travel by plane with film

jaimeb82 · Aug 11, 2009

I am taking a trip to Spain and would like to take one of my analog cameras. Haven't done that before. Do I bring film with me? Will unexposed film be damage by metal detector machine? Will exposed film be damaged in my way back tothe US be damaged by metal detector machine? Are there any guide rules for when traveling with film?

Thanks

Ian Grant · Aug 11, 2009

There are a lot of threads here on APUG about this subject.

Nearly all airport carry on scanners are film safe, the only old style scanners I've seen were in US airports, and I'm a frequent flyer. All films up to and including 400ISO are totally safe for many passes. The most modern scaners aeven 3200 ISO films.

Don't put in your baggage that will go in the planes hold, you must carry it on with hand luggage. Virtually all my film travels with me from the UK to Turkey, and gets scanned a few times & I never have problems.

Ian

removed account4 · Aug 11, 2009

hi jamie

i haven't travelled with film in about a year ...
but in the past i have lugged asa 25 - 800 speed film
with me in my carry on to france via heathrow + zurich / basel ...
scanned between boston and the end of the line maybe 6 or 8 times each way ..
and i didn't have any problems.
it has been suggested that anything asa400 and below will not be effected ...

i guess they say "your actual mileage may vary " ( YMMV )

john

ps. have a nice trip!

keithwms · Aug 11, 2009

If you can buy the film locally then do that. Another thing to do is ship the film to your destination... IFF you can verify that it won't be put through a high intensity xray scan.

When taking the film on the plane, take it on your carry-on baggage. Put it in a plastic bag and ask for it to be hand checked. Do not under any circumstances put the film in your checked baggage.

There are many threads on whether the film is damaged by this or that scanning system. Bear in mind that many systems are now variable in power and we just can't predict what will get how much dose. Having said that, I am always curious and do put things through the handbag scanners from time to time, and I have never had any film slower than 400 fogged by any machine in the U.S..... but if you go through a lot of checks then the individual scans might add up to trouble. So my thought is "better safe than sorry" and I get hand checks on almost everything. If they balk and say the film is too slow to worry then say that you are going to push it to 1600 or whatever. Or just let the <400 stuff go through the normal handbag scanner and you'll probably have no issues at all. It probably gets similar dose in a transatlantic flight at high altitude in the airplane anyway.

IR film (and perhaps also extended pan) probably cannot go through any scanner.

Again, there are lots of threads on this... just do a search.

Travis Nunn · Aug 11, 2009

keithwms said:
... IR film (and perhaps also extended pan) probably cannot go through any scanner.

Again, there are lots of threads on this... just do a search.

I've had IR film go several passes through the scanners, never a problem.

gr82bart · Aug 11, 2009

I travel almost every week and always carry film with me. Throw it in with the carry on stuff and toss it through the scanner. It will be fine. Don't worry about it. Whatever type of film it is, even the IR film which went on 3 trips to LA with me since I forgot about it in my camera backpack. Also don't bother asking for a hand check. Waste of your, the TSA's and everyone behind you in line's time. Oh and forget about the x-ray bags they sell.

Do NOT put in with checked baggage though.

If you're really worried and don't believe me or others (it's OK), do a Google search for local camera stores/labs and buy/process the film in Spain.

Regards, Art.

keithwms · Aug 11, 2009

You are brave Travis!

But whether it is okay or not will depend on the choice of filter. I shoot just about all my IR stuff with a #87, which is quite deep for the films currently on the market, and requires very big exposure comps (12-14 stops typically). As such, I am using the most foggable part of the sensitivity curve and thus exercise an abundance of caution!

Note also that there are many, many different kinds of xray machines in use now.

WolfTales · Aug 11, 2009

Best bet is bring the film with you in the cabin so you can have it hand checked.

Basically just ask the security guard to inspect it visually and then they walk it around the x-ray machine, bypassing any risk to the film.

Some countries are cool with this, others are not, so call the airport in advance to see if they hand check film.

If not, an x-ray bag can be good protection. It'll help protect more sensitive films (800 speed and higher). Some countries have such high security though that they blast everything on high. I spoke to one gentleman that lost about 60 rolls of tri-x in an x-ray bag. Everything was fogged.

Denis K · Aug 11, 2009

A similar concern is what happens to film ordered online and shipped through UPS.

If you don't have an x-ray bag and are forced to put your film through a scanner, it might be a good idea to position the film containers so they are positioned horizontally relative to the nominally vertical x-ray emissions. This should help prevent the plastic reel holes from admitting x-rays into the film spools.

Denis

Dali · Aug 11, 2009

I would play it safe and ask for a manual check.

Why? Because even if inspection machines are said to be harmless for regular films, you never know how long your bag will be exposed to X-rays and don't forget that at least in US airports, manual inspection is a right, not a privilege. I won't fight is case of refusal (it happened once to me in Phoenix AZ) but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Take care.

Travis Nunn · Aug 11, 2009

keithwms said:
You are brave Travis!...

Nah...just haven't had any bad experiences with film and airplanes ever. 95% of the film I use is 100 speed or lower.

My girlfriend is different, however.... she cannot seem to get it through her head that film and checked luggage don't mix.

peri24 · Aug 11, 2009

hi,
i'm from spain, and if you plan to buy film here, DON'T think about it.
It's expensive and apart from Madrid and Barcelona you will not find anything, even in those cities you will have problems to get some films (120 film and 4x5 is quite hard to get). Don't know when you will come here, but bear in mind that in august everything is closed for holidays here, at least shops that sell professional stuff in Barcelona. In other hand we have some very good labs, expensive but reliable people, again in august are all closed for holidays. If you need directions, on film shops, labs, anything send me a p.m.
I usually travel with my film in my hand luggage, and never never got any problems with fogged film and xray machines in the airports (and i shot quite a few 1600 asa stuff), just remember you that border police in spain can be really nice or a pita. But if you are nice, have a smile in your face and ask for personal inspection you can get lucky, last time i did that and one policeman ask me directly which iso were my films, i said up to 1600, then one reply me not to worry, Barcelona x-rays aiport machines are fine up to 3200, yes he knew what he was talking about.
have a nice time here!!

jaimeb82 · Aug 11, 2009

I was thinking about some 400tmax and some other 100 iso for color. I could buy in Barcelona but the euro is kind of strong right now, so I decided to save some pennies buy buying in the States. I get the feeling that film will be ok, I will try to bypass the scanner with a hand check inspection as you pointed out, screw the line! I am sure they can inspect my film while they make me take my shoes, socks, belt?, pants? off.

thanks for the quick replies.

PhotoJim · Aug 11, 2009

I've had no issues with fogging (I always carry my film in my carry-on bags). However, to minimize exposure I ship exposed film home, or have it processed at the destination. We tend to buy things when we travel anyway, so there is almost always something to ship home or else we risk having our baggage be overweight. Besides, it's kind of fun getting mail from yourself.

We mailed ourselves a parcel from the post office in Chinatown in lower Manhattan, New York City and the postal clerk told me his brother lived in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, just 70 km away. Small world.

bdial · Aug 11, 2009

Some people put 120 in their pocket and walk through the metal detector, it won't harm the film, but it doesn't seem worth the hassle if they notice the bulge in your pocket and decide to investigate. For 35, I wouldn't try it.

As for the scanners, I tried the "put your film in a clear baggie and ask for a hand check" thing in France many years ago. The guy at the scanner wasn't even remotely impressed and motioned for me to put it on the belt. So much for that.

The last time I asked for a hand check in the U.S. was coming out of LA a couple of years ago with a batch of film I had just purchased at Freestyle. There was no line, and they did it no questions asked, though it took a while. If there is a line, I never ask, it just goes on the belt in the camera bag, it's a lot easier, and traveling is enough hassle as it is, without adding more worries. 99% of the time I don't bother with asking for a hand check and I only consider it if the film has been x-rayed a few times. Mileage does vary for some people, but most people commenting in these threads have had no problems with the scanners anywhere.

The one time I tried one of the lead bags was many years ago. I put the bag with the film in the camera bag and sent it through the hand-carry scanner. Then the operator stopped the belt and spent quite a long time studying the screen. They never asked to search the bag, and the film was ok. But generally the bag just sails through. Duration of the exposure counts too, so much for that.

Robert Hall · Aug 11, 2009

Just to chime in..

Been to Spain, Paris, India, China, Hong Kong, Maccau, all with sheet film, roll film, 400 speed and not a mark on any of it. Some of the film has been with me in all the places. Developed and printed. No fogging, great prints. See my portfolio here on apug if you can find it. lol, That is the film that went through several scanners.

As long as it's carry on, you're fine.

Ian Grant · Aug 11, 2009

I did make a mistake last year and a pack of J&C 5x4 film went in the hold luggage, at the check in desk they wouldn't allow my backpack (my old luggage) as carry on, and I forgot there was a pack of film. I assumed the worst but was tseting some old APX100 in April so tried a sheet and there was no problem.

But it's not worth the risk, at the airport in question all baggage was scanned before check in & I doubt the hold baggage was scanned again in this instance, although carry on was.

Ian.

samcomet · Aug 11, 2009

my 2 cents

Mate for what it is worth I always hand carry the film in a barium bag but ask for a hand check anyway...I shoot iso 400 & 3200 B & W. I've never had to a request refused but just in case I have the barium lined bag (B & H Photo NYC) handy. Invariably the security will scan the empty bag. I took a peek at the result and saw only a black shape (not transparent) on the monitor and figured that the bag in fact does work if it comes to having to use it. I've taken film thru USA, France, Spain, Turkey (rural), Greece, Malaysia, Bahrain, and Australian airport scanners. No probs always happy to hand check when pointed out the big "3200" numbers on the canisters. I do however try to at least process my film before going thru airports, but sometimes it's just not possible. I was refused a hand check at the Institute of Islamic Studies Museum in Paris but put my 3200 thru in the barium bag - again no fogging issues there either. I did once forget and put some unexposed Fuji color neg 1600 thru an airport scanner, but no fog there either after the shot & processing. Hope this helps. cheers, sam

Kevin Caulfield · Aug 11, 2009

Here in Melbourne, Australia, when you arrive at the international terminal and AFTER you clear immigration and customs, they actually put all your baggage through one of the big checked baggage scanners, so be aware of that possibility. I haven't had a refusal for a request of a manual check, but when you're tired after flying and not being careful, this would be a disaster for your film. I assume other capital cities in Australia have a similar set-up. Anybody else???

BradS · Aug 11, 2009

keithwms said:
...Put it in a plastic bag and ask for it to be hand checked.

...but, DO NOT do this in Madrid! They are not even friendly about it. Just put it through the machine with your carry on bags and keep your mouth shut! Similar advice applies in London.

Also, the xray machine at one of the art museums in Madrid (I forget which one - may have been the Prado or the Reina Sophia?) will absolutely fry your film. Just don't bring your film into Art Museums...there's nothing to photograph there anyway. The carry on xray machines in the airports that I've been to have all been safe for film - traveled a lot never had a problem.

ozphoto · Aug 11, 2009

Kevin, that one's for customs to detect illegal items coming in. I've asked for film there to be hand inspected and they don't have a problem. The scanner indicates various items by colour - fruit, meat, jams , milk products etc.

I've asked for film to be hand checked at various airports, but have also got tired (after 7 or 8 flights in one go it does get boring), and have just let it go through. Even my respooled 620 has been fine when I got back and processed. I have found that if you mention "Could you hand check please. This film has been rated at 6400 ASA.?" 9/10 it will be hand inspected. In Asian countries, hand inspections have been easy - they just do an explosives test on it. Couldn't be simpler. Wish all airports were so obliging.

Like others have said - long lines mean delays, so if you're going to ask for it to be hand checked, I'd arrive and check in earlier than the usual time - just in case!

removed account4 · Aug 11, 2009

i asked for hand check in boston, london basel and zurich
and they said " what iso is your film ... don't worry about it"
and they didn't bother with the hand check ( even though i asked for it )
and at first i was kind of peeved, but then realized these guys deal with
this all day, every day ... and i went along with them ...
they did ask me to open a bag with a camera in it, so they could see what
the heck it was. it showed up as a bunch of metal bits ...
when i opened the graflex slr, they all smiled ...

have a nice trip!

Colin Corneau · Aug 11, 2009

I've made 4 trips now to China. I've always carried my film and bodies on board with me. So...what Ian Grant says.

I'm in China right now and the process is pretty smooth, even in more remote areas.

If you wanted to be extra careful, then ask for hand inspection but at least make it easy for them. I recommend getting clear ziplock plastic bags, putting your film in clear containers (or no containers) and storing them in the bags...hand inspection is then a snap for the airport employees.

The easier you make it for them, the better your odds of getting what you want.

That said, I've had no problems with multiple passes...I use chromes, B&W print film up to 400 ASA but mostly 100 or lower.

thefizz · Aug 12, 2009

So has anyone actually had their film fogged by these x-ray machines? This question keeps coming up and everyone chimes in with "don't do this" and "you should do that" but I have yet to hear from someone who actually had their film fogged.

I traveled to Jordan last year and even some hotels had x-ray machines at the entrances, so I lost count of how many times my films were scanned between airports and hotels. I would guess at least a dozen times in total and I also had IR film with me. They all turned out fine.

Kevin Caulfield · Aug 12, 2009

thefizz said:
So has anyone actually had their film fogged by these x-ray machines? This question keeps coming up and everyone chimes in with "don't do this" and "you should do that" but I have yet to hear from someone who actually had their film fogged.

Yes, this comes up often on APUG and I've read accounts of APUG members with fogged films. There is some kind of characteristic pattern which I cannot recall at the moment.

travel by plane with film

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