X-Rays and Film

[davephoto]

many of today's x-ray machines installed at airports are said to be "film safe". i generally keep my film - exposed and unused - and any cameras loaded with film in a plastic bag when traveling and ask that the contents be hand checked wherever possible. sometimes my request is accomodated, but at other times i'm told that it must pass through the x-ray scanner. so far, i've found no adverse effects. are these new scanners really "film safe" or should i look into using lead-lined bags. the only times when i've tried using these bags in the past, they never failed to draw attention to themselves and invited further scrutiny.

[stunsworth]

Dave, in my experience they are safe. I've travelled in Europe and had film scanned at least hald a dozen times and never experienced any problems. I've also had Fuji Neopan 1600 and Ilford Delta 3200 scanned without any problems.

But never put film in hold baggage - I'm sure you know that already - if you do the film will be almost be guaranteed to be fogged.

[andybarton]

Lead lined bags suggest that you have something to hide from the X-Ray machine.

Therefore, they sound like a good way to spend more time with Security Personel than you might be planning...

[albertwang]

And Russia? Does their xrays zap film unlike Europe?

[stunsworth]

I believe that since their move to a free market they have introduced two tiers of x-rays at the airports, the friendly ones that you have to pay extra for, and the standard un-reconstructed ones that zap a film as soon as look at it. The old trick of slipping the secutiry guard a cabbage to waive you through no longer works as they have been seduced by the evils of McDonalds!

[Peyton Hoge]

Never, never let them run it through x-ray! There is always the chance of fogging the film. They may tell you it is OK, and usually it is (especially for slow films) but they have to hand check it if you ask. If they still refuse, you demand that it be hand checked. Just put all film in a zip lock bag, preferably without the film cannisters, and they can hand check it quickly. Again, they have to do it if you insist.

Peyton

[bill]

Originally Posted by peyton

... they have to hand check it if you ask. If they still refuse, you demand that it be hand checked. Just put all film in a zip lock bag, preferably without the film cannisters, and they can hand check it quickly. Again, they have to do it if you insist.

Peyton

Rubbish. Only in the US. In the UK you have no right to a hand-search.

Regards,

Bill

[erl]

I don't know the facts, but would be surprised if we have ANY right wrt insisting on hand inspections. I believe a courteous request for same may attract the required hand inspection, dependent on the assessment the inspector makes of you.

On my upcoming trip to Morocco, I am trialling a different approach. I am bulk loading film into plastic cassettes and carrying all (well, most) of my film in pockets of my clothing that I will wear onto the aircraft. I will be subjected only to a metal detector search which will have effect on the film.

Cheers,
Erl

[stuny]

Dave -

Please see the Quick Tips section of our site, under Film, X-rays and the FAA. In the US FAA regs permit requests for hand inspection of film. However, they will try to discourage you, to which I reply that I know that it is safe for one or two passes of this film speed, but x-rays are cumulative, and I have 14 flights (I've sometimes had more), so please hand inspect it. Have the film in a zip lock plastic bag out of the boxes and out of the plastic cannisters. Do NOT use lead bags since screeners will frequently rescan the luggage a number of times, and possibly penetrate the bag. I have never been successful at having hand inspections in the UK, have been denied twice in France, and have usually had hand inspections throughout Asia, South America, Australia, North America, Central America and other European countries.

[earleygallery]

Originally Posted by erl

I don't know the facts, but would be surprised if we have ANY right wrt insisting on hand inspections. I believe a courteous request for same may attract the required hand inspection, dependent on the assessment the inspector makes of you.

On my upcoming trip to Morocco, I am trialling a different approach. I am bulk loading film into plastic cassettes and carrying all (well, most) of my film in pockets of my clothing that I will wear onto the aircraft. I will be subjected only to a metal detector search which will have effect on the film.

Cheers,
Erl

If you're wearing a jacket or coat they'll tell you to take it off and put it through the x ray machine - exactly because people hide stuff in pockets and lining.

I'd be very careful asking for a 'hand search' as well, you might get a lot more that you bargained for!!

[lambroving]

I've managed hand inspection at Heathrow, Terminal 4 (BA), on a few occasions. I'm polite but firm and ask to speak to a supervisor if denied initially. Not been a problem. May this continue in a couple of weeks time! It takes only seconds to swab the plastic bag with the loose rolls...

It should be noted that I'm relatively tidy, not that young, and have the quiet "command" voice of a former naval officer. Perhaps that helps?

In all seriousness, I hope it still works as I do not wish to take any chances whatever with my snaps. Were my pushed film fogged in a hand baggage scan, that would be the last of my tourist $$$ they would see.

As Stuart points out, it is a TSA reg. that film be hand-inspected on request. I have the regulation printed out off the TSA website in my camera bag, but have yet to show it after ~ 50 U.S. flights since "9/11". Works in Canada too...

[davephoto]

Originally Posted by stuny

Dave -

Please see the Quick Tips section of our site, under Film, X-rays and the FAA. In the US FAA regs permit requests for hand inspection of film. However, they will try to discourage you, to which I reply that I know that it is safe for one or two passes of this film speed, but x-rays are cumulative, and I have 14 flights (I've sometimes had more), so please hand inspect it. Have the film in a zip lock plastic bag out of the boxes and out of the plastic cannisters. Do NOT use lead bags since screeners will frequently rescan the luggage a number of times, and possibly penetrate the bag. I have never been successful at having hand inspections in the UK, have been denied twice in France, and have usually had hand inspections throughout Asia, South America, Australia, North America, Central America and other European countries.

thanks. i actually conform to the same process, keeping my film in a large ziplock. i travel mostly in asia and most -- though not all -- customs officers in this region will accomodate requests for hand checking unloaded film. cameras may have to go through a scanner. interestingly in hong kong, they use a vacuum like apparatus to 'sniff' your camera during hand checking and then take this hand held machine to another location to presumably check its contents. similarly, i never encounter problems on return trips back to california. in other locations where i've recently been (e.g.s, italy, switzerland), all my bags and contents had to be submitted to the machine scanner.

[nikau]

Originally Posted by andybarton

Lead lined bags suggest that you have something to hide from the X-Ray machine.

Therefore, they sound like a good way to spend more time with Security Personel than you might be planning...

I'm not recommending this to anyone, just making an observation: I have for many years, before and after 9/11, put my films in lead lined bags and never once, in probably close to 50 trips to a dozen or so countries, has the "blob" been challenged! I think this says something about the level of vigilance by the machine operators!

[uulrich]

I think it strongly depends on the mood of the x-ray operator. I traveled throughout Europe and Asia before and after 9/11 attack and always got more or less some sort of understanding from the operators and security personnel in charge. After politely asking for hand inspection my films got appropriate treatments (the film rolls were out of the plastic box) in a plastic bag, no film safe was used.

The only exception was Frankfurt in Germany. There heavily x-rayed film 125 and faster was the result of check-ins, all exposed and unexposed color and black and white films were 'securely destroyed' and were made totally useless. I got the impression they do this just for fun. Even if you are equipped w/ ICAO/FAA documents. As a native speaker you also don't have any benefits there; apparently German is not the 1st language of the airport security over there.

[uulrich]

Originally Posted by andybarton

Lead lined bags suggest that you have something to hide from the X-Ray machine.

Therefore, they sound like a good way to spend more time with Security Personel than you might be planning...

I cannot see any relation between these bags and attempted conspiracy. They will either x-ray the bags or open them for hand inspection. You cannot hide anything from the x-ray machines, BTW.

[peter_n]

My experience in the U.S. is that hand inspections are no problem. In Europe that is not the case. Last year in Madrid I ran up against a particularly arrogant official (although I had been very polite) but she did at least show me the label on the machine that stated the safety limits for film on that particular scanner. My Neopan 1600 was fine.

[drtrm]

Rubbish. Even on smaller airports in the US there are prominent signs at the check-in saying that film should be taken from the luggage and submitted to hand inspection. I just returned from Central America (Mexico, Honduras, Belize, Guatemala) and I am pleased to say, that I was always accommodated when I politely asked for hand searches.
Tom

[uulrich]

Originally Posted by albertwang

And Russia? Does their xrays zap film unlike Europe?

Moscow is not Russia; I can tell only about Sheremetyevo (?spelling...?) Moscow seems to be fine, they do not spoil film. The can carry out hand inspection if needed.

[Gerard K]

Off topic but, recently returning from LAX > MEL security in LAX thoroughly searched my bag including the big black blob that appeared on x-ray the MP - however overlooked the cigar cutter I forgot to pack in my check in luggage. This device has a razor sharp blade although not as potentially lethal as an MP belted across ones head it does make you wonder about the so called security blitz on sharp objects.

Gerard.

PS film (400iso) fine in the lead bag.

[waileong]

Have you guys read Ken Rockwell? He says he's run film tens of times through filmsafe machines with absolutely zero effect. I know I had my film run through quite a few during my bicoastal trip in Feb, everything was ok. Of course, film should be less than iso 800.