Traveling in Europe with film?

nsurit · Apr 12, 2017

I will be traveling to Barcelona for a cruise. Leaving the USA with my Voigtlander Bessa RF and a reasonable supply of HP 5 film and would like to get it thru customs with the minimum amount of x-rays. I've unpackaged it and have it in a clear bag for hand inspection in the USA, which I think still works. The question I have is will that do me any good boarding the ship in Barcelona or getting on flights in Bergen, Norway and Copenhagen, Denmark?

Prest_400 · Apr 12, 2017

Hi! Great to hear you are coming to Barcelona (rather local here) and hope you have some time in the city, aside of the cruise.

As of carrying film, I can't give much advice as I haven't yet travelled with a large stash and often just let it pass theough the scanner. Should be rather safe. I did take a cruise ferry last year in the Baltic but no Xraying at all. Dec 2015 at JFK saw signs about film safety (up to 800) and handchecks!

There is a cheap and good source for film in Spaim but that would just bypass 2 airport Xrays.
Feel free to ask/PM anything about the Barcelona leg.

hsandler · Apr 12, 2017

I boarded a cruise ship in Barcelona last year. I didn't shoot film, but I think I recall just the normal x ray scanner for hand luggage, like at an airport. Bear in mind the ship will have its own x ray each time you get back on board from a shore excursion, so make friends with the crew member who does the x raying and request a hand check each time. If they insist on x raying a closed camera with film in it you might wish to shoot entire rolls and finish them during each excursion so they dont have to be x rayed. Barcelona is very photogenic!

Sirius Glass · Apr 12, 2017

There is no reason to unpackage the film, but put the film in carry on not in the luggage.

TheFlyingCamera · Apr 12, 2017

Having traveled repeatedly to Europe (and places with much sketchier X-ray equipment, like Cambodia) with film, you'll be fine. Films OVER ASA 800 will need hand-inspected. Films under 800 do not. HP5 is UNDER 800, so you have nothing to worry about. I've taken Kodak Portra 800 with me to France, and a year later, the same Portra 800 that remained unused went with me to Italy. It came through both just fine, with no adverse effect on the images.

You'll have a wonderful time in Barcelona - make sure to stop by and visit the ARPI museum of cameras on La Rambla (if it's still open - Google Maps has it marked, but the ARPI store is marked as closed), and if you need film, check out Casanova Foto, Ronda de la Universitat (it's a block off Placa de Catalunya).

quixotic · Apr 12, 2017

On my last trip (Cuba), I took mostly ASA 100, but also a couple rolls of 3200, the latter not to take photos with, but to try and cajole security into doing hand inspections. It worked.

nsurit · Apr 12, 2017

Thanks to all who have responded. I'll have 3 1/2 days in Barcelona and plan to take the bus overview tour the first days, go to bed early and spend the next 2 1/2 days taking in as much Gaudi as possible and a few tapas (or maybe more than a few.) Barcelona has been on my bucket list for a number of years. I'm excited to get to spend more than a few hours there. Bill Barber

ac12 · Apr 12, 2017

WARNING, TSA is unpredictable.
At SFO I had a TSA agent open the factory sealed box and tear open the foil bag inside and pull out the roll of 120 film. Then I saw her, and shouted at her. Who knows, she might have unrolled the film to verify it was film. sheeesh.
It was a good thing I wasn't carrying 4x5 sheet film.

That was the last straw, and I switched to digital when I travel.

nsurit · Apr 12, 2017

Yes, I had one want to open a box of 4X5. I let them scan it. Ugh!

fdonadio · Apr 12, 2017

ac12 said:
I had a TSA agent open the factory sealed box (...) then I saw her, and shouted at her.

I thought shouting at a TSA agent would end in something like 10 SWAT guys jumping on you in a split second!

Dude, you got some serious balls!

Sirius Glass · Apr 13, 2017

No I have shouted at TSA agents when one got rough handling a lens. I told her that the lens cost more than one month of her salary. She quieted down real quickly and handed the lens to me. All of them then became the politest bunch of bastards you ever met.

fdonadio · Apr 13, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
No I have shouted at TSA agents when one got rough handling a lens. I told her that the lens cost more than one month of her salary. She quieted down real quickly and handed the lens to me. All of them then became the politest bunch of bastards you ever met.

Okay, okay... Sirius, you too got some Sirius balls!

ac12 · Apr 13, 2017

fdonadio said:
I thought shouting at a TSA agent would end in something like 10 SWAT guys jumping on you in a split second!

Dude, you got some serious balls!

No, it was simply reacting without thinking.
I just shouted "STOP !!!"
Then I proceded to ask her calmly WHY she was opening a factory sealed box and foil pack.
She then said that boxes and packs could be resealed, so they had to check inside.
grrrrrr At that point I decided to not say anything else.

fdonadio · Apr 13, 2017

I was just joking, but I sure can imagine a zarvox sounding and some guys dressed in black with SMG's coming out of the blue!

jeffreyg · Apr 13, 2017

Hand check in the US and Barcelona was no problem but give yourself enough time. In the US they usually take my unwrapped 120 film over to the "sniffer" machine and check my hands when I ask for hand-checked film. Carry on x-ray of film has never presented a problem. You can always tell them you used the 400 speed film at 800 or 1200.

Use the hop-on hop-off bus to get around in Barcelona. We had good tapas at Taller de Tapas ,,, several locations. The one we went to was near our hotel the Roomate Pau which had a very good location, very good breakfast and unique rooms.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

removed account4 · Apr 13, 2017

hi bill
the scanners won't bother your film but X-ray at the airport will often times ...
outside of the usa you might have trouble having things hand inspected, i have
( canada, england, france, switzerland, germany ) had spotty success with hand inspect.
usa/tsa will though. the person who inspected mine last time was 20-30 something and
had no idea what 35mm film was. he looked confused until i offered to load the camera with it
he declined my offer.

have a nice trip!
john

noeru · Apr 13, 2017

On a recent trip, every time I asked for hand inspection I got it and staff were very nice. They only accepted asa 3200 though. I'm pretty sure asa 400 should be totally fine scanned several times.

blockend · Apr 13, 2017

Travelling out of the UK a couple of years ago I asked for hand inspection. The guy asked his supervisor. She said no way. I asked why not, she said the packet would have to say no X-Rays. I asked the guy to read out the advice on the Portra and Pro400H 120 boxes. He said, "do not X-Ray". This embarrassed him and annoyed her, so she passed the film but insisted on slowly checking everything else to get her own back. Like most places it depends how officious the operator is, and how film savvy they are.

BMbikerider · Apr 13, 2017

Instead of slagging off those who have to deal with recalcitrant passengers at airports, consider that they are doing a vital task on which your life and the lives of others may depend. Whilst it as a pain, we have to get used to it and they are only following guidance from those on whom the responsibility of security depends. I have never found any of the staff who carry out the checks to be any other than firm but polite so they deserve a similar response from travelling public. It costs absolutely nothing to be polite. Loose it with one of the border staff and you are on a slippery downhill slope.

Right getting back to the film. Can I suggest that 400iso film will be a little too fast for Barcelona. The light levels will be very high and you will be using F16 quite a bit together with high shutter speeds. You may find either under rating HP5 to 200 or even using FP4 instead.

trendland · Apr 13, 2017

Sorry-sorry-sorry but I don't trust the
oldschool rule "up to 800ISO"

I have made some experience in russia
with press photos in the late 80th.

And I would not like that massive x-rays
anymore in my films.

Have a look on the websides of manufactors of modernest r-ray equipment for airport security.

You will not belive it !

Buy your films in spain, make your devellopement in spain.

Perhaps you have also trouble with
x-ray because modal originally have it
by shipping to spain.

Be aware of the use of film in travel in 2017 !!!

trendland · Apr 13, 2017

Sorry smartphone will not do so as I want to do!

......you have also trouble with x-ray because KODAk originally have it by shipping to spain.

Thomas Bertilsson · Apr 13, 2017

I've traveled to Europe quite a bit, and with normal X-ray (two going there, and two coming back) in carry-on luggage (never put it in your checked bag).
Never had any problems even with ISO 400 film, but if you're worried bring FP4 or the like.

trendland · Apr 13, 2017

Thomas Bertilsson said:
I've traveled to Europe quite a bit, and with normal X-ray (two going there, and two coming back) in carry-on luggage (never put it in your checked bag).
Never had any problems even with ISO 400 film, but if you're worried bring FP4 or the like.

Shure you have had no trouble.
But it has more to do with personal luck.
And don't forget that most tourists today
don't care about with their digicams.

So homeland-security even don't care
with new rules to airport affaires.

Read above. ........

trendland · Apr 13, 2017

Prest_400 said:
Hi! Great to hear you are coming to Barcelona (rather local here) and hope you have some time in the city, aside of the cruise.

As of carrying film, I can't give much advice as I haven't yet travelled with a large stash and often just let it pass theough the scanner. Should be rather safe. I did take a cruise ferry last year in the Baltic but no Xraying at all. Dec 2015 at JFK saw signs about film safety (up to 800) and handchecks!

There is a cheap and good source for film in Spaim but that would just bypass 2 airport Xrays.
Feel free to ask/PM anything about the Barcelona leg.

JFK decided to mount new shields at the
end of this year : UP TO ISO80.
Belive me they are adviced to do so.

removed account4 · Apr 13, 2017

trendland said:
Shure you have had no trouble.
But it has more to do with personal luck.
And don't forget that most tourists today
don't care about with their digicams.

So homeland-security even don't care
with new rules to airport affaires.

Read above. ........

i've flown to europe a bunch since 2001, including
right after the london subway bombings where the
airport (heathrow) set up scanners like every 50 feet
iso 400. iso 800. never a problem. some film has been
scanned 15-16+ times. last time in mulhouse ( basel europort )
iso800 went through the scanner ( i attempted to have it hand checked they refused
and pointed to a sign on the scanner saying it would be fine, even high iso )and it was fine.
it isn't a matter of luck, unless it is in your luggage, and i have done that too ..
40 rolls of film 200-800 iso, and was fine.

i'm friends with someone who has worked tsa for IDK 15 years.
i haven't seen him in maybe 5 years, but still, even 5 years ago,
your comments would have been completely wrong.
maybe these things you are saying are personal opinions?

Traveling in Europe with film?

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