Humood Posted February 10, 2011 Share #1 Posted February 10, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello, I want to know how harmful are the new airport x-ray machines found at all security checkpoints at airports? I have returned to film after dumping film and using digital twenty years ago. I remember I use to have a "film x-ray safe" bag in-which I had all my exposed and undeveloped film. I want to avoid "disasters" when I return from my holiday. Any advice? Thank you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 10, 2011 Posted February 10, 2011 Hi Humood, Take a look here How harmful are new x-ray machines?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
cbretteville Posted February 10, 2011 Share #2 Posted February 10, 2011 Most emulsions will be safe. I've sent film through machines in Europe and the US in recent years with no problems. Everything from 25 to 1600 ISO. Coming back from Venice in October the sent my backpack something like 5 times through the machine. I begged them to take the rolls out and hand inspect them, but all I got was a stern look. In the end it turned out well. Never send film in your checked luggage. Using a led bag will be a red flag through the scanner and probably make security go nuts. Better to ask politely for hand inspection. Carl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted February 10, 2011 Share #3 Posted February 10, 2011 They're safe. If you google you can find manufacturers websites and look up the technical specifications. Basically, for normal circumstances, it's a non-issue. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timd. Posted February 10, 2011 Share #4 Posted February 10, 2011 Using a led bag will be a red flag through the scanner and probably make security go nuts. Better to ask politely for hand inspection. Carl that's what happened on my last trip. i used lead bags, and they couldn't see through them (i saw what was on their screen: just the bag, you couldn't identify the film cartridges -> the bags work). so we ended up with a hand check which they refused when i asked them before doing their x-ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falstaff Posted February 10, 2011 Share #5 Posted February 10, 2011 There was a similar thread here http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/film-forum/130604-xray-tmax-400-am-i-trouble.html and this was my response by which I still stand: "Interesting comments, but has anybody actually had film damaged by putting it through check in baggage? I used to religiously carry mine through until I got fed up. As a test, I tossed a few in my luggage for check in, came back the same way and I exposed them at home. All seemed fine. Film was colour Fuji or Kodak print film and Ilford XP2 and all no higher than 800asa. Now I just put unexposed and exposed film in check luggage. Perhaps something wrong with my vision? Airports were UK and across Europe. Not tried the States or Far East." Falstaff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted February 10, 2011 Share #6 Posted February 10, 2011 Interesting question, Falstaff. I'm all for challenging accepted wisdom, particularly when it is rarely backed up with empirical evidence, but I don't think putting film in checked luggage is worth the risk. Your own evidence is interesting but I'm not sure whether it demonstrates that the checked luggage x-ray machines are safe or (more disturbingly) that checked luggage is not very thoroughly x-rayed. For what it's worth, TSA advice is clearly against putting film in checked luggage and I doubt that they have an ulterior motive behind that advice. Discounting x-ray risks, I still wouldn't put important film in my checked baggage (not that I check much nowadays) because of the greater risk of the bag(s) going astray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falstaff Posted February 10, 2011 Share #7 Posted February 10, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Ian, I agree, interesting question. I'm only going by my own experience. BUT, the clear impression I get reading the comments from others is that it's not their experience at all but hearsay. The day someone comes up with hard facts, I'll reconsider my decision or go completely digital. But than, what if x-rays corrupt SD cards? Falstaff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbo Posted February 10, 2011 Share #8 Posted February 10, 2011 What do x-rays do to your brain Why does the dentist leave the room when he/she x-rays your teeth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falstaff Posted February 10, 2011 Share #9 Posted February 10, 2011 Why does the dentist leave the room when he/she x-rays your teeth My dentist stays in the room and holds my hand. Falstaff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbo Posted February 10, 2011 Share #10 Posted February 10, 2011 My dentist stays in the room and holds my hand. Falstaff He or she Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lincoln_m Posted February 10, 2011 Share #11 Posted February 10, 2011 I concur, I have also shot a 400iso film then put it in checked luggage to Munich and back then had it developed. Images were as expected with no signs of fogging. Film in carry-on has also had no problems. I've had more issues from using old Velvia in the heat of Greece than from x-rays. Then the films have been 100 or 50 iso so even 4x X-Rays have no issue. A 3200iso film might possible have issues. I also make sure I put my coat etc through the scanner first so that they don't need to re-scan at higher levels. Using a lead bag could mean they jack up the intensity an order of magnitude to see through. Don't have a gun in your carry-on even if it is a dismantled polymer Glock Gen4 9x19 as that may also cause them to bump up the x-ray intensity, instead check your gun in the hold. Check your Zippo lighter in the hold luggage as they want to whip it off you at security. I had to remove the wadding and wick leaving only the metal parts before Munich would allow me to keep the Zippo cover (present from the misses). Hmm It wasn't that long ago that they had smoking on flights and people must have used lighters then. Odd how a lighter even in the hold is so dangerous on a plane with tons of fuel in the wings or how a bag of protected photo film is obviously really C4(C41) because every passenger obviously is more interested in bringing down the plane than getting to their destination quickly and safely. Perhaps it is easier in Asia as you can carry-on a Bushido Blade on flights to / from Japan, if you believe Kill Bill Vol2? Film in your carry-on is really not a problem, although if you are away for a month some forum members could be carrying quite a lot of it which they may see as unusual. But if more of us do it then they'll become used to us mad photographers. Regards, Lincoln Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spwongra Posted February 10, 2011 Share #12 Posted February 10, 2011 Here is my recent experience from January 2011. I took a few rolls of Tri-X, EI 1600; to be developed in Diafine, and the M3. OK it was a quick business trip, cold, shuttled around, no time to wander, so I managed to shoot all of a few frames. I finished the roll at home, developed it and didn't find any fogging, so at least I know the other unexposed rolls are fine. The roll's x-ray adventure, all on carry-on: NYC JFK to Bejing: 1 pass Bejing to Small city: a few passes (I don't know why - the security personnel laughed while my bag went back and forth through the machine...back and forth) Small city back to Beijing: 1 pass Museum 1: 1 pass Museum 2: 1 pass (didn't expect that) Beijing to JFK: 1 pass So that is at least 6 passes through a variety of machines with no issues. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted February 11, 2011 Share #13 Posted February 11, 2011 No one ever seems to mention in these threads that the best way to detect fogging is not to look at the negs or trannies. Instead, compare the unexposed areas (edges, between frames) with those on a roll of the same film that hasn't had the x-ray/stratosphere experience. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joachim123 Posted February 11, 2011 Share #14 Posted February 11, 2011 Just came back from a week long trip to Arizona. On the flight down the inspection staff asked me: Whos film is this? I had all my film in an x ray bag. They were very courteous and hand inspected the bag. However, I used a cloth bag to put my personal items in which I took on the carry on. It was a cloth shopping bag that I use for my lunch. I had forgotten a steel fork that I use for my lunch in the bottom of the bag. They didnt even ask about it. I didnt notice it myself until I got to my destination. Inspection at its best. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humood Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share #15 Posted February 12, 2011 Thank you all for your contribution! Humood Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted February 12, 2011 Share #16 Posted February 12, 2011 Here's one machine found at random VIS108 Automated X-Ray Baggage Scanner - Baggage X-Ray & Gamma Monitoring - Weapon Detector – Metal Detector Quotes it as safe for 10 passes of 1600 ISO film. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckli Posted February 13, 2011 Share #17 Posted February 13, 2011 Good find, James. I am curious to know apart from the Airport X-ray machines, when we buy film On-line from another country, do they (Customs or whatever authority) X-ray the parcels? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karreaux Posted February 17, 2011 Share #18 Posted February 17, 2011 I also have a problem: There's a chance I will travel a few months in North-America with my analogue Leica. Every month I will send the exposed films to my home adress (Europe) in a package with DHL or something like that. I prosume they also scan the packages, could this cause problems ? (X-ray + unidentified objects + cold/heat + ...) Many thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted February 17, 2011 Share #19 Posted February 17, 2011 Yes - the X-ray scans of mail etc. are far more powerful than those in airports. Best to have your film developed locally or take with you on the plane. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted February 17, 2011 Share #20 Posted February 17, 2011 What do x-rays do to your brain Why does the dentist leave the room when he/she x-rays your teeth Because he takes hundreds of X-rays and the effect is cumulative. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.