll ask around to see if anyone has any they don't need. Or some blackout curtain might work well. It would be nice since it's lightweight. I think the black trash bags we have are made for industrial purposes. I have used them to cover the backs of some of my pinhole cameras to make it light tight and it seems to have worked, but I'll double check on that. I'm always more apt to make something from what I have around rather than going out and buying materials.

Using a large plastic bag and moving it around against your skin, and other surfaces, and moving things inside if just asking for an electrical storm in a bag that will fog your film. Save your money and buy the right bag.

heespharm · Jan 7, 2011

If you have money to buy trash bags , blackout material, or sweatshirts, you have the money to buy a changing bag... Also if you have the money to buy film, then a changing bag isn't out of your budget

http://cgi.ebay.com/Film-Changing-B...aultDomain_0&hash=item25602dcdef#ht_500wt_922

aaronmichael · Jan 7, 2011

heespharm said:
If you have money to buy trash bags , blackout material, or sweatshirts, you have the money to buy a changing bag... Also if you have the money to buy film, then a changing bag isn't out of your budget

http://cgi.ebay.com/Film-Changing-B...aultDomain_0&hash=item25602dcdef#ht_500wt_922

Okay so the trash bag is out of the question. I appreciate the link but I've never used a changing bag before and therefore have no idea what size I should get. I think the one you linked to is too small. The pinhole camera that I made is quite large. Even though they show the width and length in the description, it doesn't say how "tall" it can go. And about the money thing - I'm a full time college student so my parents usually end up paying for all the film and paper that I use for class (I'm a photography major). Maybe the darkroom at my school has something I can use.

guitstik · Jan 7, 2011

I used to us (and sometimes still so) a large box darkened with tape and paint. Cut a couple holes for your arms and pull the arms of a jacket through and fasten it inside. I use the changing bag for 35 and 120. I don't do LF much anymore but that will be changing soon so the box is the way to go.

aaronmichael · Jan 8, 2011

guitstik said:
I used to us (and sometimes still so) a large box darkened with tape and paint. Cut a couple holes for your arms and pull the arms of a jacket through and fasten it inside. I use the changing bag for 35 and 120. I don't do LF much anymore but that will be changing soon so the box is the way to go.

Hmm - That's a pretty simple solution, and sounds easy enough to make. I don't know if I'm prepared for the looks I'm going to be getting when I'm out and about with my hands in a box or sweatshirt - haha.

Joe VanCleave · Jan 9, 2011

I built a portable darkroom box last year, for changing film holders and processing 4x5 negatives. It's a box made from thin wood paneling attached to a space frame of 3/4" spruce sticks. The top is removable, has a light trap made with a groove and flange method. Insides painted black. Handles on the side for carrying. The key feature is arm sleeves, made from the black oilcloth tablecloth material, available at fabric stores. The black vinyl material is on the inside, the white cottony lining is on the outsides. I used a hot glue gun and gaffers tape to make the sleeves. They are attached to the front of the box with a flange gasket made from thin wood. The outside of the box is finishing in varnish.

This design is small enough to carry in a car, but too large to carry anywhere off the beaten path. You could perhaps use the idea of arm sleeves, in a more portable or lightweight box. I think the idea of a heavy but light-tight fabric, seamed together with hot glue gun and gaffers tape, is doable by almost anyone with meager mechanical skills; you don't even need to know how to sew or have a sewing machine.

Here's a picture of the developing box, on a portable camping table at my local city park, where I was shooting and developing paper negatives from my Speed Graphic.

Here's the thread on F295 about the entire project, including construction details that may be of help to you: http://www.f295.org/Pinholeforum/forum/Blah.pl?m-1230847394/s-all/

Good luck, keep us informed of the progress you make.

~Joe

PS: This box has come in very handy during the winter months when my garage-based darkroom is frigid cold. I still preflash, cut and load paper negatives in the darkroom, but the portable box is a convenient way to process the negatives in the comfort of my kitchen.

aaronmichael · Jan 10, 2011

Thanks for the reply Joe - much appreciated. I'll probably end up building something a little more lightweight than this. All I need it for is to change the paper in my pinhole camera. I do all my developing in the darkroom at school. Also, I'm just doing my pinhole work for fun - so if I make something that has light leaks in it and a couple of my photos get ruined, then it's no big deal. I like your sleeves idea. It seems like that's a main staple of most people's changing bags. Thanks again for the post, I'll definitely be using your post as a reference when making whatever I end up making.

Bob-D659 · Jan 10, 2011

There are huge changing bags made for mini-lab use for loading rolls of paper into the paper cassettes.

michaelbsc · Jan 10, 2011

guitstik said:
Two large sweat shirts, one inside the other. The darker the better.

And if you pick up the sweatshirts at The Salvation Army it's probably the cheapest solution that you can use in the great outdoors. (Sounds like your budget is tight.)

frobozz said:
You can get big changing bags awfully darn cheap on That Auction Site... I've picked up two there, for about $10 each.

fleeBay auctions are hit or miss. I've wasted some money on junk there more than once, including at least one moth eaten changing bag. If $10-20 is a big deal to Aaron I'm not sure I'd suggest this unless he likes to gamble. I have found some great bargains on eBay, but you cannot count on it.

Christopher Walrath said:
Or just turn out the lights.

My favorite, but it won't work if you've got your pin hole camera outside somewhere.

But take the suggestions and be creative. Remember that all you need is dark, not pretty. And it's the image on the film rather than the stylishness of the equipment that counts.

Well, maybe some folks are more into the stylishness than the pictures, and if so then they already know how to assuage that desire better than I can tell them.

aaronmichael · Jan 11, 2011

Bob-D659 said:
There are huge changing bags made for mini-lab use for loading rolls of paper into the paper cassettes.

Where would these be found at?

michaelbsc said:
fleeBay auctions are hit or miss. I've wasted some money on junk there more than once, including at least one moth eaten changing bag. If $10-20 is a big deal to Aaron I'm not sure I'd suggest this unless he likes to gamble. I have found some great bargains on eBay, but you cannot count on it.

Haha - Yes, I am so poor that 10 or 20 dollars is a ton of money to me. Thanks for the reply and words of wisdom Michael. I definitely don't really care about how it looks. The only thing that matters is the final photograph. I just need to make something that's functional and it seems like it can definitely be done for a reasonable price.

ParksandBarks · May 13, 2020

Joe VanCleave said:
I built a portable darkroom box last year, for changing film holders and processing 4x5 negatives. It's a box made from thin wood paneling attached to a space frame of 3/4" spruce sticks. The top is removable, has a light trap made with a groove and flange method. Insides painted black. Handles on the side for carrying. The key feature is arm sleeves, made from the black oilcloth tablecloth material, available at fabric stores. The black vinyl material is on the inside, the white cottony lining is on the outsides. I used a hot glue gun and gaffers tape to make the sleeves. They are attached to the front of the box with a flange gasket made from thin wood. The outside of the box is finishing in varnish.

This design is small enough to carry in a car, but too large to carry anywhere off the beaten path. You could perhaps use the idea of arm sleeves, in a more portable or lightweight box. I think the idea of a heavy but light-tight fabric, seamed together with hot glue gun and gaffers tape, is doable by almost anyone with meager mechanical skills; you don't even need to know how to sew or have a sewing machine.

Here's a picture of the developing box, on a portable camping table at my local city park, where I was shooting and developing paper negatives from my Speed Graphic.

Here's the thread on F295 about the entire project, including construction details that may be of help to you: http://www.f295.org/Pinholeforum/forum/Blah.pl?m-1230847394/s-all/

Good luck, keep us informed of the progress you make.

~Joe

PS: This box has come in very handy during the winter months when my garage-based darkroom is frigid cold. I still preflash, cut and load paper negatives in the darkroom, but the portable box is a convenient way to process the negatives in the comfort of my kitchen.

9 years later and this is one of the best ideas I've found online. Making this asap

AndyH · May 13, 2020

I have had very poor success with homemade rigs when loading even moderately fast film, either into film holders or developing tanks. The jacket in teh box is the best emergency solution and works pretty well. My old real changing bag is pretty worn out, with some light leaks around the zipper and worn elastic on the sleeves, so I just ordered this one from Adorama, through eBay for $24 including shipping.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Adorama-Large-Changing-Bag-27x30-for-Bulk-Loading-Film-NP10102/391967213664?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

If you're just loading paper negatives, any of these homemade outfits should work fine with the low speed of the material, but when you find the funds, this one is self erecting and seems well suited for multiple purposes. It looks like it folds up compactly.

Andy

Homemade Changing Bag

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