B&W film, ISO and airport x-ray scanners

[Henning Serger]

Hello,

just an update for travellers with film who are using Eindhoven airport in the Netherlands:
A friend of mine - film user - recently used it. Before her travel I informed her about the topic with convential film-safe X-ray machines and the new, not film-safe CT scanners.
As recommended by me she asked beforehand via email whether CT scanners are used there, and if yes whether her films can be hand-checked.
She got a very fast reply: Yes, CT scanners are meanwhile used there, and yes, her films can be hand-checked.
When she then arrived at the airport she asked again the security staff, which were friendly, and got the needed / wanted hand-check of her films without problems.

I think the best we can do as travelling film users is to cantact the used airports beforehand leading their attention to the problem (with links to the publications about that topic of Kodak, Fujifilm and Ilford).
The more often we do that the better the problem is known at the airports. And as in general the airports are competing with each other and want satiesfied customers, the higher the likeliness that hand-checks for film will be generally used at those airports with the new CT scanners.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[koraks]

When she then arrived at the airport she asked again the security staff, which were friendly, and got the needed / wanted hand-check of her films without problems.

This echoes my experience with this particular airport. Staff are always friendly, supportive and cooperative.

 

[Tel]

I just returned from a trip to Dublin and London. It's the first time I've travelled internationally since 2019 so I decided to make a test of it. I took a couple of rolls of Portra 160 in a ziplock baggie to Newark airport and asked for a hand inspection. The TSA people were a little bit hesitant to comply, but they did it, or said they did. The film was out of my sight for several minutes. I was a bit skeptical about whether they put it through the scanner, but the rolls developed perfectly. They made me stand to one side of the metal-detector for about ten minutes, after my luggage had gone through and been spat out the other side, but it was all there when I got through, so no complaints from me. I've requested hand inspections on domestic flights before (Seattle) and the agents there were more cooperative and one time even spotted my film rolls and offered to do a hand inspection before I asked.

On the Dublin trip I got the film developed over there, so didn't need to ask for a hand inspection on the return trip.

 

[Sirius Glass]

From LAX to Lihue HI x-ray machines.

From Lihue HI to LAX x-ray machines.

 

[GregY]

Calgary, Seattle, Austin, L.A..... & back....all old school x-ray... Tri-X survived just fine

 

[Ai Print]

Good to hear these reports. I had success last year in the Faroe's but shipped the film (a ton of it) and even though I know it can be done, it was still a bit stressful. I'm sure I will again in the future but this Fall's trip was a short and introductory one to Iceland with a group for the first week and then on my own for the following week and a half. I took the pixel stuff and that included a beast of a drone and produced some really good work.

But one guy on our crew brought 120 Acros and TMY2 and did fine with it, some places hand checked, some scanned.

 

[PerTulip]

I had to travel to the US, so for the sake of checking "film safety" I put a roll of 400 BW film into my carry-on. I had three security checks, and on two of them I could life my stuff (liquids, laptop) in the bag, which seems to be an indication of the new scanners being used. I took some quick photos with it and checked the results. Seems fine. (Fomapan 400, Rodinal@11min).

 

[Agulliver]

Short update, as expected all my films from my trip to the USA came out perfect, all went through conventional X-ray scanners.

I've read a report that the UK government is going to ramp up the use of CT scanners in British airports over the coming years. This is generally seen as a good thing for most customers as it will mean an end to removing laptops and liquids at the security line. the advice from the DfT to all civil airports to permit hand inspection of photographic film is still valid and if you write to the DfT they'll reply confirming this.

Just be nice to the security folk and they'll usually be nice back. Even at LHR. That's been my experience in 25 years of relatively frequent air travel. However a word of warning, LHR is still a mess. Nobody seems in overall charge of the check in hall or the passport check lines when you enter the UK. It's a shambles.

 

[Henning Serger]

Hello,

just an update for travellers with film who are using Eindhoven airport in the Netherlands:
A friend of mine - film user - recently used it. Before her travel I informed her about the topic with convential film-safe X-ray machines and the new, not film-safe CT scanners.
As recommended by me she asked beforehand via email whether CT scanners are used there, and if yes whether her films can be hand-checked.
She got a very fast reply: Yes, CT scanners are meanwhile used there, and yes, her films can be hand-checked.
When she then arrived at the airport she asked again the security staff, which were friendly, and got the needed / wanted hand-check of her films without problems.

I think the best we can do as travelling film users is to cantact the used airports beforehand leading their attention to the problem (with links to the publications about that topic of Kodak, Fujifilm and Ilford).
The more often we do that the better the problem is known at the airports. And as in general the airports are competing with each other and want satiesfied customers, the higher the likeliness that hand-checks for film will be generally used at those airports with the new CT scanners.

Best regards,
Henning

Update from me concerning airports in Germany:
1. München (Munich) has officially announced that from next year on CT scanners will be used.
2. Frankfurt am Main airport (biggest airport in Germany) will start using first CT scanners also next year, parallel in some lines to conventional X-ray machines.

Therefore for film users using these two airports I recommend the procedure I have written in my quoted postings above.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[npl]

No problems in Heraklion airport (Greece) as of august 2022, films were fine.

I had a light "issue" at an other airport when my photo bag was pulled for inspection. The staff was intrigued by my full metal 35mm SLR and asked me if theses things still worked yes they do !

Quick question : can processed film can be damaged in the new scanners ?

 

[Sirius Glass]

No problems in Heraklion airport (Greece) as of august 2022, films were fine.

I had a light "issue" at an other airport when my photo bag was pulled for inspection. The staff was intrigued by my full metal 35mm SLR and asked me if theses things still worked yes they do !

Quick question : can processed film can be damaged in the new scanners ?

No, it has been processed and no longer light or x-ray sensitive.

 

[Ernst-Jan]

Update from me concerning airports in Germany:
1. München (Munich) has officially announced that from next year on CT scanners will be used.
2. Frankfurt am Main airport (biggest airport in Germany) will start using first CT scanners also next year, parallel in some lines to conventional X-ray machines.

Therefore for film users using these two airports I recommend the procedure I have written in my quoted postings above.

Best regards,
Henning

I actually never contacted the airport before, but getting my film hand checked never was a problem at Schiphol this year (flew 3 times from there this year)

 

[npl]

No, it has been processed and no longer light or x-ray sensitive.

Good to know, thanks.

 

[Fredrixxon]

"Is it safe? Is it safe?!"
I wondered if buying x-ray films overseas is reasonable or will I get box of smoked crackling?

 

[koraks]

I wondered if buying x-ray films overseas is reasonable or will I get box of smoked crackling?

I've purchased x-ray film from the US a couple of times without problems. Via eBay, but also directly from ZZ-Medical back when they still sold Ektascan BRA. It arrived fine, without fog etc. Last time was a few years ago so I don't know what may have changed over the past 3-4 years, but for freight, I don't think there's been any major changes.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

I had to travel to the US, so for the sake of checking "film safety" I put a roll of 400 BW film into my carry-on. I had three security checks, and on two of them I could life my stuff (liquids, laptop) in the bag, which seems to be an indication of the new scanners being used. I took some quick photos with it and checked the results. Seems fine. (Fomapan 400, Rodinal@11min).

View attachment 322796

PerTulip,

Lovely image! I lived in Vienna for 30 years and loved scenes like this. Is it the Naschmarkt?

Schöne Grüße aus Oregon!

Doremus

 

[Agulliver]

Quick update, I've travelled Luton to Arrecife (Lanzarote) and back again last month. Neither airport currently has the new CT scanners. At Luton I was asked to take all my cameras out of my cabin bag to be X-rayed separately. At Arrecife they went through in the bag and woman on the X-ray screen gave me a big thumbs up and smile.

Next trip in four weeks is Luton to Palma Nova (Majorca). After that probably no more flights for me this year.

The prime minister has said he wants all British civil airports to have the new CT scanners in the next couple of years but I see no evidence of this being funded so it could take longer. But this will eventually happen as it benefits most passengers, the airports and airlines. When it does, it's worth remembering that the Department for Transport has instructed all British airports to action requests for hand inspection of photographic film/plates/paper etc.

 

[Agulliver]

Just returned from Majorca. I can report that LUT still has no CT scanners for hand baggage, and neither does PMI (Palma Majorca). Additionally the website for the PMI airport is wonderful for those of us with a bit of anxiety as it talks you through every part of the airport with photos including security, and mentions that their hand baggage scanners are safe for film. Indeed the X-ray guy was impressed with my cameras in my bag and asked if I was an aficionado.

Haven't developed any films yet as I arrived yesterday evening and went straight to a gig with some Delta 3200 that had been through the x-ray as I knew I wouldn't have a chance to go home first.

Mix of colour reversal (135, super 8) B&W reversal (super 8), C41 135 and B&W 120 films. Should have the B&W done today or tomorrow. The colour and super 8 will be going to labs so it'll take a while to get results on that.

 

[koraks]

Sounds like a good experience Thanks for reporting back!

 

[pentaxuser]

Interestingly the BBC main news programme a few days ago carried an item on the fact that new CT scanners had been installed at I think, London City Airport. It emphasised the benefit of a relaxation on the size of liquid containers passengers are now allowed to have as a result but not a single mention of the problem for film users

This omission suggested to me that either the BBC think that film no longer exists( not impossible) or possible more likely that there is such a small portion of travellers still using film that it did not warrant a mention on a busy news programme

pentaxuser

 

[BrianShaw]

Probably “yes” to both options!

 

[Agulliver]

We are a niche within a niche. Film photographers who travel by air with film. The new CT scanners will indeed benefit 95% or more of passengers who will no longer be required to separate and ration liquids, or to separate laptops, tablets and digital cameras from their hand luggage.

While it is a little disappointing that news reports don't mention film, it's simply not a consideration for most travellers any more. I've even come across younger X-ray staff who don't even know what film is.

 

[Radost]

The European rule is under 1600 iso everything goes through the scanner

 

[koraks]

The European rule is under 1600 iso everything goes through the scanner

There's no unifying Europen rule.

 

[snusmumriken]

There's no unifying Europen rule.

Indeed. At the Paris Eurostar terminal the smiling security guy understood instantly and took my camera and film around the machine. Only at the London end were the staff bloody unhelpful. That was last 2022 and at that stage they had x-ray machines only.