To those who fly abroad with V-System Blads...

[RattyMouse]

I've had film x-rayed over 10 times....no issues at all. None.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I have never had a problem with the Hasselblad and film with TSA or their foreign equivalent in security lines. Put the camera in carry-on and keep the film in the box and foil; never in the checked luggage.

 

[mwdake]

I've never had airport security pay special attention except one time when I flew home with a 3x4 Speed Graphic I purchased while on vacation. Security asked me to step aside so they could investigate my backpack a little more. It wasn't the SG that interested them, it was the Honeywell Futuramic Strobanar that caught their eye. Not only does the flash have a big capacitor that shows up in the X-ray machine, but as the TSA lady said 'we wondered what it was because it is kind of gun shaped'.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Hi

A question to those of you who have travelled abroad with a V-System Hasselblad....

I am due to fly out to Italy from the UK in May. I have already read much about X-Ray'ing film, but eventually concluded that a) it was best to just take some Fuji Pro 400H which is below the ISO800 'danger range' and I have decided to just let it go through, having heard much do's and don't about whether to ask for it to be hand checked. Apparantly European airport machines are generally OK, and if it's 800 or lower, there's no notable issue. And yes, I have tried contacting the airports already about arranging for hand scans....nobody ever replies to me.

Anyway, my question is about the Hasselblad itself. I assume that if it is in my bag with the lenses, despite the fact that it is is metal, it will probably just go through without any major issues? Or will it set off a hundred alarm bells? I'm having worries that some guard is going to say "what's this?" and "you can't take that through" just because it's some weird metal thing that nobody has ever seen.

Do those of you who travel on planes with a Blad have any advice or tips on the subject? Is it fine to take it through as part of your hand luggage? Have you done so, and was it all OK, or did you have issues?

Thanks

That's how these poor folks from air traffic control get their camera equipment.At the end of the day,they all get together and take their pick from the day's takings.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

By way of an update to all those who contributed, I thought I'd share my experience for the benefit of others.

My trip to Italy was conducted this past weekend just. On the way out from the UK and back from Italy, I packed the film in my wife;s hand luggage and my Hasselblad and Nikon F5 in my own hand luggage. I didn't even try and ask for a hand check on the way out because the airport was heaving, we only just caught our flight as it was, and the airport staff didn't look happy with anyone! So I shudder to think what they would have thought if I'd had asked them to inspect 40 rolls of film! So it got X-Rayed on the way out, once. My hand luggage, that contained the Hasselblad did, as many predicted, get pulled over for hand inspection after the X-ray. But it was OK once they had rummaged through it.

On the way back, I did the same. So the bag with the film got X-rayed again, just the once. My hand luggage containing th Blad got X-rayed twice! And then pulled over for a hand check! Same thing applied...after a quick check he just said "Ok, Bye".

The lesson I learned from this was to put your film in one hand luggage and your equipment in another. Because its your kit that will cause the multiple X-raying by the looks of it! I'm hoping that the film will be OK as many of you have suggested, because the fastest film I had was ISO400 (Fuji Pro 400H), which apparently is generally OK (anything less than or equal to ISO800).

Anyway, so the film has been posted off today...I will wait eagerly for the results. As always, thanks to all those who gave me advice on the matter of foreign travel with Hasselblad gear!

Don't make a ducking motion when they ask you to cock the camera and trip the shutter;they don't think it's funny.

 

[Eric Rose]

That's how these poor folks from air traffic control get their camera equipment.At the end of the day,they all get together and take their pick from the day's takings.

Hate to say it Ralph but that's a bit of an ignorant comment to make without backup information and/or smiley faces. Theft during air travel is certainly a problem that's a fact but let's not tar and feather anyone without proof.

 

[phass]

It would be interesting to know how much an unwanted life the x-r ay screening will be able to kill in the deep corners of photo gears.
Cheers.

 

[goros]

Hi,

I have already explain my experience when travelling with film and a Hasselblad: never have had a single problem. But recently, a fellow friend from a Spanish Medium Format forum had some film damaged by X-rays at an airport. The camera was a Rolleiflex 3.5F. He didn't check in the film. The patterns he got once it was developed is clearly from x-ray machines. These rolls passed just through two x-ray machines, one in Madrid and the other one in Catania (Sicily).

The whole thread is here (of course, in Spanish):
http://www.formatomedio.eu/edicion-y-manipulacion/marcas-marcianas-en-negativos/

 

[Mark Tate]

Is there something particular about the Hassleblad V system that is causing problems ? or should this just be about any one who is traveling with any camera ?
I have never owned a hassleblad my self but I have traveled some what with other cameras.

As for film and xray well I am in Australia and the only way for me to buy film is to import it from the US or other places, I am sure it gets xrayed at least once in that time, there is a good chance that ALL film that comes into Australia will pass through an xray machine in some way and since no film is made here it is ALL imported.
Never had an xray damage my Bronica or Holga or my cardboard pin hole camera either.

 

[Ghostman]

I have travelled many times with my Hasselblad and pack everything from HP5, FP4 and more. I have never had X-Ray problems. I advise against a hand check, i've been held up and nearly missed my flights, despite being early. The protocol involved in a hand check these days in Europe means that officials have to be called and papers filled out. I've also had my RZ taken away and swabbed for explosives in Germany.

If you're really paranoid, buy film on the other side. If you're going to Rome go to Ars-Imago, buy your film there and you can even have it developed. The safest I guess, is travelling with negatives

Relax, carry your film, don't check it in (X-Ray machines for checked in luggage is much stronger).

I do also pack film in protective lead-lined bags unless I'm carrying 20+ rolls. I do this when I know I'm going through an inordinate number of x-ray machines.

 

[benjiboy]

If you pack it in lead lined bags they just make you remove it.

 

[Ghostman]

That has never happened to me.

 

[ted_smith]

Just to let everyone know, by way of an update, the results from the film development and scanning were fine!

No streaks or any notice of an x-ray going through the films. So all was good. Thanks guys...I guess we can close this now.

 

[xtolsniffer]

I recently got back from a trip to Washington from London via Iceland. I had a number of rolls of Delta 3200 in my hand luggage that got x-rayed at least four times and were absolutely fine when developed.

 

[ted_smith]

Delta 3200? Wow...that's good to hear. I thought anything over ISO800 was in the "at risk" category and D3200 is well above that. Good to know because I do like that film.

 

[xtolsniffer]

Yes, I was a bit surprised it was fine. I asked for hand searches and was politely but firmly refused. At one point it was inside the machine for a good thirty seconds as the bag in front had got stuck on the way out. You could see the x-rays were still on as you could see the bag moving backwards and forwards. There is no evidences of fogging or streaks at all.

 

[M Carter]

When I travel with gear, I always try to lean over and see what it all looks like on the x-ray screen. My last trip wasn't analog, I had a big Panasonic broadcast cam, a Nikon body and some big lenses. They always seem to recognize it all as photo gear though. Never been checked. I've been concerned in the past, I've had audio gear and cables and some DIY wired stuff that must have looked a little dicey in the x-ray - never stopped though.

I've got blonde-red hair and like zero pigment (unless you cont the freckles), maybe that helps. Lots of profiling goes on, I'm sure. Though I have a beard which is supposed to scream "drug smuggler"...

 

[Frank53]

Today I flew from Amsterdam to Edinburgh with a bag full of Hasselblad stuff. As always at Schiphol my bag was picked for an extra inspection. The girl took out the camera, lenses etc looked at it and put it back but you could see, she absolutely did not have the faintest clue what it was.
Regards,
Frank

 

[goros]

she absolutely did not have the faintest clue what it was.

Yes, that is happening more and more often to me as well.

 

[John51]

It would be interesting to know how much an unwanted life the x-r ay screening will be able to kill in the deep corners of photo gears.
Cheers.

Will X rays kill fungus?

If so, lenses with fungus could be packed in checked luggage.

 

[TareqPhoto]

About X-ray, so when i order films from online stores say from USA/UK/Canada store and they ship it to me in middle east, aren't those film going under any x-ray process then?