Travelling by air with a M7 and film

[menos I M6]

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...stick to slow/medium speed film if you are going to go stomping through airports with film, Bernhard. Anything over ISO 800 or 1600 and you're asking for trouble. And do what you must to avoid CDG - I am an experienced "film" traveller and, IMHO, the folks there lack the ability to reason. Bunch of turd-brains, the whole lot.

 

I second that - these are sad, sad creatures.

 

Only airport, I travelled within Asia and Europe, where my film was refused, to be hand checked, despite four ( f o u r ) security people where standing/ sitting inside the compartment, where the explosives chemical checking analyzer has been placed, doing nothing (chatting, cleaning fingernails, etc).

 

Worse even, these folks lied and cheated, finally just slipping a whole brick of TriX, which I used to shoot @ 3200 + loaded camera with half exposed film through the X-Ray machine.

 

I genuinely despise these people.

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[earleygallery]

I second that - these are sad, sad creatures.

 

Only airport, I travelled within Asia and Europe, where my film was refused, to be hand checked, despite four ( f o u r ) security people where standing/ sitting inside the compartment, where the explosives chemical checking analyzer has been placed, doing nothing (chatting, cleaning fingernails, etc).

 

Worse even, these folks lied and cheated, finally just slipping a whole brick of TriX, which I used to shoot @ 3200 + loaded camera with half exposed film through the X-Ray machine.

 

I genuinely despise these people.

 

Were your films ruined by the X ray then?

[erl]

Returning from a trip to Morocco, I had ALL my film (approx 50 rolls) 'stolen' at CDG while passing through customs. I am told, by a source that has connections, that the Moroccan 'CIA' or whatever they call it, arranged to have my film 'disappear' when first off Moroccan soil. It all had to happen with the complicity of the CDG customs.The cause is sort of lengthy, but it took me two years to re-shoot at least in part.

 

I will never shoot serious stuff on film when overseas again. Sticking to digital for travel.

[FiZZ]

Returning from a trip to Morocco, I had ALL my film (approx 50 rolls) 'stolen' at CDG while passing through customs. I am told, by a source that has connections, that the Moroccan 'CIA' or whatever they call it, arranged to have my film 'disappear' when first off Moroccan soil. It all had to happen with the complicity of the CDG customs.The cause is sort of lengthy, but it took me two years to re-shoot at least in part.

 

I will never shoot serious stuff on film when overseas again. Sticking to digital for travel.

 

Wow. That's shocking, disappointing and worrying. I think it's safe to say CDG isn't a friendly airport. Shame though. The gates hallway at Terminal 2 had beautiful architecture inside.

 

But that's just insane, about your film mate. Now I'm concerned about going through there again, as I only shoot film when I travel.

 

Anyone have more travel tips regarding film?

[analog-photo]

Returning from a trip to Morocco, I had ALL my film (approx 50 rolls) 'stolen' at CDG while passing through customs. I am told, by a source that has connections, that the Moroccan 'CIA' or whatever they call it, arranged to have my film 'disappear' when first off Moroccan soil. It all had to happen with the complicity of the CDG customs.The cause is sort of lengthy, but it took me two years to re-shoot at least in part.

 

You must have taken some pictures on something not allowed? I have been to Morocco several times (my avatar is from Essaouira), always use film, and have never had any problems like that.

 

But I agree on several others opinion about CDG, they have probably the most arrogant security in Europe, and I speak some French which normally could make things easier.

 

Lars

[Tietje]

the folks there lack the ability to reason. Bunch of turd-brains, the whole lot.

 

Once I was returning home to Dublin, with my wife, from Leeds/Bradford Airport, who had in her checked-in luggage some of my friend's prize winning onions (from his allotment) in her bag. My wife was called over to a special security area, and the security person pulled one of the onions out her bag and demanded to know what it was. My wife, bemused, said it was onion. The security person then put the onion back into the bag and passed it on to baggage handling.

 

The onions were lovely by the way!

[erl]

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Wow. That's shocking, disappointing and worrying. I think it's safe to say CDG isn't a friendly airport. Shame though. The gates hallway at Terminal 2 had beautiful architecture inside.

 

But that's just insane, about your film mate. Now I'm concerned about going through there again, as I only shoot film when I travel.

 

Anyone have more travel tips regarding film?

FiZZ, don't be concerned more than usual, Mine was a special case. However, CDG will always xray your film, whatever you do or say. That is your biggest normal risk, which is cumulative for every time you pass through a check point. Museums and similar places now xray as well, so your dose of xrays does add up to a point where it can/will be damaging.

[erl]

You must have taken some pictures on something not allowed? I have been to Morocco several times (my avatar is from Essaouira), always use film, and have never had any problems like that.

 

But I agree on several others opinion about CDG, they have probably the most arrogant security in Europe, and I speak some French which normally could make things easier.

 

Lars

 

Lars, you are correct. I inadvertently photographed a police drug bust, at 2am one morning almost exactly where your avatar is! Just inside the ramparts, the street lighting was fantastic, one immaculately uniformed police officer standing in the street and a bunch of undercover detectives arresting several guys. It was like a scene from 'Casablanca' (the movie). I was arrested from behind by an under cover lookout and taken to the 'station'. I was made to delete all my pictures (RD-1 digital). Because it was 'glitchy' I was able to skip one image which I have kept. There was no film on that occasion. However, I made it onto the security register and was apprehended and cross examined at the airport when leaving and dumped on the plane to Paris. I was finally 'rumbled' secretly the moment I arrived at CDG. I was later told, through another channel, that the Moroccans wanted me sorted after I Left their country. The fact that the CDG officials were obviously complicit is what got up my nose.

 

Just one of life's lessons. I intend returning one day to Essauira . It is a wonderfully photogenic and atmospheric place. The only images I have left is those that were still in the camera.

[peter_n]

Good advice from all. The only time I've had my camera bag opened was at Tegel in Berlin, where the security was pleased to see my MPs and Leica glass! I usually take a tripod and I remove the ballhead and stow it in my camera bag and wrap the legs in some clothes in my checked luggage, so far so good. Don't take fast film and take the film out of its boxes and place in a clear plastic bag so it can be easily examined. Don't worry about an x-ray of a personal bag; I've had films x-rayed many times without any issues. Enjoy your trip to Greece - a wonderful country!

[therbert]

I traveled from the US to Paris, Rome, Greece and back in June with an M9. I think that I may have been asked to show the camera at one security checkpoint. In most cases, the M cameras just pass through X-ray but on a rare occasion someone sees them as being dense and asks to take a look. No problems, though.

 

Tom

[erl]

Any problems are not with the cameras, just the films. Faster films, and you do need them for some work, will suffer with enough cumulative exposure. I have had 400ISO film part spoiled by excessive xray examinations that occur with multiple flight changes and other security checkpoints.

 

The trouble with security staff declaring that their xray is film safe is that they don't acknowledge they are adding to the overall exposure that your film will be subjected to. We all know they have a job to do, but so do we. Cooperation in agreeing to visual inspection instead of xray is appreciated by us. In my experience, far and away the best in this regard are the customs at Singapore. Extremely courteous and helpful.

[menos I M6]

Erl, my most enjoyable experience so far has been in Berlin, leaving on a flight to … I forgot … Paris or Asia.

 

The security personnel at that time was hired form a big German security firm.

There was not the slightest bit of discussion or grim faces.

 

These people were the most friendly and comfortable security people, I ever dealt with in Airports.

I separated my cameras and film into a single tray, mentioned my desire, to have this tray handchecked and not xrayed.

 

One person was a bit surprised, there were still people, shooting film, but all went just flawless, helpful, kind with a bit small talk.

 

Nobody tried, to play stupid or made me believe about xray machines and film speeds, as in most airport checks always happen at first.

 

Prevent Paris, fly over Berlin ;-)

 

Were your films ruined by the X ray then?

 

James, I prevented any further xray checks with that particular brick and keep it in the fridge, to be shot at rated speed, rather than pushing it.

 

I didn't scan the already exposed rolls yet - these were to me less important photographs, I took on transit. I ended up, not shooting film at my destination, as I picked up a M9 before the shoot, which happened, to surprise me at ISO 1250 and higher, where before, I always picked TriX @ 3200 over the M8.2 in such low light.

 

The point though is not, if a particular scan ruined a film or not, but the way, one is in fact treated in Paris CDG airport.

You have to see, how these people treat elderly people around the security check.

This is just uncivilized and disrespectful.

 

I don't ask for back patting or first class handling, but for general civilized social rules being complied to between passengers and personnel.

 

Paris CDG Airport clearly lacks in this respect (including disinterested info personnel, pushy customs agents, missing mailboxes, massively overpriced basic food (water + sandwich) …

It clearly is not an airport, I like to travel through in contrast to many, many others, which simply shine, be it small airports in China or old ones in Europe.