New (as of 2019) airport CT scanners

wiltw

Subscriber
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Messages
6,566
Location
SF Bay area
Format
Multi Format

I can confirm that I was recently able to deliberately pass one roll of exposed 120 film thru the security CT scanner at Lisbon airport, returning via Montreal to San Francisco. A second rollfilm in clear plastic zip bag was handed over to the security personnel for hand inspection to bypass CT exposure, and the request was immediately complied with zero discussion of the request.
Having just gotten back from my travels, I have not yet had opporunity to submit my ISO 400 color neg rollfilm for processing, but will post again when I have processed film and prints in hand. The film was not subject to CT exposure outbound from San Fransicsco.
 

Steve Goldstein

Subscriber
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Messages
1,785
Location
Northeastern US
Format
Multi Format
I traveled from Keflavik, Iceland (KEF) to the US on 14 May. All the scanners appeared to be older-style simple X-ray machines (not CT) but I had no issues obtaining hand inspection for my 20 rolls of 120 film.
 

Agulliver

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2015
Messages
3,650
Location
Luton, United Kingdom
Format
Multi Format
koraks said:
Same experience just now on our flight from Iraklion, Greece/Crete.
Click to expand...

Good to know as I am probably going there in October. Last time (2019) it wasn't a concern.

Thus far since resuming travelling post-Covid in Feb 2022 I've had no troubles with film. I've either encountered older X-ray scanners or had my films hand inspected without any problem...in some cases I've had the hand inspection even though older X-ray scanners were in use.
 

wiltw

Subscriber
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Messages
6,566
Location
SF Bay area
Format
Multi Format

I would appreciate input from folks in the US about labs that have good quality control in color processing...it has been a very long time since I used any professional labs in the SF Bay area to process my film, and I know how difficult it is to find labs with much lowered volume of processing, which maintain good quality control.
 

koraks

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
24,560
Location
Europe
Format
Multi Format
I accidentally carried a single roll of Kodak Vision3 50D through an airport CT scanner. The results are more pronounced than I had imagined:

You're looking at the leader of CT-scanned film (top) vs. a non-CT affected otherwise identical film (second row). Photos on the film are also affected as illustrated by the more bland, low-contrast and overall brown rendition of the CT-affected film (3rd row) vs normal color and contrast of the control film (4th row).
Some more details here, but the gist of it is all in the image above: https://tinker.koraks.nl/photograph...-effect-of-ct-carry-on-luggage-on-color-film/
 

ntenny

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 5, 2008
Messages
2,503
Location
Portland, OR, USA
Format
Multi Format
Trip report on another slightly different itinerary: PDX-JFK-AMS-MLA, returning MLA-AMS-DTW-PDX. There was nothing interesting on the outbound (hand check at PDX as usual, no problem), but the return involved a couple of hand checks.

MLA is a small airport, but a bit to my surprise it seems to be all CT (looked like the same Smiths Detection models that they use in PDX). They were a little surprised by the film but had an idea of what it was, and they just let me carry it through the metal detector with no hesitation.

No security on transfer in AMS, as usual.

DTW has a security checkpoint after passport control as you enter the country, with all CT machines (the round spaceship-looking ones with the blue glow). They understood the film and took it for hand check, apparently swabbed it while I was going through, and had it ready for me on the other end.

The film was all 120, but it didn’t seem to confuse anyone.

Malta is a great place for colour film. I burned a couple of rolls in Senglea and Mdina, then shot a roll of HP5+ in Mdina as evening came on. (Mdina is a city of high walls and narrow streets, and it gets dark fast—I went from “100 is almost too fast” to “400 is almost too slow” in about 15 minutes.)

-NT
 

Dr. no

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 7, 2010
Messages
122
Location
Santa Fe
Format
Multi Format
Latest trip: ABQ-ORD-LHR-VIE and return.
Albuquerque has CT in the Precheck lanes (and I think the regular ones too) and are happy to hand-check
Heathrow Terminal 3 and 5 have CTs in the continuing travel queues. And were well practiced at hand-check (but not fast...opened each film can to swab, and despite an entire family ahead of me that retained belts, wallets, watches and who-knows-what-else to be discovered by the metal and mm-wave detectors, I had to wait) (another factor in favor of 120).
Vienna had old machines, as did O'Hare terminal 3 pre-check.
 

abruzzi

Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2018
Messages
3,124
Location
New Mexico, USA
Format
Large Format
Dr. no said:
Vienna had old machines, as did O'Hare terminal 3 pre-check.
Click to expand...

I just flew out of Vienna yesterday (Terminal 3 I believe). They were happy to hand inspect my Delta 3200, but not my slower film. Most of the machines were simple x-ray machines, but they have several CT machines and were using them in test mode. They’d take a small group in the line and divert them to CT machine. They asked me, but I declined, and they were fine with that (I don’t know if they would have hand checked everything in the CT line so I didn’t want to chance killing 35 rolls I took over my vacation.)

I’ll also add that Budapest was a bit weird—signs saying you don’t need to remove laptops and touting new equipment, but the machines were old x-ray and they happily hand checked my Delta 3200.
 

Ardpatrick

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 7, 2023
Messages
143
Location
Ireland
Format
Med. Format RF
I traveled through Frankfurt on May 1 with boxed unexposed 120 film. I asked for a hand inspection and got one with only minimal discussion. However when the film was swabbed at least one box triggered the swab test for ? Explosives ?

Needless to say the heavily armed guard stepped in and took control of the situation. He had no idea really about film and wanted to see a proof of purchase for the material etc which I didn’t have of course (i don’t live there - I’d been working in Germany for a couple of days). I had to pull out the camera, open the unloaded back, unwrap a box of film and describe how it all worked.

I guess there are false positives because my explanation sufficed and I was allowed proceed. I have no idea what could have caused the false positive on the hand inspection.
 

abruzzi

Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2018
Messages
3,124
Location
New Mexico, USA
Format
Large Format
Interesting. Lets hope no manufacturers go back to using a nitrate base. Then the film could be an explosive...or close to it.
 

BrianShaw

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2005
Messages
16,775
Location
La-la-land
Format
Multi Format

Many years ago I had similar happen in Los Angeles. And it just so happened that at the time I was working in an industry that included explosives and my camera gear was in the vacinity of those materials. The security listened to my story and the countermeasure was to remove every item out of my camera bag and test each one. While re-checking, a supervisor took my ticket and ID and "ran a few checks". All passed so I was given my documents and allowed to proceed along my merry way. The security guy indicated that false positives happen and that was one of them. All-in-all, it was just another 15 minutes of time spent processing through. Not really a big deal but it was surprising as nothing like that had ever happened before. There seemed little concen for why it happened so long as their extended check passed.
 

Ardpatrick

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 7, 2023
Messages
143
Location
Ireland
Format
Med. Format RF
Travelled through Logan airport last week - with a lot of gear in carry-on luggage. No problems with hand inspection of the film but my gear bag needed to be opened. Turns out the point of interest was two Rollfilm backs (I moved to these from sheet film precisely because of airport travel). The first one found was empty and the guy just registered what it is without opening. The second one appeared from the bag 30 seconds later, and confidence buoyed by his new found familiarity with Rollfilm backs, he pulled the darksilde out. This of course was the loaded back!

It’s my own fault. I figured out a while ago that cameras cannot be transported loaded with film for airport security.

Of course this would not be a concern had I stuck with sheet film!
 

loccdor

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 12, 2024
Messages
1,925
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format
Reporting from July: Athens airport still does not have CT scanners. They did give my camera bag a thorough hand check and explosives test at my gate, after a 5 minute verbal interview. Not sure what any of that was about. There was a big argument in Greek with 5 or 6 of their security staff which would have been somewhat entertaining to watch had I not been the focus of it.

I also found that the Delta terminal of JFK in New York (#4) still has traditional X-rays. Jet Blue terminal (#5) has had CT for years. Hand checks have been taking 20 to 30 minutes, they usually forget about me a few times.
 

tykos

Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2020
Messages
139
Location
italy
Format
4x5 Format

Been in Frankfurt recently for a layover from out of Schengen, so new checks were needed. They grunted when i asked for a manual check, passed the film through a standard x-ray machine they had after the new ct scans, left me waiting alone while in a big hurry, tried the bomb thingie, left without saying they were done with my rolls all scattered on their side of the (quite big) table. All while speaking in german even though i made clear i was not understanding a word (even knowing german wouldn't have been useful, since they were whispering as quietly as they could just to annoy me).
So, frankfurt was a pretty shitty experience for me, at least they didn't ignore my request.

Bologna, Munich, Edinburgh were all very responsive and friendly, just a standard manual check, sometimes a bomb swab.
 

grain elevator

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2020
Messages
1,324
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
I recently travelled through Frankfurt airport as well. Terminal 1, clearly a CT machine. They did begrudgingly but quickly hand check. I do speak German, maybe that made it easier. The harmonica in my backpack was a problem however. I suppose it looks like a pistol magazine or something on the x-ray. As I suspect that things like that lead to luggage being zapped multiple times or even with increased intensity, I usually ask for Hand-Checks even with conventional x-ray machines and really should remember to put the film and cameras all on extra trays if none is granted.
In Barcelona there was an old machine. I asked for a hand check anyway and was told that the old machines were film safe and the new ones were the problem. At least they had an idea what this was about. I didn't insist, through it went. I hope it will be ok.
 
Last edited:

grain elevator

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2020
Messages
1,324
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format

I had a false positive with Instax film a while back and they told me something to the effect of "this always happens".
 

Ardpatrick

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 7, 2023
Messages
143
Location
Ireland
Format
Med. Format RF

I regularly use Frankfurt although don’t often have a camera with me. To be fair, most of the time it’s okay. But I’ve had my worst ever airport security experience at Frankfurt - a situation where a stressed security guy genuinely tried to make me miss a flight by insisting on a special security check on a sealed “Frankfurt Duty Free” bottle of vodka, all carried out with extreme levels of detail and pedantry and a smirk to remind me who was boss. It’s never otherwise happened to me in hundreds of flights, and I never forget the experience whenever I’m traveling through there.
 
Last edited:

loccdor

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 12, 2024
Messages
1,925
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format

I ran into a very smug officer in Frankfurt as well, a couple years back, who detained me for 10 minutes. I wonder if it was the same guy.
 

Steve Goldstein

Subscriber
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Messages
1,785
Location
Northeastern US
Format
Multi Format
Just passed through Boston’s (Massachusetts, USA) Logan Airport. All scanners in Terminal E (international) are CT. No problem with hand check though it was rather slow as the agent swabbed each roll of 120 individually.
 

destroya

Subscriber
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
1,221
Location
Willamette Valley, OR
Format
Multi Format
I am thinking of a trip in nov to london and munich. I have heard so many horror stories about london that I tempted to not bring film with me. does anyone know if, when you land and after custom, do they scan your stuff? I know in mexico they scan you after you pick up your checked bags when you land. if I do go, i am planning on taking the train to paris so i can avoid frlying out of LHR. also, any idea if the chunnel train scans film?

sounds like munic will be ok, Im just worried about LHR and the bad things I have heard.

john
 

Fatih Ayoglu

Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2021
Messages
465
Location
Birmingham, UK
Format
Analog
LHR is good now. T3 and T5 have CT scanners and they do not scan film! Also unless customs pick you for a random check, your luggage is not scanned and even then, you can request hand inspection as the primary goal of custom inspection is narcotics and contraband.
I do not know Munich but most of the Europe is transitioning to CT scanners due to a mandate. FRA was CT when I was there couple of weeks ago so I expect Munich is the same.
 

wiltw

Subscriber
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Messages
6,566
Location
SF Bay area
Format
Multi Format
Fatih Ayoglu said:
I do not know Munich but most of the Europe is transitioning to CT scanners due to a mandate. FRA was CT when I was there couple of weeks ago so I expect Munich is the same.
Click to expand...

In sipite of any 'mandate', the adoption of CT can be slowed very significantly by the ability to AFFORD to install one of these new systems at EVERY inspection point in each airport. In the USA, the CT scanners at gate security were announce by the TSA back in 2021.

"The award, which is one element in the larger effort to improve security screening, establishes a contract for the purchase of more than 300 mid-sized units. TSA anticipates these units will begin deployment to airport checkpoints in early 2022." https://www.futuretravelexperience....canners-for-u-s-airport-security-checkpoints/​
​
...and still one can easily find checkpoints even at major hub airports, which do not have the CT scanners at every gate security checkpoint. At my trip to Portugal from SFO, I encountered CT at gate security only upon my return journey, in Lisbon -- not outbound. Over my journeys over the past several years, in which I have wanted to deliberately expose film to CT at gate security, during travels both domestic and international, Lisbon was my first confirmed encounter at gate security...three months ago.
 

Fatih Ayoglu

Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2021
Messages
465
Location
Birmingham, UK
Format
Analog

Yes you are right, affordability and availability. However because Munich is a hub for Lufthansa as well as Frankfurt, I expect them to update their scanners soon, if not have already done so.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…