Film not welcome at Empire State Building

[Theo Sulphate]

... I had a Bolex 8mm movie camera loaded with Ektachrome 100D
...

Mad props not only for shooting 8mm film, but in a Bolex. H8? 155 Macrozoom? Or?

How badly and in what manner was the film affected? Fogged?

 

[BAC1967]

Mad props not only for shooting 8mm film, but in a Bolex. H8? 155 Macrozoom? Or?

How badly and in what manner was the film affected? Fogged?

It was a D8L, the H8 isn't very portable for trips like that, I mostly use that one at home. I was using a fixed focus lens but the footage gets fuzzy every now and then. It's still viewable, it just bugs me when I see it and think about that lady shoving it into the X-Ray the second time.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Sweet. Was the D8L converted to Super 8?

Supposedly there's an Agfachrome regular 8mm available - a surprise to me that there's any color regular 8mm out there.

 

[BAC1967]

Sweet. Was the D8L converted to Super 8?

Supposedly there's an Agfachrome regular 8mm available - a surprise to me that there's any color regular 8mm out there.

It's Regular 8mm, I have a stash of E100D that I'm still shooting. I know some H8's were converted for Double Super 8 but I don't have one. There is still Regular 8mm film available. The only color reversal film right now is Agfa Chrome 200D from Witner Cinitec in Germany plus there is a black and white reversal available. I only shoot reversal because I like to view it with a projector. I'm hoping for some new film from Ferrania. If they don't make it I'm shure Witner will perforate their 16mm film to Regular 8mm. They have the equipment to do it.

 

[silverhalideusa]

Hold on to your socks... I will be offering Regular 8 Vision 3 50D and TXR in the near future. I've been posting updates to fillmshooting.com. First test rolls arrived today.

 

[Ian Grant]

How do you know this, such that you state it here as a fact for future reference?

Ken

The scanners are covered by quite strict safety regulations to protect the operators. Years ago you'd see no young people operating the airport scanners and the operators wore dose meters and were rotated between those days are in the past..

The last "non" film safe carry on scanners I saw in use were at Philadelphia airport 12 or 13 years ago, at that time the airport was undergoing a major redevelopment and I'd guess they were replaced shortly after.

The company I used to work for were then members of PIC the Photographic Industry Council, here in the UK, as a consequence I met a number of senior scientists from the large photo companies. I also had a discussion about film safety with a high ranking security official at Gatwick airport in 2007, he was a member of the committee who had agreed the standards for film safety and scanners, he was actually the RPS (Royal Photographic Society) member so saw things from both perspectives, he assured me that films were safe for many multiple scans and tested into the hundreds.

Ian

 

[pentaxuser]

It wasn't Buckingham Palace - I think it was Windsor (though maybe Edinburgh). And it was in spring 2002, so tensions were still kinda high. My bag supposedly got stuck and the beam was on the whole time.

Thanks for that. Your bag getting stuck may well have been the problem. In 2002 there were more film users than even a few years later so I just can't imagine a situation where in a tourist attraction they'd have a scanner that was ruining everyone's film as a matter of course.

pentaxuser

 

[Oxleyroad]

I am another one who has been through the scanners in New York with Film over the New Year break. I had with me my Bolex H16, Leica and old Kodak Panoram. Several rolls of film in my backpack. No indication of damage from the x-rays. I also had the same thing (but twice) going to the Statue of Liberty. Scanned to get on the boat and scanned again before you got up the statue. Film came through fine.

In both cases all the security staff were impressed that I still used film and the Bolex was the main point of attention.

 

[Jeff Bradford]

When I was at the Empire State Building last year, I let them run my whole camera bag through the X-ray. Everything came out fine, but they did warn me not to use my tripod.

 

[MartinP]

So next time, put your film in your pocket, don't show it to them.

The 120 film wouldn't show up on the metal-detector gate, but a 135 cassette does. What happens next depends on many factors...

 

[removed account4]

sorry for the troubles you had cropdusterman
i had similar problems when i was in basel switzerland
they refused to hand inspect and insisted the scanner was fine
it all worked out. i've had film travel through scanners very often
lots and lots of time / trip post 9-11 /subway bombing in heathrow,
it seemed like every 50 feet there was another checkpoint and scanner
seems except for unforseen circumstances the scanners don't really do much to film
PE has noted in various "will airport scanners ruined my film" threads that being in a plane
off the ground and the extra radiation "up there" is worse for the film ... ( top of ESB doesn't compare,
although NYC is the center of the universe so who knows ! )
if it was me i would have had the guy scan my film and not worried about it, but we all have
different experiences with scanners, security, police, rent-a-cops, ticket agents &c.
i hope you had a cellphone at least to take a few snappies

 

[Steve Smith]

NYC was a prime target on 911. The Empire State Bldg is a prime target within NYC for future attacks and they get thousands of visitors every day. So they're a little nervous.

About exploding film?!


Steve.

 

[ic-racer]

The 120 film wouldn't show up on the metal-detector gate, but a 135 cassette does.

Depends on which canister one is using.

 

[ic-racer]

Witner will perforate their 16mm film to Regular 8mm. They have the equipment to do it.

Is this true? You know Kodak B&W Reversal Regular-8 is not available because they wanted like $20,000 to perforate the last batch. They still make the film but without the perforations to run in a Regular-8 camera.
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[AgX]

Yes, they convert to standard-8.

 

[lauffray]

Actually it's normal policy in many places, in different parts of the world, so it's your attitude that was unreasonable.

I find it disconcerting that you consider this normal. One can shrug and accept this as a reality, but nothing about the current "security" paranoia is normal. What's really scary is the people who will grow up today with this as the new standard

 

[BrianShaw]

Sure, but...


Other than speaking and writing about one's Shock and disapproval, what is one to do - stop participating in society; adopt an angry attitude; what???

I'm with Ian... If going to the top of Empire State Building with film was the goal then why not just comply. Instead some seem to want to be denied their goal "to make a point". Guess what.... Nobody that can change anything has been involved in the discussion. The security guards can't change the rules nor can a photo forum.

 

[lauffray]

Sure, but...

Other than speaking and writing about one's Shock and disapproval, what is one to do - stop participating in society; adopt an angry attitude; what???

Maybe you don't like the choices available but there are choices. Private companies understand money, so I'll vote with my wallet and choose not to subsidize this madness, if that means I won't be going up the Empire State Building, I'm ok with that. You can't change everything but I don't believe the only option is to accept everything either, we make the society we live in

 

[BrianShaw]

I can respect that, for sure. One must pick and choose their battles to maximize the impact. I'm not sure that denying ESB a fare or two for a visit to the top will have any impact on their bottom line (or attitude toward civil liberties) at all. But good for those who choose to fight the small skirmishes!

 

[MartinP]

Depends on which canister one is using.

Good point! I should have said 'commercially packaged'...

 

[BAC1967]

Is this true? You know Kodak B&W Reversal Regular-8 is not available because they wanted like $20,000 to perforate the last batch. They still make the film but without the perforations to run in a Regular-8 camera.
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

There is nothing official yet but so far they have perforated every reversal film they could get their hands on. They just invested a lot of money having the perforating equipment made so they can do it and I know they have been in contact with Ferrania. Ferrania has said they will do it if there is enough demand, they do have the equipment. Wittner just perforated a bunch of Kodak Vision 3 50D for silverhalideusa but that's a negative stock.

Hold on to your socks... I will be offering Regular 8 Vision 3 50D and TXR in the near future. I've been posting updates to fillmshooting.com. First test rolls arrived today.

 

[Chadinko]

I told my wife that the next time I travel I will take my Zenit Photosniper with me as a carry-on, and arrive at least four hours early so that the TSA muppets have time to wrap their heads around the fact that it's not a gun, never was a gun, and never will be a gun.

She said (and I quote), "No, you won't."

 

[BrianShaw]

She's right... that would be totally foolish to do.

 

[pentaxuser]

I saw a Zenit Photosniper up close in the Museum of Communism in Prague a few years ago. It looked very like a gun and a few more feet away in a public place with security personnel on high alert it would easily pass as one.

Given Charlie Hebdo, then the Paris attacks and now Brussels I think that the poster's wife gave him very good advice.

pentaxuser

 

[CropDusterMan]

So what did you do; disappoint your wife by getting mad and leaving without taking her to the top?

I forgot to reply to your douchebag post Brian (yes...it was)...actually, she and I laughed and went back the next day, 5DMKII in hand, killer image in the can and a fun memorable day.