Hi I’m heading to Japan in May and know they have some ultra rare 220 film and discontinued films like Astia for sale they no longer sell elsewhere. For those that have traveled there for similar reasons, If I carry them in my carry-on will they inspected it appropriately without X-rays? And on stateside?
Bringing film back from Japan to US
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Carrying film in japan is fairly painless. Couple of notes;
Keep the film sealed in a separate bag inside your carry-on
Ensure that whenever you hit an xray checkpoint, stateside or overseas, you pull out the film and ask them to hand check it.
When flying into and out of narita international, I had no trouble, and found it was even more painless than dealing with the TSA(I get TSA Pre check too, so that's saying something)
I wish you the best on your trip.
Keep the film sealed in a separate bag inside your carry-on
Ensure that whenever you hit an xray checkpoint, stateside or overseas, you pull out the film and ask them to hand check it.
When flying into and out of narita international, I had no trouble, and found it was even more painless than dealing with the TSA(I get TSA Pre check too, so that's saying something)
I wish you the best on your trip.
Andrew O'Neill
Moderator
I've brought film to and from Japan for decades with no problems. I don't bother asking for hand inspection, as that takes time. I always have a mixture of all formats up to 8x10... so hand inspection takes longer. Carry on xray does no damage..even multiple times.
Do you know where these "ultra rare 220 film and discontinued films like Astia" are sold? I know that Velvia 100 is still sold in 220 packs but I haven't seen any Astia anywhere for some time now.
As Andrew has said, I wouldn't worry about film scans in Japan at the airport, but they will check them if you ask (film out of boxes of course).
As Andrew has said, I wouldn't worry about film scans in Japan at the airport, but they will check them if you ask (film out of boxes of course).
You will not find Astia in Japan. You missed that boat by about 5 years. You also wont find much 220 film. I think I saw a few rolls of NPS160 in 220, but that is it.
Andrew O'Neill
Moderator
Stock up on Acros!
Ask for a hand inspection. The worst case is that they say no.
Well then if you can do that I guess I’ll do that too
I'm another user who has had no issues with fogging or other "symptoms" of sending through sometimes multiple X-Ray scans in my carry on luggage. C41 or B&W, 50-3200 ISO speed films, no issues so far despite many desperate warnings from the internet.
To this I must add I haven't heard of anyone being given a hard time for asking for a handcheck, and if you want to be absolutely certain your film won't be tainted it can't hurt to ask. Though, I'm usually in a big scramble to collect my shoes, belt, wallet, etc. without causing a big jam on the other end of processing to worry about asking anyways!
To this I must add I haven't heard of anyone being given a hard time for asking for a handcheck, and if you want to be absolutely certain your film won't be tainted it can't hurt to ask. Though, I'm usually in a big scramble to collect my shoes, belt, wallet, etc. without causing a big jam on the other end of processing to worry about asking anyways!
Turnaround times are not that fast in Japan. I've never seen a place that works faster than a week.
You DO know that you can have your film scanned without any issue right? I just returned from a trip to China and Japan. My film was scanned a total of 7 times with no effect whatsoever.
3200???!!!
Just being careful. I only know what I’ve been told. Especially straight from Kodak’s website and their warnings of X-rays. And I definitely do not want everything I shot ruined. That’ll be a nightmare
Yobodashi Shinjuku has a film lab that, if you're only doing C-41 with Fujifilm or Kodak Gold (as long as it's not Portra) can be done in 4-5 hours. Anything else and you're looking for a couple days turnaround time at least.
Buying film and hand carrying through Narita (esp. with foreign-passport VAT exemptions) means they'll wrap it in a plastic seal at the shop you buy it from (with a customs declaration exempting you from VAT), and I just show that to the customs on the way out, essentially like a handcheck. I often buy Natura1600 or the harder to find Fuji stocks like Venus800, Fuji 160NS, so I definitely prefer to keep it X-Ray free whenever possible.
In China you definitely need lead-lined bags because there are x-ray stations everywhere in certain cities, sometimes in every bus and subway terminal. It's much easier to throw a bag through the X-Ray and they usually wouldn't bother examining a lead-lined bag that shows up in the scan, or will at most ask you to waste a frame by shooting your camera to prove that it's a camera.
Buying film and hand carrying through Narita (esp. with foreign-passport VAT exemptions) means they'll wrap it in a plastic seal at the shop you buy it from (with a customs declaration exempting you from VAT), and I just show that to the customs on the way out, essentially like a handcheck. I often buy Natura1600 or the harder to find Fuji stocks like Venus800, Fuji 160NS, so I definitely prefer to keep it X-Ray free whenever possible.
In China you definitely need lead-lined bags because there are x-ray stations everywhere in certain cities, sometimes in every bus and subway terminal. It's much easier to throw a bag through the X-Ray and they usually wouldn't bother examining a lead-lined bag that shows up in the scan, or will at most ask you to waste a frame by shooting your camera to prove that it's a camera.
I lived in China for 7 years and shot film all the time. Never owned a lead lined bag. All you have to do is show the inside of your bag instead of putting it through the scanner. The people working at those scanners by subway stations simply dont care. This security is all for show. I let my film go through the railway station scanners all the time. No effect.
Film simply is not that sensitive to X rays. All this worry is for nothing.
You can buy lead bags to protect film from airport x-rays. I've never tried them because I've never had any problem with film being scanned. I presume they work OK.
You simply do not need to worry about X rays unless you have ultra high speed film. ISO800 or lower, send it through scanners (multiple times if need be) without a worry.
Andrew O'Neill
Moderator
Forget about the lead bags. They will not let you through with them.
The idea of traveling with a lead bag is actually pretty hilarious. How much do they weigh? The last thing I need when I travel is more weight.
This has been my experience, too. Even coming back from Nepal via Europe...multiple scans, no worries. Key is to have it on carry-on - never ever ever check bags with film or gear.
The lead lined bags weight about the same as the amount of film they carry, which is not that much, and I basically use it as a general film bag so exposed rolls of 120/220 doesn't get extra light leaks anyhow, in lieu of loose ziplocs / film cases. And I usually shoot a bit of pushed HP5 (800-1600), Portra 800, and Natura1600 so I'd rather not have to get them through multiple passes. Much easier to just plop the camera bag w/ the lead-lined bag on the X-Ray conveyor than try to unload every bus or train station. I get that your shooting situation might be different.
You will have to remove the film from the lead lined bags for inspection or x-ray.
My experience at Narita with Delta 3200 some exposed rolls, some sealed boxes was no problem at all. Looked at it, handed it back after the metal detector. I put the slower stuff through the carry-on x-ray, and it was fine as I expected. I have to emphasize it was a total of maybe 5 rolls, not a year supply or anything.
TSA in the US will hand check with no problem in my experience. I only ask for hand check for the high speed stuff. Last time, they opened boxes (but not inside mylar) and swabbed everything. It's a little time consuming, but not a problem otherwise. Mostly at Denver.
TSA in the US will hand check with no problem in my experience. I only ask for hand check for the high speed stuff. Last time, they opened boxes (but not inside mylar) and swabbed everything. It's a little time consuming, but not a problem otherwise. Mostly at Denver.
Yes, I still take the lead-lined bags out anyway for TSA inspection / flights on the carry-on (they serve as de-facto film cases). But for non-airplane travel (like border crossings, bus and subway terminals in China) oftentimes they don't bother or allow hand-checks so they'll just let it through the x-ray machines and won't care enough to make you take it out.
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