@winger reported an instance of this happening to her. I expect she'll thank me for dragging her name into this...I'd like to find the post where a member reported a first hand case of carry on scanner damage. I've seen reports of what people thought was scanner damage that turned out to be film fog due to light leak, but so far every report I've seen has turned out to be second hand (or third or fourth) or fogging due to light.
Out of how many?Then we have two cases...
Still only two.
Thanks @bvy@winger reported an instance of this happening to her. I expect she'll thank me for dragging her name into this...
Hi all:
I have been a traveling 120 roll film user for almost 20 years, and going through security in US airports with such film is still relatively easy with a few more minutes of time: you ask for a hand inspection, they wipe a fabric all over the films (usually still in the wrapper) and then place the swabbed fabric in a machine to test for explosive residue.
I have now moved up to 8x10, and soon the time will come to pass through airport security with exposed and unexposed film in a box, and possibly still in the holders after exposure. For those who travel with 8x10 film, what do you do? Do they just swab the outside of the box? Do you open up your changing tent and hand them nitrile gloves? Or do you just let them x-ray the film, and just make sure that any batch of film only goes through the airport once?
As far as film sensitivity, I primarily shoot FP4, but surely traveling with 8x10 HP5 and Portra 400 is in my future too. I intend for up to 5x enlargement (40x50") of the negatives.
Thanks!
-Jarin
In terms of x-ray damage, sheet film won't be any different from roll film. The damage with CT scanners is likely. There's a long thread about airport x-ray issues if you search for it.
Hand inspections: I think you're entitled to these in the US and the UK, but not in Europe. Whether you'll be granted a hand inspections in the EU will depend on the airport and possibly even the individual security guard you encounter.
I'm not an authority on the danger to film from airport scanners. Nobody should take my word for the safety of your film. I remain skeptical of film being damaged by CARRY ON scanners based on my own experience sending film through them. If I was carrying film I felt was extremely important, I'd err on the side of caution and ship it ahead. I wouldn't attempt to rely on hand inspection. Whole bag scanners for checked luggage are an entire 'nuther ballgame. Checked luggage scanners are much more powerful.
The last time I asked for hand inspection, I was carrying about 20 rolls of 120 film in new sealed boxes. Admittedly, the screening area was busy at the time I went through. I had my film in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and I asked for it to be hand inspected. The lady didn't even look up. "If it's less than 800 speed film, it can go through." I was ready for that response and told her I was carrying it on several legs of flights and since the effect is cumulative, I'd like it hand inspected. She rolled her eyes and yelled, "Hand inspection here." I guess nobody heard her the first time and she had to yell it again. Eventually, a guy takes my film and I go through the scanner myself and join him inspecting my film.
The TSA inspector opened every single box and removed the film (in the foil wrapper). He swabbed each individual roll, one at a time, and placed the swab in the machine to be checked. It took at least 20 minutes, maybe more, to swab and check each roll of film. I could tell he was in no hurry at all. When he was finally done, he left me a tray of twenty empty boxes and twenty rolls of film to put back together myself. They made their point. I haven't asked for hand inspection since.
Kodak issued a Technical Information Bulletin in 2003 warning about the dangers of airport scanners to unprocessed film. They didn't specifically address carry on scanners. The damage examples they show were from checked baggage scanners. BTW, the damage they show looks like this:
That was 14 years ago and scanner technology has no doubt changed since then, but I wouldn't know if any changes were better or worse for film. I send my film through the carry on scanners, but I'd never send unprocessed film through checked luggage scanners.
In terms of x-ray damage, sheet film won't be any different from roll film. The damage with CT scanners is likely. There's a long thread about airport x-ray issues if you search for it.
Hand inspections: I think you're entitled to these in the US and the UK, but not in Europe. Whether you'll be granted a hand inspections in the EU will depend on the airport and possibly even the individual security guard you encounter.
I've successfully approached someone from the flight crew and asked them to carry it through for me.
Better let them go through the scanner just once. TSA agents are certainly not the most educated people and what they may do always freaks me out.
A few years ago in New Orleans after asking for a hand check, one of the films returned a false positive (no idea why as I always keep all my films together). Of course the very idea of a false positive and re-running the test is above their pay grade. They trashed the film and ran the swab over almost my whole body.. needless fo say, I now prefer a film slightly fogged to a film trashed.
Another time I was traveling with my folder, and they ordered me to open it, then ran the swab over the coated lens… it’s not even worth it to file a complaint in this case, one only gets an automated answer.
Yikes. That's the one no-no flight crews and even passengers are not suppose to do. Carry through someone else's bomb. I can imagine a crew member getting fired for that. As a passenger I'd support their firing.
In terms of x-ray damage, sheet film won't be any different from roll film. The damage with CT scanners is likely. There's a long thread about airport x-ray issues if you search for it.
Hand inspections: I think you're entitled to these in the US and the UK, but not in Europe. Whether you'll be granted a hand inspections in the EU will depend on the airport and possibly even the individual security guard you encounter.
Is there a way to request inspection by hand in advance before you get to the airport. Also, some airlines tickets above coach have separate PSA check in lines. Maybe those are more amenable to hand checking?
When I politely asked for a hand inspection in France, the response was belligerent and rude. When I complained, even the inspector's coworkers and supervisor agreed that the inspector had stepped into it and was up to his ears but I still did not get a hand inspection.
I'm not very optimistic about this. In my experience, European security personnel are impatiently polite at best, at least in most cases. I don't expect much of anything will come out of an advance request for a manual check. Most airports probably don't even have a way to contact security departments for this kind of thing.
I'm not familiar with separate check in lines. The airports I've gone through all have the same flow all travelers go through. The only difference is that there's an additional queue for checked baggage. It's well understood that checked baggage is not a good way to transport your film.
When I politely asked for a hand inspection in France, the response was belligerent and rude. When I complained, even the inspector's coworkers and supervisor agreed that the inspector had stepped into it and was up to his ears but I still did not get a hand inspection.
I'm not very optimistic about this. In my experience, European security personnel are impatiently polite at best, at least in most cases. I don't expect much of anything will come out of an advance request for a manual check. Most airports probably don't even have a way to contact security departments for this kind of thing.
I'm not familiar with separate check in lines. The airports I've gone through all have the same flow all travelers go through. The only difference is that there's an additional queue for checked baggage. It's well understood that checked baggage is not a good way to transport your film.
Well, it was France.
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