Traveling with IR820?

[olwick]

Hi,

I'm going to be traveling for a month to Africa starting Sunday and am taking along a few rolls of Efke IR 820.

Does anyone have any experience traveling with this film through xrays? The TSA site says anything over ISO 800 is risky, but was wondering about and first-hand experience.

It would be in my carry-on, not checked.

Thanks,

mark

 

[AgX]

The Efke IR820 would be rated ISO 100.

 

[olwick]

That's the shooting ISO, no? Not the sensitivity ISO?

 

[outwest]

I took some to Africa along with some Ilford. There were no problems with the carryon scanners. I had much better results with the Ilford. With the proper filter, the effective speed for the 820 was about 3. The Ilford was fine at 6.

 

[AgX]

That's the shooting ISO, no? Not the sensitivity ISO?

There is no ISO standard for IR-sensitve films. That ISO 100 is the one when exposed without filter to ISO standards.

 

[ntenny]

I've travelled with IR820 on a few occasions involving multiple carry-on scanners. Never had a problem.

X-rays are a good long way from IR on the spectrum---they're out beyond ultraviolet, on the other side of the visible range---so I don't think there's any special reason to be more concerned about IR film with them.

Thanks

-NT

 

[dr5chrome]

Absolutely do not put this film through x-ray! This film WILL fog. So too will SFX, ROLLEI superpan & RETRO80. We have seen these films terribly damaged recently.
Any IR or high-red sensitive film will fog, even with slight x-ray.

dw

 

[AgX]

Spectral sensitization does not affect X-ray sensitivity.

 

[dr5chrome]

..that is another argument, and one i would disagree with. Nonetheless, these films will fog terribly when encountered with x-ray machines.

dw

Spectral sensitization does not affect X-ray sensitivity.

 

[traveller]

I never had problems with the Efke IR820 and X-rays. But I always ask politely about sending the films separately through the scanner because usually the intensity is lower when there are no bags or notebooks in the scanner.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Documentation available for Efke IR820 (under "08_X-ray Baggage Check at Airports") states:

"X-ray machines at airports, when labelled »filmsafe« could not be shown to have any detrimental effect on films, even in the case of multiple exposures (up to 5 times). Fogging during manual checking is much more likely, as the film is taken out of the canister and exposed to light (see Clause 5). Problems must also be expected when films are transported in checked baggage: the intensity used to x-ray this piece of luggage will be increased automatically if it contains any object that is not easily penetrated by low-intensity x-rays (such as a.c. adaptors of electronic devices). The higher dose used in this case may not be film-safe any more. It is therefore recommended to transport films in your cabin baggage."


Customs commonly now opens film containers for manual inspection where this is specifically requested. In the case of IR film, sealing the canister or plastering it with warnings about exposure to light might only intensify the level of scrutiny.

 

[ntenny]

..that is another argument, and one i would disagree with. Nonetheless, these films will fog terribly when encountered with x-ray machines.

I'm not quite sure how to reconcile this with my experience and that of other posters. On the one hand, you certainly know more than I do about films and their behaviour; and on the other, well, there my film is, unfogged after multiple passes through airport scanners in multiple countries.

Any thoughts on why this would be an inconsistent effect in practice?

-NT

 

[olwick]

Just to follow up on this: I"m back from the month-long trip to Africa. More than two dozen flights and X-ray machines for the trip.

No fogging at all on the Efke IR 820. I didn't do any hand inspections, just had it in my carry-on. No lead bag or other protection.

Your mileage may vary of course, but I didn't have any problem.

Mark