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First flight (holiday) since corona.. anyone experience with new ct scans on AMS Schiphol?


poli

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Dear all,

This december I am visiting my inlaws in Colombia. It will be my first flight since about 3 years... In the meantime I have rediscovered the joy of film and by now I am a happy m-a owner. I am in doubt whether to bring film or stick to my digital m, since I read all kind of stories about the new CT scans on airports (wrecking film). Does anyone have experience with the CT-scans in Schiphol? I mainly use Kodak Tmax 100 and I read somewhere that only 1600 ISO and above is affected? On other sides I read that all film is affected. Also sometimes requests for handchecks seem to be declined. I hope some experiences could be shared :)

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The old x-ray scanners were generally safe for film, I once ran a roll of Delta 3200 through 5 machines as a test, while there was slight damage it was limited to a little fogging on two frames.

I have yet to personally test the new CT scanners, I intend to do that in November though, my research indicates they will destroy film with one pass. Here in the USA we have the advantage we are entitled to a hand scan and I have had no problems when I request one.

I have a trip to London planned in December, I know that hand scans are usually refused in the UK so I have arranged to buy film there and have it processed locally and the negs shipped back to me in the US, the film will be shipped to my hotel and I will send it to the lab from Heathrow. While this is far from ideal I think it’s what we will have to do in the future if we want to travel with film.

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On 10/20/2021 at 1:06 PM, poli said:

Dear all,

This december I am visiting my inlaws in Colombia. It will be my first flight since about 3 years... In the meantime I have rediscovered the joy of film and by now I am a happy m-a owner. I am in doubt whether to bring film or stick to my digital m, since I read all kind of stories about the new CT scans on airports (wrecking film). Does anyone have experience with the CT-scans in Schiphol? I mainly use Kodak Tmax 100 and I read somewhere that only 1600 ISO and above is affected? On other sides I read that all film is affected. Also sometimes requests for handchecks seem to be declined. I hope some experiences could be shared :)

As you know, the effect of X-rays is cumulative. The ISO-threshold is misleading: film of much lower sensitivity will be affected if it passes through too many machines too many times.

Since you are going to Colombia (I imagine entering through Bogotá), be aware that all luggage, including hand bags, are scanned there at the exit from baggage claim.  The machine is the heavy-duty X-ray kind that destroys film!  Sometimes everyone gets scanned, but sometimes the scans are done randomly (after pressing a button, a red or green light appears, deciding whether your stuff gets scanned or not).  The solution to this is to wear a spacious jacket and “wear” all your film - you will usually not be asked to put anything you are wearing through the machine. A loaded camera under a coat usually passes, too.  If they insist, ask for a hand-scan of the film, which in Colombia is usually granted.

In countries like the UK that refuse manual checks (and for all of my travel)  I usually carry my film in lead bags. Announce these bags to the staff, and you are usually asked to place the lead bags in separate trays (like laptops etc) when they go through the machine. Usually, after the lead bags come out of the machine, they are flagged for manual check. This means an extra five minutes at the security area, but I’ve never been asked to remove the film from the bags for independent X-raying, and I’ve never had problems with film fogging since using this method.

Edited by M9reno
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If your film is going to go through a CT scanner, don't bother with a lead bag - CT scanners eat those for breakfast. You might try printing one of the warnings Kodak has printed on its Website that warn against sending film through those machines, and waving it at the security crew while requesting a hand check. In the US, you have a right to a hand check and, at least before the pandemic, the TSA agents were hip to the fact that CT scanners will fry your film. These aren't your mom and dad's baggage scanners.

Edited by Chuck Albertson
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14 hours ago, Chuck Albertson said:

If your film is going to go through a CT scanner, don't bother with a lead bag - CT scanners eat those for breakfast. You might try printing one of the warnings Kodak has printed on its Website that warn against sending film through those machines, and waving it at the security crew while requesting a hand check. In the US, you have a right to a hand check and, at least before the pandemic, the TSA agents were hip to the fact that CT scanners will fry your film. These aren't your mom and dad's baggage scanners.

Thanks. I passed my lead bags containing film (TriX shot at ISO 250 being the fastest that I had) once through the CT scanner at Schiphol once, and don’t remember any problem with the film.

The link below is interesting, if unscientific:

https://petapixel.com/2021/07/06/what-happens-if-your-film-goes-through-the-tsas-ct-scanners/

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16 minutes ago, M9reno said:

Thanks. I passed my lead bags containing film (TriX shot at ISO 250 being the fastest that I had) once through the CT scanner at Schiphol once, and don’t remember any problem with the film.

The link below is interesting, if unscientific:

https://petapixel.com/2021/07/06/what-happens-if-your-film-goes-through-the-tsas-ct-scanners/

Thnx. This will assume I can safely leave AMS to Colombia with unexposed rolls. But especially on return I need to ask for handchecks in Colombia and pay attention what happens when I get back in AMS (I believe not much...).

I still have one month to think about bringing film other digital only. First world problems ;) 

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I can share my recent experience with scanners in Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow and Atlanta Georgia’s airport.  I traveled from Russia to America last April with 3 rolls of Fuji Pro 400H 120 in my bag and I let the airports scan them.  All 3 rolls were fogged when I shot them in America.  I wouldn’t trust any film to go through an x-ray scanner at this point and will request hand checks only in the future. 

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I live in The Netherlands and have flown out of Schiphol several times this year, most recently on Monday this week. Every time I've brought film in my hand luggage for my Leicas and my Hasselblad. I have on no occasion had any trouble at all with the films that I've shot afterwards.

/Philip

On 10/20/2021 at 2:06 PM, poli said:

Dear all,

This december I am visiting my inlaws in Colombia. It will be my first flight since about 3 years... In the meantime I have rediscovered the joy of film and by now I am a happy m-a owner. I am in doubt whether to bring film or stick to my digital m, since I read all kind of stories about the new CT scans on airports (wrecking film). Does anyone have experience with the CT-scans in Schiphol? I mainly use Kodak Tmax 100 and I read somewhere that only 1600 ISO and above is affected? On other sides I read that all film is affected. Also sometimes requests for handchecks seem to be declined. I hope some experiences could be shared :)

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It is your passenger right to have a manual patdown at any EU or US Airport without giving any reason. The TSA in the USA calls it "male/female optout" and in EU you can just say to the staff just before your turn you want a manual patdown. I have not been denied one anywhere yet, neither in EU, nor stateside. The key is to request a FULL manual patdown, not just the film/camera bag as this will not always be granted.

Edited by Al Brown
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  • 2 weeks later...

The answer to my inquiry to the German Federal Police:

Zitat

 

The hand luggage inspection systems used in Germany guarantee film security against unintentional exposure through the inspection process for film material up to a sensitivity according to ISO / ASA of 1600/33 (when screened five times). Should your film material deviate from this, please contact the Federal Police Inspectorate of the airport from which you intend to fly a few days before departure. The local Federal Police Inspectorate will then examine your request individually.

In such a case, however, the passenger cannot generally request a manual check of all hand baggage.

 

Translated with DeepL

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