changing bags for loading and exchanging in the field

[jeroldharter]

Same here. I've got enough holder for 80 sheets, which is usually enough for any given shoot, and still gives me the ability to have a good number of different films loaded and ready. As an added bonus, the total cost was less than a nice changing tent.

- Randy

Having a lot of film holders is good for local photography, but has its limit when traveling. When I travel I take 18 film holders, two lots of 9. I rarely take more than 36 exposures in a single day. Every night, I put up the film tent, transfer exposed film to a storage box, load unexposed film into the holders, record my notes from Palm to a written tablet for redundancy, and clean off everything.

80 sheets? You must do this for a living. Shooting large amounts of film creates some logistical problems for managing the sheets of film accurately after they have been removed from holders. I use BTZS so each sheet is processed for a different time.

[reellis67]

Having a lot of film holders is good for local photography, but has its limit when traveling. When I travel I take 18 film holders, two lots of 9. I rarely take more than 36 exposures in a single day. Every night, I put up the film tent, transfer exposed film to a storage box, load unexposed film into the holders, record my notes from Palm to a written tablet for redundancy, and clean off everything.

80 sheets? You must do this for a living. Shooting large amounts of film creates some logistical problems for managing the sheets of film accurately after they have been removed from holders. I use BTZS so each sheet is processed for a different time.

Heh, no, I just found a couple of really good deals on lots . As an example of how I like to work, the last time I went out it was for a week to North Carolina. I took 7 holders in the backpack with the camera, and ~30 in a long, narrow camera bag that is just the right size for a 4x5 holder. I used 47 sheets in total over the course of a week - both black and white negative and color transparency. In reality, I only shot with this camera for 3.5 of the 7 days, but still...

I don't usually carry all 40 holders with me at any given time, but I do have them if needed. Mostly I just like being able to drop off exposed holders in the film bag without having to mess with them in the hotel room or in camp after getting off the trail. Then I can sort them out at home where I have more room to work and process them as needed. Plus, it really give the normals a show when I break out the film bag and it's chock full of holders

- Randy

[pellicle]

Hi

Same here. I've got enough holder for 80 sheets,

which would be fine in the studio or near the car, but I go for 2 or 3 day hikes and take my gear with me. Perhaps I should follow Edward Weston's philosophy on choosing scenery more: "anything more than 500 yds from the car just isn't photogenic."

[Martin Aislabie]

The Harrison folds/rolls up nicely and comes with its own reasonably small stuff sack and isn't that heavy either

I have the 10x8 "normal" size tent which has plenty of room for separating loaded and unloaded Darkslides.

I use an Antistatic brush to clean the Darkslides before loading

I carry my Darkslides in a Lock & Lock food container - which will hold 13

It has the advantage of not only being fully sealed it also is fully water tight too

I don't camp and never bother to carry the Tent in its stuff sack with me on a days shoot but it leave it in the Hotel/House we are renting for the holiday

I then need a quiet hour to sort my film into the correct boxes.

Like Jerold, I too "zone" but unlike Jerold I cluster mine into ranges 6/8/10stops - marked with a pencil on the white window of the Darkslides

I find having only a limited number of sheets of film to expose in any one day is quite a good discipline (for me) - it makes me slow down, stop and really look at what I will choose to shoot

I have yet to find a day when I have missed that once in a life time shot with only 12 Darkslides but it might happen

I often don’t shoot more than 5 or 6 – I spend more time waiting for the light to come to me rather than shooting and hoping

Martin

[pellicle]

Hi Martin

water proof and dustproof is pretty important to me too, so I've been using zip lock bags on each holder within their soft case.

I have yet to find a day when I have missed that once in a life time shot with only 12 Darkslides but it might happen

perhaps I'm way too skimpy with my photography, but I have never taken more than 4 double darks on day "out". This is of course not the case if I'm testing something for instance.

I do hate it though when I've taken a quick snapshot with my small camera only to find that it worked so well I wish I'd set up the bigger one :-)

Perhaps for me and what I do (and how I do it) I'm going to have to consider a roll film back. Perhaps one of the plastic light weight ones...

[Martin Aislabie]

Perhaps for me and what I do (and how I do it) I'm going to have to consider a roll film back. Perhaps one of the plastic light weight ones...

Pellicle - If it works for you - then great

However, I am not sure light weight and Large Format are in any way connected

Good luck

Martin

[jonw]

I use the photoflex for loading 4x5 and 5x7. It works fine, but I also use the Jumbo Harrison Tent for my 11x14 and 8x10. I find the Jumbo Harrison Tent superior to the photoflex, but the photoflex is more compact. If I was to only use one of these, then I would go with the Harrison Tent given the quality of the material used.

[pellicle]

Hi

However, I am not sure light weight and Large Format are in any way connected

well my camera is a Toho FX-45C ... if you haven't tried one it'll change your views of field cameras. Try this review here. The basic facts are 1.4kg and 360mm bellows draw.

I find it to be as light as the 35mm camera with a TS-E 24, 50mm and 90mm I used to carry along, certainly lighter than any reasonable MF cameras.

so light weight can apply to LF if you want that sort of thing (I do).

[PanaDP]

Harrison and Harrison tent. Get the middle one. I change 35mm and 16mm film magazines, 4x5 and 8x10 in mine.