120mm film and X-ray (and London issues)

lonelyboy · Jul 5, 2008

Assaf said:
Thanks a lot!
Well, I'm concerned with xray for the following reason: I never had a problem with xray and 135mm and thought that it was the same with 120mm, so I used no protection. It was scanned in numerous airports in
South America, and also in some places in Madrid. I got the following results

http://www.pbase.com/assafbe/image/95348844
(look at the magenta stripe)

http://www.pbase.com/assafbe/image/95349284
(way underexposed due to a slow speed problem but what is it?)

http://www.pbase.com/assafbe/image/95344840
(underexposed, but xray or light leak?)

If you want to see better and non messed up pictures look in my pbase and flickr

http://www.pbase.com/assafbe/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25967298@N02/

Can you scan the whole strip of your negative film? It is very difficult to judge on a single photo whether it has been striked by x ray. Film striked by x ray may show repeating pattern across frames. Please take a look at some sample film striked by x ray shown in Kodak's website:

http://www.kodak.com/go/xray

IloveTLRs · Jul 5, 2008

I travelled with 120 film from Japan to the US and back last summer and I had no problems. I had two bulging xray bags which probably surprised the TSAs. At all inspection points both xray bags were opened and hand inspected (I didn't ask specifically.) My backpack, with the xray bag, was then rescanned. Everyone was professional.

About mailing your film back, I've read here and there on the internet that that might not be a good idea. Don't they xray packages?

2F/2F · Jul 5, 2008

Rule number one: always carry on your film. The checked baggage x-rays are definitely strong enough to mark your film, but carry-on xray machines won't hurt it.

To put your mind at ease, you can buy and process all your film while you are there, but it is really not necessary.

Re: the fellow above's statement that the carry-on machines are safe up to ISO 3200. The fastest films you can get, Delta 3200 and TMax 3200, are really only ISO 800-1000. How you rate them does not change the true ISO one bit, so even they are safe.

Interesting trivia re: x-rays: According to the data sheet for Efke IR820, there is more of a risk of ruining this film by bringing it out into room light than there is having it scanned by a carry-on baggage scanner (in 35mm, due to the felt's poor ability to block IR).

ozphoto · Jul 5, 2008

That is correct, however, the guys that scan the stuff aren't taught the intricacies of film. They are simply informed that 3200 is "safe" and anything above that isn't. I travel as a photographer on aircraft 95% of the year, and by stating that the film is rated higher, in my case 6400asa, they are always happy to hand check. Plus they also believe that "Professional" on the box means it should be hand checked too. I've never had a problem, with hand checks even to the point of it being tested for explosives. (Why can't they all do this, it's soooo much easier?)
Just remember to be polite and understand they have a job to do too.

delphine · Jul 6, 2008

David Henderson said:
[...}it is a bit of a gloomy place when you get there.[...]

Blimey ... I am unsure about the gloomy bit of the area. It offers lots of small restaurants and pubs, and it is a always a pleasure to walk around there, the side streets are probably off the beaten touristy track, surely for the better, and minutes walk from the big attractions towards the south bank as was mentioned before.
Also, it is always worth a visit at Silverprint .. it is our one shop in London.

As for buying film over the counter, I find film competitively priced at Silverprint and Jacobs. I always have a discount at both places on film purchases, it being 20% off on all brands at Jacobs.
Also customer service is always excellent.

Early Riser · Jul 6, 2008

Greg_E said:
Well if you are worried, then buy it in London and have it processed there too. It's not like you are going to some third world country where you can't buy the films and have them processed before you leave.

Actually this is not the best procedure if you're a professional and image quality is your livelihood. If your image quality is important you need to test your film, especially if it is color, and have that test processed in the lab where you intend on processing all of that film prior to shooting images of any importance. Just buying your film over seas and giving it to some untested local lab, even in a major city, can be disastrous.

2F/2F · Jul 6, 2008

That is a bit melodramatic IMO. Disastrous? An inconvenience that will require some minor color, and perhaps density, correction at worst, and even then only a time and money issue with transparency film. The goal is to have all films from the same series processed similarly more than it is to have the films from one series perfectly match the films from another series. So as long as you process all the film from the same series the same way, you will be fine.

Greg_E · Jul 6, 2008

Is Silverprint not a Pro lab where they will do snip tests on each roll of film if you pay them to do it? Again, we are talking about London, a very large technologically sophisticated city in the modern world. We are not talking about a bush plane ride to the middle of nowhere that doesn't even have electricity.

Give me a break!

If there are a worry about Xray exposure (real or not), then maybe this thread should have turned into:

"where can I buy XYZ films for a good price, and get ABC quality developing done for a good price"

Yes it does take more time than just packing all your film in and out, so this must be factored into the trip, but it would certainly remove the possibility of Xray fogged film. If you bring a very small lightbox you can have entertainment for the flight home.

gr82bart · Jul 6, 2008

Early Riser said:
Just buying your film over seas and giving it to some untested local lab, even in a major city, can be disastrous.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt - I assume you mean some non-pro lab / 1 hour place by "some untested local lab"? Otherwise, this statment is laughable. There are some very fine professional labs outside the US.

Regards, Art.

120mm film and X-ray (and London issues)

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