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Flying with film


Pforde

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I have never had any problems with monochrome negative films of 100-400asa and transparency films of 50-100asa, even after multiple passes through security x-ray machines.

 

Take your films in your cabin baggage, not in your hold luggage and don't bother with unnecessary 'x-ray proof' packets for your film.

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First, make sure you have all your film in your carry on luggage and nothing in checked luggage, as the checked stuff will go through some nasty scans.

The scanners used on carry on luggage on modern airports are safe. Situation might be different in places with (very) old equipment. Not sure about the situation in Africa. What airports will you use there?

 

I do take some precautions to avoid unnecessary exposure to x-rays: I always put my films in a clear bag on a separate tray to avoid they happen to be together with an item that gets rescanned because it is deemed suspicious.

 

On our last trip to Portugal in December, we even took some TMax 3200 and to be pushed TriX (both developed to EI 1600) through two airport scans and they came out fine.

 

Hand inspection for high speed film has become practically impossible at most airports. I recently had some success in Frankfurt (FRA) and Osaka (KIX). If you feel a bad need for a hand inspection, cue in the line where the most senior looking security personnel is present. But for normal speed film up to ISO 400 it is a waste of time anyway.

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I agree: Carry on luggage. No problem with xray machines. Though I have heard that above ISO 800 it can be a problem but I have never traveled with anything higher than 800 and have not had any problems.

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I've seen ISO 800 on signs in American airports. I've just returned from a trip that included two passes through X-ray machines as carry-on items. It was Tri-X but included some that had been exposed at EI 1600 and will get push processed. Was wondering if there's a plausible difference in behavior between film sensitized to a higher ISO and film pushed to a higher EI in development. Anyway, I'm processing today and if I seen anything I'll post.

 

s-a

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I have no issue with the advice offered in prior responses however, I'll add another perspective. In the USA, when I asked TSA about how I should work with them to ensure my film doesn't get zapped by Xrays they first informed me that all film to ISO 1600 is safe in their carry-on scanners. Yup -- we all know that. I pressed them further and told them I was a bit paranoid because I'd be passing through many scanners and was afraid of the cumulative effects of the Xrays. I offered up the suggestion to use lead-lined film bags. The TSA agent said that would be fine but to please pull it out of my hand luggage and set it on top of the other stuff I put in the bins to be Xrayed. That way it is quick and convenient for TSA to hand-check it if they want to. I've done that in the USA and never had any issues -- that's since 9/11.

 

I realize others have commented on the non-issue of cumulative Xrays and that's great that there is no issue. I'm a belt and suspenders guy so I'll do both until it becomes an issue (my convenience or TSA's behavior changes).

 

Out of the country, I've had mixed results but never BAD results doing the same thing. Western Europe was very similar to USA. Asia was mixed: in Japan they hand-checked each roll, in Korea, Vietnam and once in Thailand they simply looked in the bag and handed it around the scanner to the security person on the other side. MOST of the time in the USA and abroad, the bag goes on top of my stuff in the bin and never gets flagged or scrutinized.

 

To support the prior comments, I don't think the lead-lined bag is necessary but since I own two of them, I'll continue to use them until my experience/luck changes.

 

Lastly: there might be some profiling working to my advantage as I'm 50 years old and packing a lot of camera gear. They may put two and two together on that and assume it's all related to my hobby.

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There would appear to be a variety of opinions on this matter. I have never had problems with x rays .

 

In 1999 I went to New Zealand , via Los Angeles , shooting mainly Kodachrome 25 :) . I went on domestic and long haul flights and I recon most rolls went through 6 or 7 scans and they are fine.

 

In 1996 I shot a few rolls of Kodak Panther at 3200 and those rolls would have been x rayed twice and look fine.

 

I go through Southampton docks about onece a year and leave film in my main bagage . The when I get back on the ship at other ports the film will get x rayed again , so a roll may get 2 or 3 trips through the x ray machine. No problems with Fuji Provia 100.

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I agree with all the great guidance here; the type of carry film pouch I use for added protection when carrying on, whether it is 400, 800 or 1600 is here.

 

185374.jpg

 

I keep a set of small write-on labels in there too, so I put a label if I need push or pull processing, being careful to not cover the DX codes. On another note, and I'm sure it has been posted elsewhere, I found a handy reference for DX codes, in case you want to automate the process and fool the photo finishing machine into pushing or pulling:

 

dx-code.gif

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When I am going to visit family I send my film UPS with some of my clothes so I don' t have to hassle with it. When I get ready to return I send it back home. No X ray problems. I like to travel as light as possible. This only works for me when I go to visit family. When I travel to Europe obviously this will not work.

Mr. B

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There's an awful lot of conversation on this topic, but, I've never had an issue, and I've never known anyone who's had an issue with X ray damage to their film.

 

In addition to that, I've yet to see anyone post on the forums I follow that they've had a problem.

 

I agree and would like to add: all the users that I have ever seen that claimed to have x-ray damaged film from airport carry on baggage scanners had some different problem like light leaks or faulty processing etc.

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I have never had any problems with monochrome negative films of 100-400asa and transparency films of 50-100asa, even after multiple passes through security x-ray machines.

 

Take your films in your cabin baggage, not in your hold luggage and don't bother with unnecessary 'x-ray proof' packets for your film.

 

+1

 

I travel from Australia to Europe annually. To get there I have to pass through security checks in Sydney, Singapore or HK plus European destination(s). No dramas, multiple passes, exposed or unexposed film.

 

I used to be paranoid about this and for exposed film I used to have it processed in Europe. Now I don't bother and just return to Australia for processing. No issues whatsoever.

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First of all, carry your film, cameras & lenses onboard - NEVER check them!

 

Next, get some of these to put your film in for the trip:

Domke Film Guard Bag, Large 711-15B B&H Photo Video

If you take the film out of the boxes and plastic cannisters, the large pouch will hold more than 35 rolls (closer to 45-50). Put the film cans in a one gallon size zip-loc food storage bag and put that in the Domke pouch.

When the security people want to see what's in the Domke bags, you just pull out the zip-loc bag, which is transparent. It's a lot quicker and easier for everyone concerned than dumping out 40-50 rolls of loose film film.

 

Hope this helps.

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I can't tell for sure, but I got two 800 ISO Fuji-color films that went out a bit underexposed and rather grainy. This both were x-rayed at Berlin within the bag with my Leica stuff.

Since I never have such experience before and after with this camera and film I tend to blame it on the x-ray. I always buy larger amount of the same film so I had other films with the same batch that went out well.

On the other hand I got some 800 ISO 120-type film x-rayed on the same airport without any visible problems.

So at least I think it's a good advice to separate your films from your equipment for the control.

A college got a whole production destroyed by x-ray in Brasilia (sheet film I suppose) and another one lost most of his film (100 ISO!) in Japan.

Maybe he puts it in the checked in luggage. But that was during the days of the Tsunami. So maybe a malfunction or so.

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