Airport Scanner Question

[bvy]

My wife is traveling with my film and left luggage for the day at an Excess Baggage location at Gatwick Airport in London. My film was in the luggage, and apparently they scan it before they hold it for you. Anyone know if the machines at such places are comparable to the scanners for carry on bags? I tried calling but it's perpetually busy. Thanks!

 

[Hatchetman]

They are much stronger but not much you can do now.

 

[wiltw]

Checked baggage usually undergoes examination in CT scanners for baggage, which uses higher dose radiation than the low dose brief pulse Security scanner used for passenger carry-ons going to the boarding gates.
Kodak has long had the advice that Security scanners are safe for multiple passes of film with ISO 400 rating, but that CT scanner equipment will fog any unprocessed film that passes through the scanner.

https://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib5201.shtml

Interesting to learn about 'left luggage', although it makes sense to do so!

 

[Svenedin]

I accidentally left an exposed film in a suitcase that went through the hold baggage scanners. It was absolutely fine. You may be lucky.

 

[bvy]

Thanks for the response everyone. And kudos to Excess Luggage who sent me a detailed response to our my inquiry and on the weekend no less. They said their equipment is comparable if not the same as that used to scan "hand luggage" and that they use low levels of x-ray. Someone from their technical team said that the film would be safe for 8 to 10 passes. Finally, they said that they asked the manufacturer of the machine for commentary and will report back.

 

[Eric Rose]

How many times do we have to answer this question?

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

It's not the same question as usual It is about left luggage scanning equipment which may or may not be stronger than the usual carry-on scanners.

 

[removed account4]

I accidentally left an exposed film in a suitcase that went through the hold baggage scanners. It was absolutely fine. You may be lucky.

+1

 

[MattKing]

It's not the same question as usual It is about left luggage scanning equipment which may or may not be stronger than the usual carry-on scanners.

Exactly.
I'm going to request that the moderators change the thread title to "Airport Left Luggage Scanners and Film".

 

[AgX]

I find this indeed interesting, as I never heard of this third possibility of luggage being scanned.

Another thing:
Recently I checked the sites and datas sheets of about a dozen manufacturers worldwide of luggage scanners. None of them even mentioned film or film safety.

 

[Frank53]

Same thing is happening at many musea and other tourist attractions nowadays. And train stations, like Eurostar.
As those places are like left luggage and hand luggage on airports (many people walking around and people working there all day) they will not be harmful for film.
Actually, I used to put film in checked luggage, till I learned it could be harmful and never had any problems, but I suppose I was lucky.
Regards,
Frank

 

[bvy]

How many times do we have to answer this question?

Just once.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to take my chances. Maybe just shoot the Velvia and Provia and save the higher speed film until I see how the other turns out.

 

[pentaxuser]

It was a different and legitimate question. I must admit I had not given any thought to left luggage scanners until I saw this.

pentaxuser

 

[BrianShaw]

I find this indeed interesting, as I never heard of this third possibility of luggage being scanned.

Another thing:
Recently I checked the sites and datas sheets of about a dozen manufacturers worldwide of luggage scanners. None of them even mentioned film or film safety.

See “Health and Safety” on page 2:

http://www.alarmtec.ee/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Rapiscan_620XR_Screen.pdf

Or same section of page 3:

https://www.rapiscansystems.com/en/...QFPcTFWT3edfh0r7Y0yKUrErxUmOD2YjZfX4/iSYQRSE=

... but it’s such a minor concern that it’s relegated to the fine print. I don’t know about any other manufacturers but would expect the same type of consideration, specs, and product sheets.

 

[AgX]

That the other manufacturers do not mention film though, indicates that they think there this no more interest on that topic, independent of whether their machines are film safe or not.
With them thinking there is no interest any more, their machine, if so now, may no longer be filmsafe in the future.

 

[BrianShaw]

That the other manufacturers do not mention film though, indicates that they think there this no more interest on that topic, independent of whether their machines aere film safe or not.
With them thinking there is no interest any more, their machine, if so now, masy no longer be filmsafe in the future.

Indeed. Not just reduced interest, but a knowledge on their part that the threat of film damage was resolved more than a decade ago. But... For other health and safety reasons that problem recurring is not likely unless the technology changes. That technology is rather stable.

Rapiscan is prevalent in US and many other nations. Who are the other manufacturers?

 

[AgX]

a knowledge on their part that the threat of film damage was resolved more than a decade ago.

So we do not langer have to worry about checked luggage and about unprocessed film in the mail ??

 

[BrianShaw]

So we do not langer have to worry about checked luggage and about unprocessed film in the mail ??

That is still a valid concern. Checked baggage is CT, a different technology that is not film safe, or a two-phase scan - regular X-ray and possibly a follow-up scan with CT. That’s why some checked film survives but others don’t. Roll of the dice.

Don’t put film in checked baggage or through a CT snanner!

I have no idea what the mail systems use but where I work mail is scanned with Rapiscan machines just like carryon bags.

 

[AgX]

Brian you completely confuse me...

One moment you say manufacturers (as they not hint at film being safe) have mastered filmsafety a decade ago, then you say their machines partly are not film safe.

 

[BrianShaw]

Brian you completely confuse me...

One moment you say manufacturers (as they not hint at film being safe) have mastered filmsafety a decade ago, then you say their machines partly are not film safe.

It depends on the technology of the machine.

X-ray vs CT, a more specialized type of X-ray.

Carryon scanning is done only with X-ray. Checked baggage maybe done with CT.

 

[Eric Rose]

Sorry if I sounded grumpy, however this type of back room luggage scanning has been covered before.

 

[BrianShaw]

Sorry if I sounded grumpy, however this type of back room luggage scanning has been covered before.

Where? And what were the conclusions?

Maybe some folks weren’t here before to partake in the discussion and learn! There still appears some concern and confusion.

The physics and engineering parameters are rather well understood but many simply don’t have a firm grasp on them. And the practical implications on film may also be a bit misunderstood. That’s why the discussion continues.

 

[Eric Rose]

Google/Search is your friend.

 

[BrianShaw]

So rather than provide useful information you’d rather contribute just two shallow and snarky posts. Forgive me if I’m the grumpy one now.

CORRECTION: three...

 

[pentaxuser]

Sorry if I sounded grumpy, however this type of back room luggage scanning has been covered before.

You mean like the Kodachrome threads, the latest of which is somewhere up in the mid 500s in terms of posts, despite Kodak being very clear from the start what the future of Kodachrome is.

We enjoy a "chat" as we Brits say, here on Photrio

pentaxuser