Travel to China with film

[gfeucht]

How are things these days going to and around China? Is hand checking still easy to have done for both international as well as domestic (China) flights?

 

[guangong]

It’s difficult to give advice without knowing how you will be traveling (alone, tour group), can you read Chinese, will you be visiting tourist sites or go off the beaten path? As for myself, I took my Contax T3 and wife used Nikon digital SLR in Beijing. If traveling alone without camera associate (wife), I would keep things simple and travel light. Forty five years ago I visited North Korea and took three Leica Ms and a gaggle of lenses. Even though handlers meant all equipment was safe from theft it was way too much.

 

[CropDusterMan]

It's going to be a toss of the coin, just like here in the U.S. Depends who you deal with and what mood they are in.
Keep in mind, although China is open for tourism, it's still China.
Years ago (2003), I was returning to America from an assignment in Nepal and India through the middle east, with a
layover in Qatar, and they wanted to XRay our 35mm and 120 film. I was trying to explain to the guards that the film
could not be XRay'd and one of the guards then pointed a machine gun at me. We even had press credentials. Lol.
Fortunately, a supervisor intervened and allowed a hand check. I even have issues here in the states, and carry a letter
printed out from the TSA saying we have the right to have films hand-checked. The always quote..."if it's under 1600 ASA
it will be fine." For that reason I always have about 4 rolls of 3200 in the clear bag. The world is crazy these days.
Personally, I'd take your digital...as much as it pains me to say it...or at least as a backup.
J

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

If you have time, an old technique is to ship the film to your hotel and ask them to hold it for you. Then you would ship it back on the way out. That's probably fairly costly but I think it's unlikely that they xray all international parcels.

Generally films within the 100-800 speed range can be zapped by the screening (NOT CHECKED) scanners once or twice. Dealing with it does leave a bad taste in my mouth during something I already find stressful.

 

[AgX]

Generally films within the 100-800 speed range can be zapped by the screening (NOT CHECKED) scanners once or twice.

That may be a thing of te past with a new generation of scanner being installed for carry-on luggage.

We got a long thread on this already.
Maybe you have a look at this post out of that thread:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/new-airport-scanners.170709/page-5#post-2240260

 

[reddesert]

I went to China this past summer. I only took a few rolls of 35mm film, ISO 200 (and a digital camera as well). I put the film in my carry on bag, per normal. I didn't ask for any hand checks. I also didn't notice any of the new generation X-ray scanners, although this was before the long thread about it so I wasn't really looking for them. None of my film was fogged. One of the rolls probably went through scanners quite a few times, because in China you can expect to go through a security check at metro entrances and at the entrances to major tourist attractions, like large museums. (IIRC, the metro may have only had a bag X-ray, so you could probably walk through with a roll of film in your pocket, while the Shanghai Museum also had a walkthrough metal detector.) These security checks certainly do not have the new type of scanner.

In China things (technology) can change very quickly, so I couldn't promise you that they haven't installed new scanners at a major airport, for example. However, I think you would have to work pretty hard to get a gun pointed at you. I also don't think it's worth extreme measures to keep your film from ever going through an ordinary scanner, because with all of the possible security checks, it's bound to happen at least once.

 

[howardpan]

I travel to Beijing almost once a month. I always ask for a hand check and have always received one without any hassle.

 

[Steve Goldstein]

Like Howard, I had no trouble getting airport hand-checks during my trip last November, which included both domestic and international air travel. Some of the security people, all of whom were very young, didn't really seem to know what to do, but they made a good effort. Keep your film in an easy-to-reach clear zip-type bag and, if you can, make sure your camera is empty so they can X-ray it if they want.

As reddesert mentioned, there are screening machines in places besides airports. and I was always able to get hand-checks there as well (Guangzhou subway). It's less likely that subway security people speak English or any other western language, but if you just hand them the film and say "hand check please" it should work.

On my last trip I had a 100% success rate for hand check. But like the stock market, past performance does not guarantee future results. It's China, the government has absolute power, and rules can change overnight. Rules may not always seem logical to a westerner. But like in most of life, politeness will generally get you further than getting all huffed up about something.

 

[BSP]

I visited China last October/Novermber and airports were the least of my worries regards X-ray exposure of my film.
Every train station, bus station, museum or government building I wanted to enter had an X-ray machine operated by staff that spoke absolutely no English and the only option was to just comply and send my backpack with a few rolls of 135-36 HP5 through again.

After returnig home and developing the first 2 of my 16 rolls, I decided to develop the remainder a little longer (20%) to regain a bit of the lost contrast the first two seemed to suffer. All prints well now with maybe a little lost tonality which doesn't matter to me as it was mostly street stuff any way.

Have a safe trip!

 

[howardpan]

Like Howard, I had no trouble getting airport hand-checks during my trip last November, which included both domestic and international air travel. Some of the security people, all of whom were very young, didn't really seem to know what to do, but they made a good effort. Keep your film in an easy-to-reach clear zip-type bag and, if you can, make sure your camera is empty so they can X-ray it if they want.

As reddesert mentioned, there are screening machines in places besides airports. and I was always able to get hand-checks there as well (Guangzhou subway). It's less likely that subway security people speak English or any other western language, but if you just hand them the film and say "hand check please" it should work.

On my last trip I had a 100% success rate for hand check. But like the stock market, past performance does not guarantee future results. It's China, the government has absolute power, and rules can change overnight. Rules may not always seem logical to a westerner. But like in most of life, politeness will generally get you further than getting all huffed up about something.

For the subways, they only need to scan the handbags. This means you can walk through the metal detector with the camera in your hand without any problem. You can keep the film in your coat pocket as they do not require you to remove your jacket.

 

[Kilgallb]

In HKG and Shanghai, as you leave customs after collecting your baggage you have a 50-50 chance you will need to put all your bags, checked and carry on through a scanner. Have your film ready for a hand check.

I have put my camera and film through the scanner in the Shanghai subway with no issue.

 

[Prest_400]

Hello! Refloating the thread as it already exists and I am considering different routing through China-HKG for a trip to Philippines with further island hopping there.

My final destination is not China, but it would be a layover opportunity and plan to have 3-5 days upon return in Hong Kong. Will be taking medium format film. BW, C41 and E6! The city is specially interesting because it does seem to have a lively film community and I can have the color film processed. (Camerafilmphoto lab seems good).

At the moment I am considering a route EU > HKG > Philippines or EU > Beijing > HKG > Philippines.
The routing through Beijing allows for a quick layover daytrip in both legs with possibility to take a very quick visit to the great wall or at least the city. Seemingly this route is apparently not heavy on CT Scanners but I know that mainland china has X ray checkpoints everywhere, and with 60 rolls being carried, it can be quite cumulative. I do have a lead bag, which might not fit all the film. The former (Finnair) I think is quite direct and even the EU - HK connection outbound doesn't have transfer security.

Staying those 3-5 days in Hong Kong on return anyways also gives me the possibility for some trips around Guangdong province, so it still relevant. However, if these are daytrips I can leave most of the (exposed) film in the hotel. Also, recommendations for such destinations close to HK are welcome! Thanks!

 

[Kilgallb]

I have travelled to HKG several times since last May. I had no problems getting hand inspection of 35mm film when you go through security on departure from Hong Kong.

Beware that when you leave customs at HKG when you arrive, all luggage and carry on must be put through a scanner of some sort. My Ektar100 was unaffected, but the next time I pulled the film out of my carry on and they cheerfully hand inspected. However, you might be so tired you may forget, which I did on my third visit. Still no issue going through. It might be a good idea to pack film in a X-Ray bag. I am not sure if the scanner is X-Ray or some other sort of sensor.

 

[Kilgallb]

Oh yeah, downtown Shenzhen will blow your mind, especially at night.