Which film to take?

[sblitz]

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In mid January I will be in Hong Kong, Shenzen, Shanghai, and Beijing on a business trip. Naturally that won't deter me from bringing my camera along, although the tourist moments will be quick if at all. Taking my Q for night time so my question is about the right film to take. If I choose to take color my constraint is that i want film with very low ISO (100 or thereabouts) because there is going to be multiple airport x-rays as I will do a lot of flying within China, aside from the NYC/HK/NYC flight bookending the trip. I am familiar with Ektar, not very forgiving with exposure (some of these shots my be quick on the way to a meeting). Portra 160 I sometimes tire of its pastel look. Not all that familiar with Fuji, although I have shot some, or any others that are around. Also not too sure about weather and light at that time of year. Anyway, just wondering if anyone had some suggestions . . .. have some time between now and then to experiment with a few of them .... Thanks in advance for your responses.

[Guest Nowhereman]

I flew around China some years ago with Tri-X and had no x-ray problems. I would take Portra 400 these days, a bullet-proof film.

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[gbealnz]

While I take cognizance of your multiple X-Ray comment, we did Europe in August/September, via Singapore on the way over, and a stop-over in HK on the way back. In and out of airports, and on and off a cruise ship, so multiple chances with the X--Ray machines.

 

I took Ektar 100, and Portra 400, plus XP-2 Super and Delta 100. Nary a problem, not a single duffed film, due to exposure. I kept all the film and all the cameras/lenses in the one bag, and it always got X-Rayed.

 

There are plenty of excellent camera shops in HK so possibly stock up there as well?
Gary

[rpittal]

In mid January I will be in Hong Kong, Shenzen, Shanghai, and Beijing on a business trip. Naturally that won't deter me from bringing my camera along, although the tourist moments will be quick if at all. Taking my Q for night time so my question is about the right film to take. If I choose to take color my constraint is that i want film with very low ISO (100 or thereabouts) because there is going to be multiple airport x-rays as I will do a lot of flying within China, aside from the NYC/HK/NYC flight bookending the trip. I am familiar with Ektar, not very forgiving with exposure (some of these shots my be quick on the way to a meeting). Portra 160 I sometimes tire of its pastel look. Not all that familiar with Fuji, although I have shot some, or any others that are around. Also not too sure about weather and light at that time of year. Anyway, just wondering if anyone had some suggestions . . .. have some time between now and then to experiment with a few of them .... Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

Hello Steve:

I have had several trips to Beijing since June and have always taken the Q for my city wanderings. I almost took a film camera during my last trip in Nov, but instead had my monochrome on 2 trips and SL on 2 other trips for country use. I agree that Portra 400 would work well. Airport security leaving Beijing was through; had to remove all "large" electronics, charges, wires, etc., from backpack and place in tray for x-ray, leaving very little in my pack. I do not believe they will accommodate hand inspection of film like they do in the US (maybe if you spoke the language it would help). The security lines are crowded and a bit pushy, but did not see security folks drop anything, but you need to take your time and be careful when you empty and then refill your carry-on (at least on departure from Beijing). Mid January will also be COLD (was below freezing last month in Beijing, but actually clear as factories are now being routinely shut down if air quality is an issue (even saw some blue sky in Beijing). My early summer trips had much hazier conditions and the light was great for street shots, while now the sun is lower and also gave good light in the city (and country). I will bite the bullet on my trips next year and bring film! Let us know how it works out for you and hopefully you can carve out extra time to enjoy the areas.

[A miller]

On my trip to HK last year I had no problem with getting the airport security in both countries to hand check my film.  So I wouldn't feel constrained.  

[Mute-on]

Ektar and Portra 400. I’ve had both through at least 8 scans with no visible impact.

If you see any “fog” in your images, it’s probably in the actual image, not the film

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sblitz]

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Thanks all, comes down to Ektar vs Portra 400 .... 400 is bullet proof, quite true ... but the strong reds in Ektar might be more suited for China. Just a thought.

[MarkP]

You know and like Ektar so if ISO 100 film suits you take it. If you think you need a more versatile film because of the unpredictability of what you may come across when travelling then take Portra 400 instead or as well.

 

Present your film in a clear plastic ziplock bag. Have the film in it's plastic canisters but out of the original cardboard boxes. These facilitate easy inspection - make things easier for the security staff.  

 

I now bring along one or two rolls of high-ISO film, even if I have no intention of using it.  So when they try to assure me that low ISO film is OK I just say I've also got high ISO film so they need to do a manual inspection regardless. That works almost every time - on a trip last year I only had one problem wiht a young know-all dick-head security officer at an Italian airport. I gave him the Ziplock bag, told him I wanted it inspected by hand, and he just threw it into the machine. I went ballistic at him and his boss subsequently gave him a very loud and public dressing down :-) 

 

As you would well know, low ISO film is fairly resistant to hand-luggage security screening X-rays. This is NOT the case with checked luggage X-ray/CT scanning which may well kill your film.

[wlaidlaw]

I prefer reversal for its ease and quality of scanning. However I am aware its exposure latitude is narrower than colour negative so that may count against it for you. Earlier this year I bought another M7 (I had a "Friday" one back in the early 2000's but let it become someone else's problem child). Other than having to be a bit careful with wide and super wide lenses, picking up too much of the exposure from a bright sky, I have been delighted with the accuracy of its metering, Left in aperture priority and with a Motor-M on it, it is very fast to use. I mainly use a 50 Summilux III special edition on the camera, with a Rayqual LTM to M adapter ring. 

 

This summer, Fuji Provia 100F, which has to date been my regular film, became close to unobtainable in France. I was told that Agfa Precisa CT100 used film stock made for Agfa by Fuji and was basically Provia 100 emulsion, on a slightly different base stock. It is generally available at around 70% or less of the price of Provia. I have been delighted with it and now much prefer its warmer rendition compared to the slightly blue/green hues of Provia. Its colour balance is similar to Kodachrome. It scans beautifully. 

 

I use a Hama lead lined plastic film bag, which has marked on it: "Professional Film - do not X-Ray". I always keep a roll or two of Ilford Delta 3200 in the bag, if someone gets picky. The only place that failed was in Chennai, where they agreed to hand search it, then put it through the small X-Ray machine for shoes. 

 

Wilson

[Guest Nowhereman]

On my trip to HK last year I had no problem with getting the airport security in both countries to hand check my film...

...Present your film in a clear plastic ziplock bag. Have the film in it's plastic canisters but out of the original cardboard boxes. These facilitate easy inspection - make things easier for the security staff...

 

...I use a Hama lead lined plastic film bag, which has marked on it: "Professional Film - do not X-Ray". I always keep a roll or two of Ilford Delta 3200 in the bag, if someone gets picky...

 

Safer to assume that in provincial airports in China the chances are that you won't be able to get your film hand checked, or even find any security people who understand English. I'm thinking of places like Jin Hong in Yunnan Province and Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province.

[MarkP]

If the lead bag cannot be penetrated by the X-ray scanner they will either increase the intensity of the imaging or hand-check.

[wlaidlaw]

If the lead bag cannot be penetrated by the X-ray scanner they will either increase the intensity of the imaging or hand-check.

 

In Chennai, they tipped all the films cans out of the lead bag into a plastic tray, paddled about amongst them a bit, then put them through the shoe X-Ray machine but did not bother with the bag, which they handed back to me. I always hand the bag to the person on the entry side of scanning. UK airports are generally excellent and have no problem at all with hand searching of film, except for the business terminal at Luton, who were very difficult. 

 

Wilson

[MarkP]

Going through Switzerland, the security officer inspecting my film opened each and every plastic film canister and sniffed it!

Edited December 10, 2017 by MarkP

[sblitz]

I prefer reversal for its ease and quality of scanning. However I am aware its exposure latitude is narrower than colour negative so that may count against it for you. Earlier this year I bought another M7 (I had a "Friday" one back in the early 2000's but let it become someone else's problem child). Other than having to be a bit careful with wide and super wide lenses, picking up too much of the exposure from a bright sky, I have been delighted with the accuracy of its metering, Left in aperture priority and with a Motor-M on it, it is very fast to use. I mainly use a 50 Summilux III special edition on the camera, with a Rayqual LTM to M adapter ring. 

 

This summer, Fuji Provia 100F, which has to date been my regular film, became close to unobtainable in France. I was told that Agfa Precisa CT100 used film stock made for Agfa by Fuji and was basically Provia 100 emulsion, on a slightly different base stock. It is generally available at around 70% or less of the price of Provia. I have been delighted with it and now much prefer its warmer rendition compared to the slightly blue/green hues of Provia. Its colour balance is similar to Kodachrome. It scans beautifully. 

 

I use a Hama lead lined plastic film bag, which has marked on it: "Professional Film - do not X-Ray". I always keep a roll or two of Ilford Delta 3200 in the bag, if someone gets picky. The only place that failed was in Chennai, where they agreed to hand search it, then put it through the small X-Ray machine for shoes. 

 

Wilson

 

Thanks ..... funny but at B&H the Agfa is about 1/3 more expensive than Provia F .... may give it a try anyway just to see. My own experience with Afga going back 45 years is that it had a brownish tint compared to Kodak and was never happy with the results. Then again, after 45 years its worth a new try!

[wlaidlaw]

Going through Switzerland, the security officer inspecting my film opened each and every plastic film canister and sniffed it!

 

I love the smell of emulsion in the morning? 

[mikemgb]

If the lead bag cannot be penetrated by the X-ray scanner they will either increase the intensity of the imaging or hand-check.

They can’t increase the scanning power, that is fixed. If they can’t see through something they will pull it to one side to hand check the contents. At that point your film will either be swabbed or put back through the X-ray machine.

 

I gave up worry about X-raying film many years ago, nowadays I just let everything go through. I have had 800 ISO instead film scanned 5 times with no ill effects, I figure my 400 ISO black and white and 100 ISO colour would be good for quite a few more scans than that.