Has air travel hurt film photography?

[trythis]

The only time I ask for hand inspection is with extremely old or rare film.


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[Roger Cole]

I send film through the X-ray machine all the time. Never had a problem.

You need to carry it on then you're probably fine as you say. The x-ray machines that scan carry on are much lower power than the ones that scan checked baggage.

 

[snapguy]

HOW OUTER SPACE ALIENS RUINED FILM PHOTOGRAPHY

Film is from Earth, Digital is from Mars.

 

[amellice]

I send film through the X-ray machine all the time. Never had a problem.

me too, just did that last November, couple of Fuji Velvia, Kodak Ektar, Tri-X, Deltas... all seems fine

 

[CropDusterMan]

I fly regularly in the U.S, and the TSA site actually has a page that I printed out that says you can a bag hand searched.
It's always the same..."What speed is the film sir"? I always say "ISO 3200...I am doing night photography and the film
will be push processed to high ISO". Usually, with a dumb look on their face, the guy or gal will say "Hmmm, ok...HAND CHECK"!!!

Back in 2000-2004, I worked for Martin Schoeller as his assistant, and we flew with a ton of film...a lot of it 8x10...not so
easy after 9/11! It often took some serious work on my part to expedite the procedure...

I always kept Polaroids of celebs in the bag, from rappers to movie stars, and I profiled each TSA guy or Gal I was about to encounter.

"Got a hand check here sir/maam...( would then insert a Polaroid that this person would relate to from rapper to celeb)..."We just photographed JZ and 50Cent for Rolling Stone". As soon as they heard that, all thoughts of security left the building. I could've gotten anything through at that point.

 

[BrianShaw]

Chicken Little: The sky is falling; the sky is falling

This is the same concern/issue as it was 15 or 20 years ago. If anything, the situation has gotten better in terms of the technology in place for screening. If anyone wants to argue that, then the statement could be that not that much has changed so the situation certainly hasn't become any worse.

 

[shutterlight]

Just keep your film out of checked baggage and you'll be fine. The security x-rays are no problem. It's the x-rays used for checked bags that are a problem.

 

[Rob Archer]

Another one to watch is when travelling with Eurostar (high speed train) between the UK and France / Belgium. I'm told by someone who works there that they have new scanners at St Pancras that are stronger than normal and can fog film. They will do a manual check though. I'll do a live check in a few weeks time when I have to to Lyon for a few days.

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[David A. Goldfarb]

Just carry the film on, and it's okay to let it go through the carry-on X-ray scanners, not the checked baggage scanners. With ISO 800 film or faster, request a hand check.

I usually take my film out of my camera bag and put it through the X-ray in a separate bag, so that if the inspectors decide to put the camera bag through twice, the film doesn't get a second dose.

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

Never had a big issue. Short flights are easy in the US. I carry it in zip lock bags and ask for a hand check, they usually pop the top from a few rolls and swab them and the zip lock bag in their chemical scanner. On longer international flights I use the thick lead bags over the ziplock, and I also ask for a hand check. The bags are really just for my peace of mind with the increase of flight time and the possibility of the increase of radiation. The ballistic nylon bags are best but heaviest. Always hand check, if you are doing multiple trips the accumulated radiation exposure is what gets you if you let it through the scanner every time.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

HOW AIR TRAVEL HAS HURT FILM PHOTOGRAPHY-WHAT TO DO?

I let it all go through as carry-on. Never had any issues.

 

[scheimfluger_77]

Sigh....here we go again with the FUD. I send my film through the X Ray scanners time after time after time, without ANY issues.

10 times through an X Ray scanner= NO PROBLEM.

I think that's the first time someone has said this with an explicit number of exposures to x-ray. Assuming that is an actual count.

 

[RattyMouse]

Never had a big issue. Short flights are easy in the US. I carry it in zip lock bags and ask for a hand check, they usually pop the top from a few rolls and swab them and the zip lock bag in their chemical scanner. On longer international flights I use the thick lead bags over the ziplock, and I also ask for a hand check. The bags are really just for my peace of mind with the increase of flight time and the possibility of the increase of radiation. The ballistic nylon bags are best but heaviest. Always hand check, if you are doing multiple trips the accumulated radiation exposure is what gets you if you let it through the scanner every time.

Ever ask for a hand check of 60 rolls of film? If so, how'd that go?

 

[RattyMouse]

I think that's the first time someone has said this with an explicit number of exposures to x-ray. Assuming that is an actual count.

There's X-Ray scanners here in Shanghai at every subway entrance.

Question for the group: How many times do you want me to take a roll of ISO 400 film and send it through? I'll do this experiment for everyone.

10 times? 20 times?

 

[CropDusterMan]

Ever ask for a hand check of 60 rolls of film? If so, how'd that go?

I've had a Pelican case with several hundred rolls and boxes of 8x10 hand searched. Took some extra special requests going through Doha, Quatar and Heathrow though.

Also had a portable light tent in the case in the chance they wanted to inspect the film boxes.

 

[sly]

Just got back from a trip to Panama. Most film went through the carry-on scanner. I had a few rolls of high speed film in a ziplock bag, which I pulled out for hand inspection. Different reactions, but none worse than a glare. Some airports the "inspection" was just a quick visual, didn't even take them out of the bag. In LAX each film was swabbed.

Speaking of LAX, the air there was terrible! My eyes were streaming the whole time we were there, and I didn't stop coughing for 36 hours. How can anyone LIVE there?

 

[BrianShaw]

Thank you for the kind offer. 10 times please. That should validate known data.

There's X-Ray scanners here in Shanghai at every subway entrance.

Question for the group: How many times do you want me to take a roll of ISO 400 film and send it through? I'll do this experiment for everyone.

10 times? 20 times?

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

There's X-Ray scanners here in Shanghai at every subway entrance.

Are they the same type as the ones used in airports for carry-on bags?

Ken

 

[DF]

All I know - All I've been told, is that the lead bags don't work - film gets fogged. That's why I posted this.

 

[Vaughn]

Lead bags do not work in checked baggage because I think if they can not see thru something, they just turn up the power until they can.

 

[RattyMouse]

Are they the same type as the ones used in airports for carry-on bags?

Ken

Hard to say, but I can see the output monitors and these devices can clearly see inside all the bags that get scanned. From an outsider's point of view, they look darn near the same as the airport scanners.

 

[RattyMouse]

Thank you for the kind offer. 10 times please. That should validate known data.

I've got a roll of Ilford Delta 400 loaded up in my Fuji GA645. I'll shoot it in the coming weeks, on subjects that are just for fun so if the film is lost, it won't matter. I'll then run it through the X Ray scanner 10 times and then develop it. I'll post the results here in a week or two.

 

[wildbill]

Wow. Is this the first time this topic has come up on apug? Really?

 

[Sirius Glass]

Wow. Is this the first time this topic has come up on apug? Really?

No. Lead bags either get the power turned up until the x-rays blast through or get the bag opened, the boxes opened, the canisters opened, the foil wrapping opened, everything swabbed including the inside of your nose. Thus wasting time when requesting a hand inspect will work about everywhere. A lead bag is what is technically knows as a WOMBAT*. Bin dar, dun dat.





*WOMBAT ==> Waste Of Money, Brains And Time

 

[BrianShaw]

Wow. Is this the first time this topic has come up on apug? Really?

First time... This month.