That’s wonderful. Has any of it gone through a CT scanner?
USA Air Travel With Film...What is your recent (early 2022 ->) experience?
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I have fortunately never had to travel where a CT scanner was in use.
I traveled a few times last year and so far one trip this year (last week)- mostly domestic, one trip last year to Central America. I have taken several trips over the last 4 years, mostly domestic (with film). I have never been turned down for a hand check on film and in some cases (where I had film left in the camera) on a camera, even when they were busy and grumbled about it. In one case I needed a camera checked and it flagged, and I had to rewind the film and let them send the camera through x-ray. A couple instances I inadvertently let film get x-rayed without apparent problems. The only exception to all this was Canada (Montreal) who would not hand check a camera, but did hand check the film. In the US an hand check means swabbing and checking for chemical traces (maybe Mass Spectrometer).
Preliminary internet search shows no carryon baggage CT scanner in the airports through which I will travel. Though airport's internet sites might be incomplete or out of date.
So I do still need a backup plan in case I see that I am headed toward a scanner.
I also need to know what they might look like. I saw some pictures that don't resemble a conventional CT scanner at all. It was square, not round; looked like a convevtional 2D x-ray baggage machine, but bigger.
So I do still need a backup plan in case I see that I am headed toward a scanner.
I also need to know what they might look like. I saw some pictures that don't resemble a conventional CT scanner at all. It was square, not round; looked like a convevtional 2D x-ray baggage machine, but bigger.
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https://www.google.com/search?lr=&a...Y1EDtwQjJkEegQICxAC&biw=1536&bih=760&dpr=1.25
One looks sleek and modern, two are quite boxy, in these photos
I ask for a hand check regardless of what the scanner looks like.
I will be taking internal US flights likely in April, having started out from London....so following this.
I'd add to those who say do not try and "smuggle" anything in your pockets. If you go through one of the body scanners they will find anything. When London luton Airport was trialling them around a decade or so I volunteered and they found a used handkerchief that I'd just not felt when I was emptying my pockets of my wallet and change.
Within the USA it seems the best course of action, if you think there may be CT scanners present, is to request your film is inspected by hand. Unusually, in the USA you have the right to make that request. Most other countries haven't stipulated that passengers have this right, though last year the British Department for Transport did advise all UK airports to action requests by those carrying photographic film to have it hand inspected. So we have a "win" there too.
I'd now advise against loading cameras with film before boarding, as I've had a situation where security want to inspect a camera and need to open the back. They've always been really nice about it, but it can happen. given you may well not know what kind of X-ray machine will be in use, it's probably best to have your films in a plastic bag ready to take out of your cabin bag for hand inspection. Lower speed film is less likely to be damaged. The older regular X-ray machines were certified safe to 800 ISO films but I used to regularly take Delta 3200 and even push it two stops without any problems.
Remember X-ray damage is cumulative. The more times your film is X-rayed, or the greater number of seconds/minutes your film is subjected to X-rays, the more damage will be done. There is anecdotal evidence that some users have put film through the new CT machines and got away with it. Maybe the CT scanning isn't always invoked and perhaps those machines are also capable of regular X-ray scans too...with the CT-scanning being done if there's something of concern in the bag. But we just don't know yet. CT damage will be in the form of lines, squiggles or patterns, which are difficult to correct in the dark room or digitally. So you do want to avoid them.
I'd add to those who say do not try and "smuggle" anything in your pockets. If you go through one of the body scanners they will find anything. When London luton Airport was trialling them around a decade or so I volunteered and they found a used handkerchief that I'd just not felt when I was emptying my pockets of my wallet and change.
Within the USA it seems the best course of action, if you think there may be CT scanners present, is to request your film is inspected by hand. Unusually, in the USA you have the right to make that request. Most other countries haven't stipulated that passengers have this right, though last year the British Department for Transport did advise all UK airports to action requests by those carrying photographic film to have it hand inspected. So we have a "win" there too.
I'd now advise against loading cameras with film before boarding, as I've had a situation where security want to inspect a camera and need to open the back. They've always been really nice about it, but it can happen. given you may well not know what kind of X-ray machine will be in use, it's probably best to have your films in a plastic bag ready to take out of your cabin bag for hand inspection. Lower speed film is less likely to be damaged. The older regular X-ray machines were certified safe to 800 ISO films but I used to regularly take Delta 3200 and even push it two stops without any problems.
Remember X-ray damage is cumulative. The more times your film is X-rayed, or the greater number of seconds/minutes your film is subjected to X-rays, the more damage will be done. There is anecdotal evidence that some users have put film through the new CT machines and got away with it. Maybe the CT scanning isn't always invoked and perhaps those machines are also capable of regular X-ray scans too...with the CT-scanning being done if there's something of concern in the bag. But we just don't know yet. CT damage will be in the form of lines, squiggles or patterns, which are difficult to correct in the dark room or digitally. So you do want to avoid them.
[QUOTE="Agulliver, post: 2527034, member: 77032"
Unusually, in the USA you have the right to make that request. Most other countries haven't stipulated that passengers have this right, though last year the British Department for Transport did advise all UK airports to action requests by those carrying photographic film to have it hand inspected. So we have a "win" there too.
.[/QUOTE]
I suppose it depends on what the "right to make a request" confers on you in a legal sense. This was the very point I had clarified for me by Brian Yes you have the right to ask and to that extent I suppose anyone has this right anywhere in the world but you have no right to expect it to be acceded to even in the U.S.A.
It's not clear to me how often if ever you would be turned down but it would seem that should you be, you have no legal redress so in theory the security person who has for whatever reason taken a dislike to you, thinks you look suspicious, is in a bad mood etc can turn your request down and there is no legal redress
It just seems to me that future reference to the right to request a hand inspection should be qualified by a mention of it not be a legal right
pentaxuser
Unusually, in the USA you have the right to make that request. Most other countries haven't stipulated that passengers have this right, though last year the British Department for Transport did advise all UK airports to action requests by those carrying photographic film to have it hand inspected. So we have a "win" there too.
.[/QUOTE]
I suppose it depends on what the "right to make a request" confers on you in a legal sense. This was the very point I had clarified for me by Brian Yes you have the right to ask and to that extent I suppose anyone has this right anywhere in the world but you have no right to expect it to be acceded to even in the U.S.A.
It's not clear to me how often if ever you would be turned down but it would seem that should you be, you have no legal redress so in theory the security person who has for whatever reason taken a dislike to you, thinks you look suspicious, is in a bad mood etc can turn your request down and there is no legal redress
It just seems to me that future reference to the right to request a hand inspection should be qualified by a mention of it not be a legal right
pentaxuser
I’ve only been denied a hand check request a couple of times in my life, and I was a very frequent business traveler. All times seemed to be due to workload issues: heavy passenger volume and possible understaffing. TSA is clear in their written guidance, signage, and actions that they have rules and goals. Coddling fussy photographers is lower on their list than ensuring security (such as it is). Redress… requesting a supervisor is about all the redress possible.
A right to ask for something exist in all democratic states, respectively this is not prohibited. But this says nothing about possible denials...
Another issue is to what extent safety checks are legalized anyway. We must not overlook that typically airports and airlines are private enterprises. There may be state ordered controls. But to my understanding private enterprises, may impose even stricter controls. These then are limited by laws on privacy etc. One may also argue that people must have some form of access to airtransport. Thus controls must be reasonable. But today you likely will not find lawmakers to pass an exemption on a regulation on safety controls for some weirdoes wanting to take something as film on board...
Another issue is to what extent safety checks are legalized anyway. We must not overlook that typically airports and airlines are private enterprises. There may be state ordered controls. But to my understanding private enterprises, may impose even stricter controls. These then are limited by laws on privacy etc. One may also argue that people must have some form of access to airtransport. Thus controls must be reasonable. But today you likely will not find lawmakers to pass an exemption on a regulation on safety controls for some weirdoes wanting to take something as film on board...
Here is a picture I took last year of a sign at Ontario airport in California. It does warn you at least to remove film from packed baggage, which indicates they still have some awareness of film.
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/new-airport-scanners.170709/page-27#post-2442136
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/new-airport-scanners.170709/page-27#post-2442136
TSA, organizationally, is aware of film. Earlier I posted a link to their website regarding film. Film is only one of thousands of items they are aware of and provide specific guidance. Individual TSA personnel may not have such a richness of worldly awareness, though.
So, in preparation for the hand check I’ll get some ilford film already loaded in 35mm cassettes.
Is it better to leave the unexposed film in the unopened cardboard boxes, or fill the clear plastic bag with the cassettes with the film leader exposed?
Is it better to leave the unexposed film in the unopened cardboard boxes, or fill the clear plastic bag with the cassettes with the film leader exposed?
Clear plastic bag. Film out of boxes.
Usually (though not always) they make me open the boxes, then they remove the film from the plastic containers and swab the metal film canisters.
[QUOTE="BrianShaw, post: 2527066, member: 9152"... Individual TSA personnel may not have such a richness of worldly awareness, though.[/QUOTE]
Agree on that, but for the most part I have had very little issue so far.
Agree on that, but for the most part I have had very little issue so far.
The only time I've had significant discussion with TSA has been regarding large format sheet film, where taking out of the sealed box isn't possible, and where exposed film may be in a film box that is unsealed and opening for inspection isn't possible.
I can see that being a problem.
So, Brain, was there any way round this problem with sheet film that you were able to find. I take it that the method of swabbing as used for cassette or presumably roll film is not possible?
Thanks
pentaxuser
With sealed boxes it took a bit of explanation but always was granted either visual examination or “swabbing” (trace detection). They swabbed the box surfaces, especially the cracks where the boxes mate together. With unsealed boxes it took so much discussion that I just had it out through the X-ray. With CT scanning becoming more prevalent I’ll likely mail it home in the future.
Having once had my camera bag fully emptied and everything swabbed, including a false positive result, I try to avoid contact with TSA personnel in any way other than “the ordinary”.
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You said yesterday that you are thinking of taking with you in your pockets plastic cassettes. I assumed to make not the metal alarm go off. What made change your mind?
Not 'new', the backscatter scanners and the millimeter wave scanners have been around for a long time, and they are able to detect things in pockets.
Both were around in 2010, the millimeter wave was first licensed back aroun 2003.
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