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Travelling with your Leica Q through U.S. airport security


mcausus

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Hi,

 

I was just wondering if there are any special precautions that one should take when travelling with a Leica (Q) through U.S. airport security.

 

I plan to travel with my Q as carryon inside a Pelican case inside a knap-sack (not quite a matryoshka situation!).  Because of the Q's size, would one have to explicitly take the camera out to place into a plastic bin for the x-ray conveyer belt?  Or is it OK to leave the camera inside the Pelican case and knapsack and send that through x-ray by itself.  I'd just as soon like to avoid any possible theft, say, or any unintended 'oops' moment by eager security folks handling my Q -- and limiting the Q's exposure (pardon the pun) would seem safer ... :(

 

Thanks!

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Been through six airports, four in the USA, twi in Europe recently. Had my Q in my carry-on backpack in a padded case. It was never checked in any way beyond the scan. And I never put it in a plastic tray. Stayed in the backpack.

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Just carried an M and a Q in a bag to London from New York last week and return yesterday.   Was not asked to remove either camera.   Was selected for a security spot check at the gate yesterday in London.  They looked in my bag but did not ask me to remove any cameras (I even offered, in order to expedite the process; they said it wasn;t necessary; but this was not at the x-ray machines but a hand check at the gate).

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Right, I did same to and fro Italy and France from US this fall. The xray can see inside. Mine stayed in a Lowepro nylon bag inside a backpack. The xray will see it, no problem.  There may be an issue of the spare lithium battery as checked (FAA says no, I think) , but it is ok carryon. i.e., bring in carryon with the camera.

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As said, no need to take any cameras out unless requested.

 

And if the laptop has SSD only, no hard drive, then it doesn't need to come out of your bag either, same with iPad, etc. This year I swapped the hard drive for an SSD in my old 13" MacBook Pro, so now I can leave it in the bag when embarking for Hawaii this month, very nice further advantage for the SSD... :)

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I've been through US airports many times (last being last Saturday in Seattle) and I regularly carry a bag with M, Monochrom and three M lens. Have never been asked about them or had to show them.

 

Don't worry; no problem.

 

Regards, Tom

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As said, no need to take any cameras out unless requested.

 

And if the laptop has SSD only, no hard drive, then it doesn't need to come out of your bag either, same with iPad, etc. This year I swapped the hard drive for an SSD in my old 13" MacBook Pro, so now I can leave it in the bag when embarking for Hawaii this month, very nice further advantage for the SSD... :)

 

I have carried a laptop with SSD through many US airports (over 100 flights) and have always been asked to remove it from my bag if I do not put it in a separate bin.  I have also been required to remove my iPad from my carry on to get through security in London.

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I fly a lot, and I have on occasion been asked to open the bag - and M and a Q together make a big lump of metal!

 

As for theft, you've a bigger risk of someone "accidently" picking up your laptop on the other side of the machine - that's happened to me twice. When confronted, both of them apologised, gave me back my laptop, but didn't try to pick up their own one - just walked off.

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Don't worry.

I have also carried a lot of gear in my photo-backpack.

The only thing that happened twice was at the security check at DUS-Airport Germany. I had to take out the lenses, not the bodies (I had 3). Not in USA, not in China, not in London, not in the Czech Republic but in Germany. The told me it was a new guideline then. When I askes whether I should explain every lens, they kindly refused.... :p

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