Flying with film

I know there are threads which discuss the implications of taking film through airport security but most seem to concentrate on US airports.
Has anyone experience of taking film from Europe (UK) to China and back again? (Exposed of course!)
I presume hand luggage is the best option?
Cheers.
Oh, it will be B&W iso125 & 400 35mm

I routinely hand-carry film through airports in both Europe and China, with no problems so far. As far as I know, there are no significant differences in the x-ray regimes by country; the scanner for the carry-on bags won't do any harm to your film (though I've read that the one for checked luggage most likely will).

-NT

I didn't quite go to China, but I just had all my film handchecked from New York to Tokyo to Bangkok and back with no problems. I've also never had a problem in Europe at all over about six years that I travelled there extensively. The hardest airport I've seen for handchecks is Newark (NJ, USA), because the security reps are typically very impatient and don't have a service-oriented mentality.

Security at London Heathrow has never seemed to learn the concept of hand inspection of film, but simply pass everything thru the X-ray of hand baggage in spite of passenger request! Other places seem to be understanding of the concept and generally comply. But as long as you have ISO 400 and slower film, multiple passes thru X-ray of hand luggage will not fog film visibily, although ISO 1600 film Kodak does recommend to keep to a minimum of exposures.

Checked baggage goes thru CT scanners and fogging will occur from these higher dosage machines.

Hand luggage x-ray machines will fog film. The faster the film the more likley you are to see it. With Ilford FP4 I have seen it after 3 passes through machines (UK and USA). The effect is cumulative and more noticeable on exposed film. Never put film in the hold. The x-ray machines used for hold luggage are much more powerful and will fog all film that goes through them.

Hand-luggage x-ray machines are safe for films apparently up to about ISO800, so I just take mine through and don't worry about it at all since I don't really use fast films, particularly while travelling. For checked luggage, the power can be a lot higher, so just make sure your film is in your hand-luggage.

I wouldn't ask for hand-inspection of the film; I would think the risk of exposure to light to be much greater than just letting it go through the machine. Same reasoning applies to lead bags for film - they will only attract attention from the operator and risk your film being opened and destroyed.

I've been through half of Asia like this with no problems and carrying 40+ rolls of 120. I think all of my rolls went through 6 exposures to xray with no visible defects whatsoever... and that's in addition to any xraying they copped while being delivered (internationally) to me in the first place!

I usually mail exposed film home.

Well, TSA here in the states says that film ISO 800 and over is not safe and film that could potentially be push processed is not safe. If you try to explain that to them, maybe you can get away? I know that I never know for sure if I will push a foll or sheet.

What I posted in Post 4 of this thread was based upon Kodak test results and position prior to Sept 2001 security. It appears that Kodak now recognizes that newer equipment can fog film!

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib5201.shtml

wiltw said:

What I posted in Post 4 of this thread was based upon Kodak test results and position prior to Sept 2001 security. It appears that Kodak now recognizes that newer equipment can fog film!

Click to expand...

That Kodak article is referring to checked baggage.
I really think this topic has been done to death in about 100 threads. See Art's list:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Hand carry and put it through the scanner. The ones in China are modern, usually state of the art scanners, that have never fogged any of my film. And I am in and out of Chinese airports (major and minor) a lot. You will get more likely get damage during the flight from the increased radiation at high altitude. Put it in a lead bag and put it under the seat.

Never put it in the hold, unless you are looking for fog effects.

monodave said:

Hand luggage x-ray machines will fog film. The faster the film the more likley you are to see it. With Ilford FP4 I have seen it after 3 passes through machines (UK and USA). The effect is cumulative and more noticeable on exposed film. Never put film in the hold. The x-ray machines used for hold luggage are much more powerful and will fog all film that goes through them.

Click to expand...

Unlikely. With 10+ passes of TMZ3200 I've seen no issues. This doesn't mean it won't happen, but it's a heck of a lot less likely to happen with 400 speed films.

That being said, I'd be weary of UK airports these days.

polyglot said:

I wouldn't ask for hand-inspection of the film; I would think the risk of exposure to light to be much greater than just letting it go through the machine.

Click to expand...

I have come to the same conclusion.

clayne said:

Unlikely. With 10+ passes of TMZ3200 I've seen no issues. This doesn't mean it won't happen, but it's a heck of a lot less likely to happen with 400 speed films.

That being said, I'd be weary of UK airports these days.

Click to expand...

UK airports are far safer for flying with film than most, the machines used for hand luggage are all film safe for many multiple passes.

I fly regularly with film fresh and exposed, sometimes with more than 15 scans on a round trip. In many cases I've lost count of how many scans as I also use International ferries (who scan), visit sshopping centres (who scan) and have never had an issue.

A few wise precautions at airports keep the films away from batteries, chargers, electrical items, cameras, cable releases etc, so that when scanned there's nothing remotely suspicious near them.

Personally I put LF (5x4) film in my coat pockets, and other films in my laptop case and that works well.

Don't ask for a hand check where you can't speak the language, I tried with some Delta3200 and they insisted on opening every box & foil wrapper.

Ian

The less we discuss this topic the better. The more it is said that transporting film is safe the more reassuring it would be to stow illegal items in and amongst film. Then when the folks get caught we will all cop harsher security procedures on our film.

Just my 2cents.

I've taken HP5 through 12+ scans on a trip to Nepal and had no big issues. Some rolls did have some edge issues, but I have a feeling they may have been light issues. I'm heading to Myanmar via Bangkok in 9 weeks time though and planning on taking some Portra 800 and HP5 that could very well be pushed to 1600 for some rolls and I'm a little worried about the pushed rolls. I might just get some cargo pants and try my luck "forgetting" it was in the pockets.

On my last trip, New Zealand security operators were unfortunately very "we know better than you even though we're not busy" and staff at Bangkok weren't much better.

I've flown from Greece to China, twice, once through Germany, the other time through Singapore.
The film I brought with me was medium speed (100 and 400 iso) color negatives and slides, black and white, both in 135 and 120 formats. I even bought some Lucky in China. All film were exposed there and processed in Greece. I tried to pack rolls in my camera should bag that came with me in the cabin on my second trip but I may have stored most in the check in luggage on my first travel.
I've had absolutely no trouble at all, save for not bringing enough (you can never have enough film in such rich places).

polyglot said:

I wouldn't ask for hand-inspection of the film; I would think the risk of exposure to light to be much greater than just letting it go through the machine.

Click to expand...

I can't see why that would be, especially for 35mm which is what the OP is using. I've had my film hand-checked in a wide variety of countries and it's never involved much more than handing the ziploc bag full of film to agent, the agent opening each canister, rolling the cassette around in the palm of his/her hand, staring blankly at it, then giving it back to me.

Thanks to everyone for your replies, it is much appreciated. It may seem like old ground to many but whilst I understand the difference in the scanning of hand and hold luggage the question was partly to find out any up to date changes and particularly anything to watch out for at Heathrow, Hong Kong and China.

I think they invented digital cameras for travelers.

All rays will fog film, even slow film one pass. You may not see it,but it builds. It is no different than flashing paper in the darkroom. Everything is fine to a point, then whites go grey.

Ronald Moravec said:

I think they invented digital cameras for travelers.

All rays will fog film, even slow film one pass. You may not see it,but it builds. It is no different than flashing paper in the darkroom. Everything is fine to a point, then whites go grey.

Click to expand...

In the UK there's a committee that includes Airport security authorities, film manufacturers and photographic associations, they draw up the safety guidelines for the dosage of the various combinations of rays used.

The equipment at UK airports is safe for many multiple passes before there's even a detectable effect on base fogging.

Most airports around teh world use similar equipment.

Ian

Last year I flew to Bulgaria via Germany, my film went through four x-ray machines, two when it was unexposed, two exposed. The film was Neopan 1600, there were no problems. Oh, and there was also a half-used roll in my camera that went through the scanner.

Yes, I rarely finish a trip with only completed rolls...there's always a partial roll still in the camera so even though I get handchecks whenever possible, my camera w/ film always goes through the xray. Never had an issue with that last roll, and sometimes that one will happen to be 1600 or higher.

The reason I always get handchecks is not because I'm terrified of xray damage, but because it certainly doesn't hurt (at least for 35mm, my preference), and takes at most 20 seconds of my time to ask for the check. Even when I'm running late at the airport, which is often, the amount of time spent actually waiting for the people to check it is negligible.

monodave said:

Hand luggage x-ray machines will fog film. The faster the film the more likley you are to see it. With Ilford FP4 I have seen it after 3 passes through machines (UK and USA). The effect is cumulative and more noticeable on exposed film. Never put film in the hold. The x-ray machines used for hold luggage are much more powerful and will fog all film that goes through them.

Click to expand...

I would expect that if the Xray machine is fogging FP4 film, then the machine should have been retired 20 years ago. Early XRay machines simply used as much Xray as they could get the machine to produce. This had two side effects, one is that it would literally cook film, and two that it would require a lot of shielding in the machine itself. The next generation of machines were adjustable, which meant that if the operator was good, they would set the machine only as high as to get a good image on most luggage, then hand inspect the few that it had trouble with. Some operators were lazy and would turn the machine up to maximum, then refuse to hand inspect anything, a lot of film got ruined because of this.

Just like film is getting more and more sensitive, so are xray machines. In most countries technology goes the same way, a major airport like Heathrow is likely to have mostly newer machines, the older machines from those airports go into slightly smaller airports, and as the machines get older and older they move into smaller and less important airports, until you get to some little airport, where they ring up the manager a couple of times a week to go turn the lights on, and warm up the machine, which has a plaque on it that it was built in 1975.

Another option, if you will be staying at a hotel, is to arrange with the hotel to receive a package for you, and send the film via courier. Check with the courier to see if they X-ray stuff, those that do, will have an option of marking an item not to be X-rayed, film is not the only thing that can be ruined by X-rays. You want the customs papers to state that it is photographic film for your own use and that you will be exporting it at the end of your trip, so your not charged customs duties.