Changing Bag

Overview

A changing bag is a light-tight fabric box with two sleeves sewn into it. You put your hands through the sleeves, and everything inside is in darkness. It is how you load film when you have no darkroom, and how you load sheet film on location.

Quality is measured in one thing: whether light gets in. A cheap bag with a single-layer zip and a smooth interior will fog your film at the seams. A good bag has a double zip with an internal flap, light-tight seams, and a light-grey interior so you can see faint shapes once your eyes adjust.

Size is the other variable. A small bag is fine for a 35mm cassette and one reel. Sheet film holders need a much larger bag — or better, a changing tent with a rigid frame that does not collapse onto the film while you work.

What it does well

• Loads film anywhere — no darkroom required
• Folds flat and weighs almost nothing
• Double zip keeps light out at the seam
• A pop-up tent variant stays rigid so sheet film cannot be scratched
• Essential for loading bulk cassettes

Safety notes

Working notes

• Test a new bag by putting a strip of unexposed paper inside, leaving it in daylight for ten minutes, then developing it.
• Wipe the interior with a slightly damp lint-free cloth before every use to remove dust.
• Work by touch, not by sight. Lay everything out in a fixed order and never put anything down loosely.
• Keep your forearms out of the sleeves when not in use — body heat fogs the interior.

Compatible with