Flying with film

[terri]

From personal experience, I can say No, infrared is unaffected. I took some Kodak HIE with me to Cambodia, and it went through the xray machines in Singapore, Cambodia, Singapore again, Amsterdam, New York, and Washington DC with no ill effects. If it can survive xraying in a third-world country with old machinery, plus all those other xrayings, not to mention the cosmic ray bombardment all film gets on the plane (which is a greater radiation exposure than all the xraying it is going to get on the ground anyway), it isn't going to be affected. If you have extremely high-speed film (800+), bring the lead bag to help with exposure at altitude, and get a hand-inspection at the airport.

I am really surprised to read this. I love HIE, but dread the thought of going on a trip with it because of the airport security. Simply taking it out of the canister isn't an option with HIE, of course. I've made 2 trips where I've sent the film to the destination in advance, and am now getting ready for a third. This post makes me want to offer up a potential sacrifice: I think I'll leave a roll in the camera bag and let it take the hit - just to see what happens.

 

[colrehogan]

Someday this paranoia over x-raying film has to end, it is really getting old.

Like Helen B, I am not going be bothered with hand inspections, and mailing film is also no big deal - since there are no processing labs for E6 where I live, I have to send my film, via good, old USPS Priority Mail to the mainland. The same goes just for buying film, I buy all my film from the mainland.

Once again, this paranoia over x-raying film has to end, it is really getting old.

LOL! As in the same way that the film/digi argument is really getting old too, but do you see it stopping? Or that "Film is Dead"? I don't see those comments stopping either.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I am really surprised to read this. I love HIE, but dread the thought of going on a trip with it because of the airport security. Simply taking it out of the canister isn't an option with HIE, of course. I've made 2 trips where I've sent the film to the destination in advance, and am now getting ready for a third. This post makes me want to offer up a potential sacrifice: I think I'll leave a roll in the camera bag and let it take the hit - just to see what happens.

HIE is a far more resilient film than most people give it credit for. I once shot a roll, put it in a desk drawer and forgot it for over 2 years. The desk was on the third floor of an un-airconditioned house in Baltimore. To put it mildly, the roll got broiled for two summers in a row, and frozen for two winters. When I processed it, the negs were as normal as HIE negs can be. If there was any increase in base fog, it was well within acceptable limits, as the negs were as easy to print as any other HIE negs I've shot.

In short, if you like the film, take it with you and shoot it wherever you go, and don't be afraid.

 

[roteague]

I am really surprised to read this. I love HIE, but dread the thought of going on a trip with it because of the airport security. Simply taking it out of the canister isn't an option with HIE, of course.

Infrared is on the opposite side of the spectrum from xray, with visible light in the middle.

Try looking at this article: Dead Link Removed

Then click on the Dead Link Removed link at the bottom of the page until you come to X-rays. You will go from Infrared to Visible Light, then to Ultraviolet, then to X-rays.

 

[B&Wenthusiast]

film on airport

I know everyone wants to let this one go, but I'm still unclear about bring exposed b&w film back through the airport machines or if you can request hand-checking. Don't necessarily want to take the processing canisters (and chemicals) but will if needed.

 

[BradS]

So...my Portra, PanF and Delta400 all go in the bag and can get zapped. The couple of rolls of 3200 that I'm taking go with me and asked for hand inspection.

I let a few rolls of Delta 3200 go through the carry on baggage scanner at Heathrow last year. I'm happy to say, that there were no apparent ill effects. There is an (there was a url link here which no longer exists) in the technical galleries... (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Peter Schrager]

exposed film

Brad-you really know how to push it. The answer is quite simple. Fly with a film ASA 400 or less. People have been known to go through the xray machines at least 5 or 6 times without ANY problems. That includes EXPOSED film. I'm about to go and do it myself on Sunday for a trip to Europe. Do not count on a hand inspection. Some will and some won't.
Best, Peter

 

[MarshallThurman]

A personal Experiece............

A couple of years ago I carried a hundred rolls of Fujicolor 100 to France to use on a visit there. I had no experience getting the film to France without being Xrayed. I"ve have worked in a photo lab for about 40 years and I don't think any X-ray is good. Upon trying to return to the US I was leaving
through DeGaul and carring 75 rolls I had exposed there plus two rolls I had also shot there and had processed at a Fuji lab in Paris to use as a test.After trying to board the plane with out X-raying my exposed film I was treatened with jail unless I allowed them to scan my film. Back at home I
processed the film on a machine I maintained and upon trying to print it found a noticeable difference in my two test rolls and the 75 I brought
home unprocessed. The colors was no where as intense as in the test rolls.
I still fly but now process all my film before I pass through any airport system. Its a little expensive but with the cost of air fares and other expenses overseas it the only way to be sure how your negatives are
going to turn out right. In Paris my two test rolls only cost $2 a roll to process about the same as in the US.

Marshall Thurman Florida

 

[B&Wenthusiast]

flying with EXPOSED film

Brad-you really know how to push it. The answer is quite simple. Fly with a film ASA 400 or less. People have been known to go through the xray machines at least 5 or 6 times without ANY problems. That includes EXPOSED film. I'm about to go and do it myself on Sunday for a trip to Europe. Do not count on a hand inspection. Some will and some won't.
Best, Peter

How about letting me know how that goes? Leaving June 27 for Galway!

 

[Jon King]

I'm just back from Galway.. among other places.. with 35 rolls or so of Tri-X and UC400, exposed at 320 or 250. No evidence of fog, or any other anomaly on either color or B&W, except for a few out of focus frames (any way to blame that on xrays? )

 

[Mongo]

My personal record for a trip is nine x-ray inspections of my hand baggage over two weeks. Film was all B&W 120 and either ISO100 or ISO400. Eight of the scans were at airports (US, Paris, and Milan) and one was at the entrance to St. Chapelle in Paris. The last was unexpected and I have no idea how their screening machine compares to the airport machines, but I decided to chance it rather than return to the hotel to drop off my film.

The end results: Absolutely no detectable change in the film. No extra fog, no odd marks, no image degradation that I can find. The negatives have the same density range as those I've shot locally.

I'm returning to Europe at the end of the month and I plan to take 35mm this time...I'll let the scanners have their way with my film and we'll see what happens. I won't be worrying about it, though.

Be well.
Dave

 

[QuillianSW]

I always ask for a hand check. They say the carry-on x-ray machines are safe, but I'm not so sure there isn't a cumulitive effect.

My routine includes taking all my film (35mm and 120) out of the packages and into a large plastic zip lock bag. I ALWAYS carry ISO 3200 with me (if only as a "prop") to insure that my request for a hand sheck is honored. Mark

Yes, radiation is cumulative. You want to do whatever you can to minimize exposure, so if you can avoid getting your film x-rayed at all, do so. It'll get radiated just sitting in the overhead bin, and if you don't shoot it and want to take it home..then on another trip..etc. I've traveled with film all over the world and always asked for a hand check - never had a problem in the US, but yes, some foreign airports have different proceedures. I use the high ISO "stunt roll trick" as well.