Current fashion for hand searching of film at Gatwick?

[wlaidlaw]

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Has anyone been through Gatwick recently and asked for film to be hand searched? I usually carry two rolls of Delta 3200, as my excuse for asking for hand searching. Agfa recommend that the Precisa film, which I mainly use, is never subjected to X-Rays. The 12 roll professional pack I bought from Agfa France last year, arrived in a carton, very carefully marked all over: "DO NOT X-RAY".

 

Whichever way I have them in a Ziploc transparent bag, always seems to be wrong. If I have the cassettes loose, then I am told they should be in their canisters. If I have them in the canisters, I am then told they should be in their sealed, unopened original carton/packaging. I suspect that this might be a "gotcha" reaction of the security staff to being asked to hand search the film, in which case, whichever way you do it is irrelevant, as it will be wrong. 

 

Wilson

[andybarton]

Gatwick’s current policy

 

https://www.gatwickairport.com/at-the-airport/flying-out/security-advice/

 

Click the link to specific items then photographic equipment

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The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[jaapv]

I think this is the key phrase:

 

 

Please contact us or your airline before travel.

[earleygallery]

Has anyone been through Gatwick recently and asked for film to be hand searched? I usually carry two rolls of Delta 3200, as my excuse for asking for hand searching. Agfa recommend that the Precisa film, which I mainly use, is never subjected to X-Rays. The 12 roll professional pack I bought from Agfa France last year, arrived in a carton, very carefully marked all over: "DO NOT X-RAY".

 

Whichever way I have them in a Ziploc transparent bag, always seems to be wrong. If I have the cassettes loose, then I am told they should be in their canisters. If I have them in the canisters, I am then told they should be in their sealed, unopened original carton/packaging. I suspect that this might be a "gotcha" reaction of the security staff to being asked to hand search the film, in which case, whichever way you do it is irrelevant, as it will be wrong. 

 

Wilson

 

Hi Wilson,

 

I think your film will be fine, I've taken film through X rays several times with no ill effects. Agfa were probably directing their message at commercial carriers.

 

Also bear in mind that the staff at the scanners are subject to spot checks on planted items. A 'dummy' case is sent through with a suspect item to see if they spot it and take the appropriate action. Failure can be quite serious (reprimand or dismissal) and not that many people carry film these days. Saying that I've never had an issue with film in my hand luggage, more curiosity about my old cameras!

 

I travelled through Gatwick over New Year and it's amazing how dumb some people are regarding what they can/can't carry through. Despite all the signs and staff telling people to remove this or that from their luggage people just don't bother, causing lots of hold ups for the rest of us, like the woman in front of me with a large bottle of cosmetics which she was arguing was not a liquid! Or the guy in front of me going through the metal detector who 'forgot' to take his keys and change out of his pockets (and of course then gets fully searched/scanned whilst I'm waiting to go through) Grrrrr.

[M9reno]

On two occasions in 2017 I went through security at Heathrow with peel-apart Polaroid film rated at ISO 3200. I used large lead-lined Domke bags (available through B&H or Amazon) to hold this film. In fact, if you buy a large and a small lead-lined bag, you can put one inside the other for double protection.

 

I took the bags and laid them separately from my other things, next to my iPad on the tray. There was curiosity, but nothing else. The film was completely unharmed.

 

A colleague who took and used the same film to Greece but did not use the bags had his film ruined.

[wlaidlaw]

I have a Hama lead lined film bag but this always seemed to cause extra attention. I think I have posted before, I was coming back from India, where I had taken some TX3200 film, inside dark temples and suspecting that the penetration levels of the hand baggage x-ray at Chennai Airport, was last checked when at the manufacturers, asked for my films to be hand checked. "Of course sir", said the security person with a smile and that ambiguous shake of the head, that in India, can mean either yes, no or maybe, as the circumstances demand. He then proceeded to tip all the films out of their lead lined bag into a tray and put them through the x-ray scanner for small individual items, shoes etc. I feel it did reduce the contrast on the TX3200, especially early in each roll. 

 

I would guess film will be fine at Gatwick, where I am sure the machines are regularly checked, calibrated and serviced. In the Caribbean, they probably just wind them up to maximum and leave them there for their lifetime. My brother-in-law, who I will be staying with in Barbados, used to have an electronics and TV assembly factory there. He said every machine, soldering iron, etc, was always wound up to its maximum setting by the users. He used to get in before his staff every morning and reset everything to its correct setting. 

 

Wilson

[M9reno]

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The key thing is that while the lead bags inevitably draw attention, staff at Heathrow are happy to let them go through without having their contents emptied. Contents are re-checked manually after the film passes the machine inside the bag (or double bag!). It's effectively a circumvention of the policy to deny hand-checks of film.

[sblitz]

I just went through Gatwick on Friday morning, had the film in its plastic cases and inside on baggie. Handed it to the person on the assembly line, knew exactly what I wanted, met another guy at the other end who was swabbing it and checking for residue, a minute later I was on my way. No fuss, no muss, no problems, no nothing .... a couple extra minutes of my time, but that's not I can complain about. Last few times I did, the TSA person in the US got into a discussion with about shooting film vs digital. Being over 60, perhaps I am officially viewed as eccentric rather than a threat and get treated that way. Works for me .... In sum, Gatwick no problem at all.

[wlaidlaw]

I just went through Gatwick on Friday morning, had the film in its plastic cases and inside on baggie. Handed it to the person on the assembly line, knew exactly what I wanted, met another guy at the other end who was swabbing it and checking for residue, a minute later I was on my way. No fuss, no muss, no problems, no nothing .... a couple extra minutes of my time, but that's not I can complain about. Last few times I did, the TSA person in the US got into a discussion with about shooting film vs digital. Being over 60, perhaps I am officially viewed as eccentric rather than a threat and get treated that way. Works for me .... In sum, Gatwick no problem at all.

 

I have left mine in their cardboard cartons. I will take them out. I am over 70, so hopefully even less of a threat 

 

Wilson

[DriesI]

I'm sure those who often travel know: Gatwick has the best security in the world. Both on how it is organised and how the staff treats their customers.

[wlaidlaw]

I'm sure those who often travel know: Gatwick has the best security in the world. Both on how it is organised and how the staff treats their customers.

 

Heathrow Terminal Three could learn lessons from Gatwick. The last few trips through Gatwick, security have taken less than 5 minutes and that includes a pat down, as I have lots of metal bits in my legs. It took over an hour, the last time at T3, with the queue snaking all round the terminal, with screaming babies and distressed young kids, who had all reached the end of their tether. No explanation and no apologies. In the end we had to be brought up to the front or we would have missed our flight to Cape Town. For my trip later this week, we only searched for flights from Gatwick, which is very convenient for us anyway, at just over 30 minutes away by taxi (if we have luggage) and less by train for when we only have hand luggage. It turned out to be a cheaper flight as well, which was a bonus. 

 

Wilson

[andybarton]

We live in the North West, conveniently between Liverpool and Manchester Airports, but always fly from London so that we can leave our dog with my parents who live 20 miles from Heathrow. Liverpool is a decent airport, but Manchester is one of the worst I have ever used.

 

We really like using Terminal 5 at Heathrow and always get a good service there. However, some BA flights are now from T3, which was great for Virgin Atlantic, but not so good for other airlines.

 

However, that said, most of the time we drive round to Gatwick, stay at the Holiday Inn the night before, and then get up early to go to wherever. I can't remember having any problems there, but if you're out on one of the distant gates, it's a long walk back to the terminal.

 

If Branson can get his Hyperloop built (which he won't) that would be brilliant.

[sblitz]

Pre-9/11 I used to use lead bags, they were sold in camera stores throughout NYC. I probably still have some. Handing people the film in a baggie has proved to be no problem and it is better than running it through a machine inside a lead bag where it might garner some attention -- and then get hand checked anyway. Guys (and gals) working Gatwick were very nice and friendly. A friend told me to take them out of the cardboard boxes and it makes packing a bit easier anyway. 

 

I had a 800 CInestill go through x-ray and there wasn't a problem -- and my 400 film has gone through numerous checks without incident. I have, however, had a recent change of heart. I get the film hand checked and I have also taken to mailing (express USPC, or Fedex) my film to my developer/scanner in NY when I am away. Since he uploads the scans, I get to see my work sooner when I am away for an extended period. My reasoning goes to what I read about Saldago's  switch to digital from tri-x, etc. Essentially he felt that even one x-ray at the airport degraded the film sufficiently to alter the acuity in his very large prints. Now I have never made a print as large as his, and there is no immediate intention to do so, and no quality photo of mine demanding it, but it made me think so for the price of an extra couple of minutes I had over the baggie and sometimes get into a nice conversation with out of the workers about picture taking.

[wlaidlaw]

Pre-9/11 I used to use lead bags, they were sold in camera stores throughout NYC. I probably still have some. Handing people the film in a baggie has proved to be no problem and it is better than running it through a machine inside a lead bag where it might garner some attention -- and then get hand checked anyway. Guys (and gals) working Gatwick were very nice and friendly. A friend told me to take them out of the cardboard boxes and it makes packing a bit easier anyway. 

 

I had a 800 CInestill go through x-ray and there wasn't a problem -- and my 400 film has gone through numerous checks without incident. I have, however, had a recent change of heart. I get the film hand checked and I have also taken to mailing (express USPC, or Fedex) my film to my developer/scanner in NY when I am away. Since he uploads the scans, I get to see my work sooner when I am away for an extended period. My reasoning goes to what I read about Saldago's  switch to digital from tri-x, etc. Essentially he felt that even one x-ray at the airport degraded the film sufficiently to alter the acuity in his very large prints. Now I have never made a print as large as his, and there is no immediate intention to do so, and no quality photo of mine demanding it, but it made me think so for the price of an extra couple of minutes I had over the baggie and sometimes get into a nice conversation with out of the workers about picture taking.

 

Now that I have the BEOON/Componon/SL scanning set up, I am hoping to be able to print up to at least A3+ if not A2 (maybe with a bid border). So any degradation would not be welcome. 

 

Wilson

[EoinC]

...I have also taken to mailing (express USPC, or Fedex) my film to my developer/scanner in NY when I am away. Since he uploads the scans, I get to see my work sooner when I am away for an extended period. My reasoning goes to what I read about Saldago's  switch to digital from tri-x, etc. Essentially he felt that even one x-ray at the airport degraded the film sufficiently to alter the acuity in his very large prints...

I don’t know about mail / courier shipments to USA, but in Countries such as Australia, these go through automatic analysing x-rays. Off-topic - Impressively, in Singapore, every sea container is scanned onboard the truck as it leaves the Port. I used to pass this facility every day on the way to work, with about 8 trucks being scanned simultaneously. It took only a minute or two for a 40’ container to pass through - powerful stuff.

[wlaidlaw]

I assume that a lot of packages are x-rayed while in transit, which is why my delivery from Agfa was very clearly marked "Professional photo film - Do not X-Ray." Interestingly my delivery from Macodirect.de of high speed infra-red film was not so marked. 

 

Wilson

[sblitz]

I assume that a lot of packages are x-rayed while in transit, which is why my delivery from Agfa was very clearly marked "Professional photo film - Do not X-Ray." Interestingly my delivery from Macodirect.de of high speed infra-red film was not so marked. 

 

Wilson

 

if you think about, we all order film by mail these days, sometime it is 800+ iso and I have never had a damaged roll. 

[EoinC]

I assume that a lot of packages are x-rayed while in transit, which is why my delivery from Agfa was very clearly marked "Professional photo film - Do not X-Ray." Interestingly my delivery from Macodirect.de of high speed infra-red film was not so marked. 

 

Wilson

My understanding is of conveyor belts feeding into x-ray machines. I’m not sure anyone is reading labels.