fogged negatives (airport x-ray?)

Willie Jan

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Hi,

I noticed that I have fogged negatives (120 Fuji acros)) which shows like the first neg from kodaks site
These films were bought through ebay.
I am suspecting that the checks on the airport caused this to happen since they can from asia.
Are there more people that experienced this? I can through away 15 new rolls...

 

BrianShaw

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Oh... sorry. I deleted my question. Misunderstood. I’d try returning or getting refund as defective. If that not possible, grumble and move on to more reliable film.
 

Agulliver

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Nope, never had this including films which have been posted from Hong Kong.

However it's not inconceivable if it looks like the Kodak example. Packages are now subject to more screening than in past years, though as far as I am aware x-raying packages to the degree that they fog film isn't yet common. How many rolls have you exposed and developed? Did you develop yourself or send to a lab?
 

Saganich

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The checked baggage scanners have higher energy output compared to the screening for carry-on baggage and they will increases the energy if encountering metallic objects like film cans. Multiple carry-on screening can affect film but it looks more like even generating a low contrast look, while single high energy exposure will generate wave patterns as in the examples..
 

markjwyatt

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I just processed a roll of Fuji Superia XTRA 400 and one of HP5+ that were sent though a customs x-ray in Queretaro Mexico (my mistake). The Fuji Superia also inadvertently was passed through a normal passenger x-ray (I have been experimenting with travel with film this year). I am not sure if I see any effects on the scans (negatives still need to be mailed to me). The HP5+ looks fine. The HP5+ was in my Contax iia with lens, the Fuji in a plastic film container while being x-rayed in Queretaro. The Fuji may look a little dull, but lighting was either very late afternoon, foggy/overcast day or inside a store: https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=157638541@N07&view_all=1&text=(Queretaro OR Morro) AND Superia I will check if there are other Fuji shots I did not upload to Flickr, which may give more clues. I will also examine the negatives when they arrive.

Here are all my Superia shots (including the x-rayed ones): https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=157638541@N07&view_all=1&text=Superia

Here are the HP5+ shots: https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=157638541@N07&view_all=1&text=(Queretaro OR Monterey) AND HP5+
(the roll started being used in Monterery, CA, then I finished it in Queretaro)
 
Last edited:

Grim Tuesday

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Definitely shoot a test roll on a different camera before condemning the whole batch. Could be a light leak.
 

ozphoto

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You could just develop an unexposed roll - any banding like this will show up clear as day without needing to actually shoot it. As hopeful as GT is, that's no light leak - have processed films from a customer who put 40 rolls into his checked baggage and each roll had some *very* nasty fogging, including the shadow from his girlfriend's hairdryer cord. (Such a lovely spiral shadow . . . )

Fingers crossed it isn't every roll.
 

wiltw

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Cargo and checked baggage is far more damaging to film than ordinary X-ray at security checks for hand luggage. Checked baggage uses CT scanning technology, compared to the more simplistic lower dose X-ray. Cargo can undergo an entirely different kind of scan than both CT and X-ray!
 

ozphoto

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Willie Jan said:
My film is always in hand baggage. But what the post does with it when send with ebay??? I guess cargo.

And yes I developed a new roll which was not used. Same result.
Click to expand...

Yes, cargo would be normal, quite possibly on a commercial airliner rather than DHL/FedEx/UPS, and therefore it would undergo the same stringent security checks that passenger luggage does. I remember sending a package via DHL that I'd taped up nicely - had to open it for inspection before they'd accept it for sending. No big deal - it was a HDD, but from that experience, I'd guess that film would fair much better?

I haven't ever purchased any film from B&H etc (I too live OS) and wonder if their packaging indicates that the contents should not be x-rayed or if they send via courier (rather than the postal service)?
 

railwayman3

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Going back to the original post, I had an almost identical problem some years ago with some Kodak colour neg film. Out of interest I sent some specimen negs back to Kodak and they confirmed that it was "highly characteristic of X-ray fogging". At the time, I couldn't remember the source of the film, but I was sure that it hadn't been in my checked baggage. so I'm guessing it happened some time before I purchased it.....maybe a "grey import".
 

Agulliver

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I have purchased photographic material from the USA, Germany, Ukraine and Hong Kong and had it sent to the UK. Some sellers (private individuals and companies) will stick labels all over the package "Photographic film - Do not X-ray. Contact xxxx in case of query". I don't know if these notices would be heeded, of course. But I've had no problems with fogged film. One package did look like it had been opened for inspection and re-sealed.

Generally we have no way of knowing if a package is x-rayed when we have something delivered from a foreign country. Security in general is a bigger concern than it was even 15 years ago, so if possible I prefer to buy abroad in person and bring it back in my carry-on bag....or to have a friend or family member do the same if they're travelling.....film mules!
 
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