Airport x-rays, film, and metal!

[BrianShaw]

Well, I got nothing visible at all on Portra 400 after 14 passes. Maybe you could measure it with a densitometer compared to a control roll but I cannot spot any difference in a side-by-side comparison.

I looked at the data again and found that my recollection wasn't too far off, but here's a little mroe that supports your experience. For 400 ASA Color Neg there was measureable but insignificant effects at 5 to 10 passes. Noticable effects were observed only at 25 passes or more. For 800 ASA noticable effects at 10 passes or more.

For most people this is well within the realm of "not a problem". I know for me it has never been, either.

 

[heterolysis]

For my travel through Canada and the US, this has never been an issue with films 50-800 ISO.

I did however get held up for ~15min once when I gave them my a12 film back and told them they couldn't open it!

 

[polyglot]

I looked at the data again and found that my recollection wasn't too far off, but here's a little mroe that supports your experience. For 400 ASA Color Neg there was measureable but insignificant effects at 5 to 10 passes. Noticable effects were observed only at 25 passes or more. For 800 ASA noticable effects at 10 passes or more.

For most people this is well within the realm of "not a problem". I know for me it has never been, either.

I would ask when that testing was done. Imaging xray sensors are far more sensitive now than even one decade ago and the flux is much much lower.

 

[BrianShaw]

The data is actually a bit old. It was from when they established the FAA reccomendations. I would assume that if done again the data would show even more film-safeness (if that is a word) with the newer equipment. Unfortunately I've lost my ties to the scanner manufacturers otherwise I'd ask them... but I think you might be correct about lower dosage levels. I know when I was working those issues the focus was on post-processing techniques to eliminate the need to "re-zap" items yet get better discrimination of contraband. At one time the manufacturers all had their specs online so I suppose with a little effort that could be verified rather easily.

 

[tim elder]

I haven't had a problem with running roll film through security in the US and Western and Eastern Europe. I do carry my film separately from my camera bag because there have been times when they have been a little bit more inquisitive of the camera bag and have done multiple passes of it, or it has sat there for longer than I like. It hasn't been a problem, meaning it hasn't shown up on the negative, but I'd rather avoid it if possible.

Tim

 

[Stephen Schoof]

Well all the rolls are back now with no problems, including one roll of Provia 400X that went through. Thanks again for the input! I think I'll quit worrying about xrays.

 

[rolleiman]

I've heard there might be a problem with some "third world" countries if they're still using older type x-ray machines, and obviously never put film in baggage destined for the luggage hold. Not experienced problems myself with 100 asa films.......have heard of a colleague who had problems with his digi after going through several airport machines. Apparently also a possible problem with "Kindle" devices.

 

[veloce]

I've even had X-ray film go through the scanner and not get affected. The strength of the x-rays is not very strong.

 

[rbender]

Anybody had any experience taking Ilford 3200 thru carry on?

 

[StoneNYC]

I've had ASA 64 film fogged by x-rays, ESPECIALLY if you had it IN CAMERA at the time, I had terrible lines in one that I know specifically went through the scanner.

They are usually understanding and will probably "patt you down" just in case, and sometimes open the cardboard box part, but there is a rule/law, they can't x-ray it if you are firm.

However they can also be very difficult, it's best to either ship your film ahead by USPS or FedEx as they won't x-ray OR find a photo store ahead of time and pre-order so you can just pick it up when you get there.


~Stone

The Noteworthy Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BrianShaw]

... but there is a rule/law, they can't x-ray it if you are firm.

I'm not so sure about that, but I am sure that there is a law/rule that they can deny you access to the secured area if you are too firm.

 

[StoneNYC]

I'm not so sure about that, but I am sure that there is a law/rule that they can deny you access to the secured area if you are too firm.

Well I read up on it before a trip in 2010 and at one point one of the security personnel even confirmed it.

And that is that they cannot put the film through the x-ray if you insist, but they can open every single can and hand inspect and hand swipe the film for bomb residue (which they did to me twice, it takes forever when you have 30 rolls of film). But in my 18 airports only the LAST one actually opened the boxes, the rest just swiped the outside of the box (which was annoying since they were my last 6 boxes of Kodachrome).

So in the end it was more hassle than anything. Got patted down a few times, refused to go through the giant human x-ray and that was part of it (I'm stubborn but calm which helps).

The only film that got ruined was the film that was in my camera each time, I hadn't accounted for the fact they would insist on sending the camera through the x-ray. So those films were funky, the Canon 1V did a good job of protecting the film but the AE-1 left each roll that went through the x-ray all streaky.

I'm very precise about my film organization and notation so I know which films went through the x-ray.

But anyway the guard said "we were told only the 3200 speed film was affected by x-rays but we can't scan any of it if you refuse, we have to open and inspect and swipe each one by hand, is that ok?" And I said yes of course, and this happened 18 times with varying degree of difficulty.

I also explained that this film was already old and expired and would be affected more by x-rays than new films, and that it's not something you can buy anymore and that it's value would be lost if it went through the x-ray and would ruin the entire point of the trip since I'm a photographer and this is what I use. Etc etc... You just keep insisting and the line behind you gets longer and they just give up lol.

Anyway, good luck!


~Stone

The Noteworthy Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BrianShaw]

Anyway, good luck!

As a frequent business traveller I wish you the same. As long as you're not ahead of me in line, slowing everything down, I don't care what you do. I don't need luck myself... I have practical experience on my side... lots of it.