Recent travel

[KenR]

Has anyone traveled in the past few weeks, since the new carry on restrictions went into effect? I am traveling within the US in the next few weeks and want to know if my medium format film will be allowed on board. Would I be better of shipping it to my destination hotel?

 

[SteveH]

Ken,
Im sure you will be fine. I contacted the TSA supervisor at my local airport (PHL) and discussed this subject with him. He assured me that I will have no problems at all getting my 4x5 kit AND film hand inspected at the checkpoint. He did state however that if I had any lens cleaners, etc, that those must be placed in the checked baggage.
HOWEVER....I would still highly recomend that you mail film ahead of time if possible. After all, why risk it ?

 

[BradS]

I just returned from a week long trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin (from San Francisco). Other than the nausiating recorded messages over the PA system, (having ot do with the heightened state of alert and so on...) it was pretty much business as usual from the photographer's point of view. I was only carrying my 4x5 kit and had no issues. I asked for and received the usual hand inspection of three boxes of film. I carried my 4x5 kit in a lowepro backpack and a bunch of film holders and film in a soft sided brief case thingy. The TSA personnel were as polite and professional as ususal.

 

[MAGNAchrom]

I just got back from a week in Santa Fe/Taos. Here is what I brought on board:

In my Tenba backpack:
Dell Laptop, 10 hour battery, lots of cables, Gaoersi 4x5, 47mm-150mm Zoom Finder, 75mm Grandagon N + shift mount adapter, 47mm XL + mounting adapter, Polaroid pack film back. Horseman 6x9 back, Horseman 6x12 back, Schneider 8x loupe, Laser rangefinder.

In a "normal" carry-on bag w/ wheels:
Mamiya 7II + 50mm/finder + 80mm + 150mm + macro lens + LowePro should bag. 40 rolls of Kodak 400NC in lead pouch, BetterLight 4x5 insert + battery + hard drive/controller + cables + lots of bubble wrap

I had no problems whatsoever other than some quizzical looks from the TSA dudes at all the equipment.
For me the moral of the story is: look like a professional and they treat you like one.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I flew a week ago and had no problems with my 4x5" kit and film. I'm in an airport right now and am waiting to check in, so if it turns out to be a disaster, I'll post about it, but I don't predict any problems.

 

[Dave Parker]

Other than the new ban on carrying liquids, I don't see where the rules have changed, no liquids, I have never seen a liquid camera...I am sure you will be fine.


Dave

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Checking in from Phoenix--everything was okay in Honolulu. I shipped my Technika and 6 lenses to Marflex before I left, actually, for a CLA and some minor repairs, so I wasn't carrying as much as I was on other recent flights, but still carried on one lens and a number of odds and ends and 4 boxes of exposed film. No problems running it through the carry-on X-ray. They did a random explosive check on my laptop, but no further attention to the photo equipment or film.

People do seem to be carrying less stuff on the plane, so there's plenty of room in the overhead bins.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

Well it depends - I'm flying out of Heathrow next week and I'm stuck with a 16x35x45cm carry on. Its the 16cm that is worrysome (only 6.2 inches). What camera bag is that slender that can carry anything worthwhile? Even my Lowepro Nova 3 shoulder bag is thicker than that - but I have to risk it since its otherwise smaller than some ladies' purses...

It means I'm shooting 35mm Nikon instead of 120 Rolleiflex SLR on my trip and that is a real bummer.