Beating a dead horse - but I have to ask

[david b]

As some of you know, I will be traveling to Oaxaca in about 45 days.

I am taking 200 rolls of film with me. 100 rolls APX 100, 20 rolls APX 25 and 80 rolls Pan F+.

If I have the security at the airport hand check these, I will be there for an hour or more.

So my question is this:

Will the "carry-on" X-ray machine hurt any of this film?

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I've put plenty of film through carry-on X-ray machines without any visible effects. With slow and medium speed films like this, and probably no more than two exposures to get there and back, you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[BradS]

Just got back from twoo weeks in Ireland. I carried all of my film with me. Had it hand inspected on the way out (SF International) as I always have in the past but this time the guy opened EVERY SINGLE box and can and dumped all of my films and empty plastic cans into one of those big plastic bins (you know the one that the guy in front of you just had his shoes in), swabbed each and every film and did the explosive detection test...then handed me the bin. It took me a while to get all the films back in their respective cans. Mixing Fuji, Kodak and Ilford didn't help.

We flew through Heathrow on the way home. I know better than to even ask for hand inspection there so I let it all go through.

And finally, since we had stayed on a dairy farm in Ireland, we got the special privilege of getting inpected again in SF upon our arrival...one more pass through the machine.

So, two passes through the "carry on x-ray machine" and I am very happy to report that none of the following 35mm films suffered any noticeable damage except the D3200 - and it was still pritable.


Fuji Reala 100
Kodak 400TMY (Tmax400)
Kodak 400TX (Tri-X)
Ilford Delta-3200


You should have no problem in the US - I can't guess what technology they have in Mexico however.

 

[chuck94022]

As some of you know, I will be traveling to Oaxaca in about 45 days.

I am taking 200 rolls of film with me. 100 rolls APX 100, 20 rolls APX 25 and 80 rolls Pan F+.

If I have the security at the airport hand check these, I will be there for an hour or more.

So my question is this:

Will the "carry-on" X-ray machine hurt any of this film?

I just got back from a trip to Hawaii, with the same issue. It really depends on how many times you go through. The hand check xray machines are much weaker than the baggage machines, so if you have <400ISO film, you should be OK for one or two passes.

However, I found that with Hawaii's agriculture check (the do an xray check) plus the island hops I did, I was going to expose my film to too much radiation for my taste. So I had them hand check my film.

Here are some ways to reduce your time with the TSA inspector:

1) Carry your film in a separate clear plastic bag (like a 1 gallon ziplock bag) that is easily removed from your camera bag (keep it in an outer pocket).

2) If 120/220 roll film, go ahead and open the box or foil wrapper. They will need to look in each one. If 35mm, take the rolls out of the container.

3) If you have a mix of 35mm and 120/220, consider separating them into different ziplock bags.

4) Try to avoid having film in the cameras themselves, so that you can just let them be xrayed. If you want them to hand inspect your full kit, expect to spend more time with them. If you do have film in the camera, just let it get a dose of xrays. It should be OK, since presumeably you won't have the same roll in the next time you go through security (if you do, why are you bringing so much film? )

The inspector wants to see and touch the actual rolls, so if you make it very easy for them to do, the inspection will go much more quickly. If they have to open each box or foil wrapper, it will take forever. If you do it as I described, I can't imagine them taking more than 5 minutes to go through 200 rolls.

If you are worried about film freshness and want the foil packages, consider checking them in your checked luggage and putting your film back in them when you arrive at your destination. Otherwise, I'd imagine the ziplock should be good enough for your trip.

If you are bring IR film, all bets are off. I have no idea what to do with that other than calling them in advance and making a special arrangement. I haven't done it, so I'll defer to someone with expertise in that regard.

-chuck

 

[colrehogan]

I took several rolls of IR film with me to the UK in 2002. It went through 6 carry-on x-rays total, 3 each way. I didn't have any problems with them due to x-rays. I had SFX (120 only), HIE (35 mm only), EIR (35 mm & 120) with me. The last two were not developed before I left, and the EIR was sent to a lab in California (via UPS, I think) when I returned home.

 

[gainer]

IR is the other end of the spectrum from x-ray. That doesn't mean IR film won't be affected by x-rays, but it should at least be no more vulnerable than ordinary pan film.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

I've had film go through multiple passes of X-rays in Australian domestic airports with no adverse effects at all. By multiple, I mean eight or so. I think you'll be fine putting them through the machines a couple of times.

 

[bjorke]

Open all the film boxes in advance. through away the boxes, keep the cans (35mm, yes?).

Have the cans in a plastic ziploc bag so they can be seen easily by security people and the film can be lifted in and out of your camera bag easily.

Xray the gear, hand-inspect the film

Opening and swabbing 200 rools will take less than 10 mins by a wide margin

 

[Sean]

I wonder if another option is to ship the film back to your home address, but maybe it will still get x-rayed at the shipping company?

 

[david b]

I will actually be developing the film there so I don't have to worry about getting it back.

This will also help make sure I got the photographs I need and want.

 

[BWGirl]

When I went ot Hawaii, I opened all my films & put them in 'zip-lock' type bags (removed them from the boxes & the plastic film containers). I had them easily accessible & it was not a problem.

That is great that you will be able to develop things there, before you return!

Have a nice trip & we'll all be looking forward to seeing some of your prints when you return!

 

[thefizz]

I travelled to South American via New York last year and my film went through a total 6 carry-on x-ray machines without any problems.

Hope you had a nice time in Ireland GaussianNoise.

Peter

 

[rpsawin]

Just be sure to keep all your film in your carry-on bags. I recently had the TAS explain to me that the scanners used on "checked" baggage will likely damage film and the scanners used on carry-on bags is not very powerful. To be certain ask them to hand check your film.

Bob Sawin

 

[steve]

"If you are worried about film freshness and want the foil packages, consider checking them in your checked luggage and putting your film back in them when you arrive at your destination. Otherwise, I'd imagine the ziplock should be good enough for your trip."

Absolutely DO NOT do this. Checked baggage at all Category I and Category X airports is now scanned with a computer aided tomography (CAT) scanner X-ray machine. These use directed X-ray beams that circle the bag as it goes through the scanner making "slices" of the bag.

You will be guaranteed to have damaged film if it passes through a CAT scanner. All Category X airports (Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Houston, etc. size airports) now have CAT scanners. Category I airports (Indianpolis, Albuquerque, etc. size airports) are either have them or are in the final stages of installation.

I can't comment on foreign airports I don't work at them.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Steve, I think he meant to check the foil wrappers in order to rewrap your film at the destination. What good that does, I can't imagine, since the film has been exposed to air and humidity during the entire trip.