Helen Bach
(K=2331) - Comment Date 2/7/2006
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Hi Jon,
I fly quite a lot and have never had a problem with 800 speed film and below after it has gone though a carry-on scanner a few times - though it may depend on which airport you are flying out of. It's not unusual for the security guys at US airports to want to pass my camera bag through the scanner twice, so they can have a good look at it. Never put any film in your checked luggage, because the scanners used for checked luggage can fog film.
You are right about not putting anything valuable in your checked luggage. In US airports you have to hand your checked baggage unlocked to a security guy for X-ray. They may wish to rummage through your bags. They hardly ever lock the bags when they are done. That's why they are called 'security' guys. I know quite a few people who have lost stuff, more than there used to be. If at all possible I travel with only two bags, and take them both through security. Then I 'gate check' the large bag - so it gets handed over locked at the end of the jetway.
In other countries, like the UK, they are happy to accept locked luggage at check-in. Don't worry, if they see anything suspicious with their most powerful X-ray machines, they'll open the bag. They've been doing that for a very long time.
Best,
Helen
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Dave Holland
(K=13074) - Comment Date 2/7/2006
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Well, assuming no connecting flights. When I went to Nepal it was about 3-4 times through the scanner each way. Fortunately outside of the US the security was more willing to do hand-checking. I used a lead-lined bag which blocks xrays, and so they ended up hand inspecting things anyway. You can buy lead lined bags from many camera stores, though demand may have fallen with the advent of digital imagery. In Nepal they wanted to radiate carry on bags as we left the airport and entered the country as well. Something about importing contraband, I think. I worried about those scanners since they looked really old, something out of the 50's. Of course you have to avoid putting film into checked luggage because of the higher-radiation scanners used on checked bags.
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Jeroen Wenting
(K=25317) - Comment Date 2/7/2006
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Scanners outside Africa, South America, and the former Soviet Union should be fine.
Maybe add a few in poor Asian countries to that (Cambodia, Vietnam, that kind of places).
And even those you should have no problem with the exposure you're getting your film from a single return trip.
In fact, the exposure from cosmic radiation during a crosscontinental trip in the US of a crossatlantic or pacific flight is quite a bit higher and noone seems to worry about that.
Only time I've ever had damage was when I travelled through the USSR for a month in 1987. Over a dozen passes through 1960s era Xray machines combined with hot weather for several weeks on end (central Asia in summer is hot) caused some damage to some films, but that was an extreme condition and using some leadlined film containers meant no damage when I repeated that trip 2 years later.
I've now not used those things for years and years and never had a problem.
I do keep them for when and if I find myself in such conditions again though, or for when I have to travel in really adverse climates (the ones I have have weatherseals better than filmcans).
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Ron Wiginton
(K=295) - Comment Date 2/9/2006
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When I travelled to Alaska 2 years ago, I placed all of my film (35mm and 220) in a clear plastic bag. I asked the Security Screeners to hand check the film bag, and they were very pleasant, and did not run the film through the scanners.
Never hurts to ask!
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Kambiz K
(K=37420) - Comment Date 2/18/2006
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Whenever I go thru airport I put my films in a bag seperatly and show them to security officer to look into it. I try not to put any film into my camera.
If you don't want to show to the security officer for some reason, you could put them in your suitcase as the radition is much lower than hand bags.
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Dave Holland
(K=13074) - Comment Date 2/22/2006
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Kambiz, I think you have missed the prevailing message that checked bags get much HIGHER doses of radiation, so that large suitcases and trunks are penetrated. Most know this already, but just so no one takes your advice, never check film inside a suitcase.
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Kambiz K
(K=37420) - Comment Date 2/22/2006
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Thanks Dave for telling me that point.
I always put my films inside a bag and put all in my suitcase. The reason is because when you go thru that frame of scanning, they use higher radiation than normal. I had a very bad experienced once I took it with myself into aeroplane. Most of my films fogged up as a result.
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Helen Bach
(K=2331) - Comment Date 2/23/2006
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Kambiz,
At which airport were your carry-on films fogged by x-ray, and what speed film were you carrying? As far as the scanning of checked baggage goes, you are taking a very big risk putting film in your suitcase. There are some very powerful x-ray machines used for checked baggage - at UK airports for example if they can't 'see through' your suitcase with a low power machine, they just pass it on to more powerful machines until they can see what is in there. The more difficult it is to penetrate your suitcase, the more x-ray dose it will get.
Best,
Helen
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Rashed Abdulla
(K=163889) - Comment Date 2/25/2006
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Well if you are a prof. photographer and you gonna count for every single details , I would say yes the films what ever the sensitivity are subject to be effected by these security scanning rayes, even with the first pass , and even if these films been put in a protective film bags or folders. each time the risk is there but the percentage is lower of course .I would say keep the films in a small paper back and show them to the scurity personnel and do not add them to you bags to pass the rays . many secuity officiers do understand this and they allow you to just show them the films rolls and take them in your hand again .
If you are just a photographer ,well them having your films passing for one time or more through these security rays ,is of no major different to you ,so let them pass through.
All of the best .Theoritically speeking all of these rays are harmful to films metarilas. Sorry for my poor English.
Iam not a Prof. but a new commer to the world of photography and out of your work here , I learn .All of the best.Rashed
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