unprocessed film through airport xray security?

poozers

Hi! just wondering, im goin over to barcelona next week, and i bought black and white and colour films today that i want to bring with me (obviously)! will they be ruined goin through the airport security checks by the xray??? never flown with film before! and i dont want my pics to be ruined on the way back either!!

only bringing hand luggage and people have been flyin with film for years and i dont think there should be a problem, but ive been told that xrays can RUIN a film (im not a professional, so please no slaggin me ) thanks in advance

artyeva

keep them in yer carry on and you should be fine. though some ISOs can be affected more than others. i've never had a problem anyway. there was a thread from a while back be someone i can't remember - was he going to barca as well? i'd have a search for it only i'm too lazy.

FoxT

Crasp wrote: »

There's a note on the X ray scanners in Dublin airport that say they will not affect photographic film.

They would say that, though, wouldn't they? Quite a different view to be had here:

http://www.ecophotoexplorers.com/filmtravel.asp

sineadw

Never had a problem, as long as it's in carry on

Edit: that being said, I'm bringing delta 3200 to antwerp this weekend and will ask for a hand inspection. No harm.

magicbastarder

i've asked for a hand inspection (ooer) before, and been politely refused. as it was velvia 100, i wasn't too bothered.

one thing to do - let the bag of the passenger go through in front of you, and once that has cleared the x-ray, put the film in its own bag, and let it go through on its own. that way you're less likely for the film to stop in the x-ray machine for further inspection, which should lessen the dose.

dazftw

Yeah I brough film to Barcelona last August.. The black and white was fine ISO 100 - 1600. The colour was a different story. 35mm was fine ISO 100 - 400 but the 120 of the same ISO was affected.





Im going again in June, this time ill ask for a hand inspection. It doesnt completely ruin the film but it is fairly annoying you know.

DaireQuinlan

I've put countless rolls of film through carry-on at airports, some rolls multiple times, both shot and unexposed, and never noticed a problem. Fastest I've ever taken with me was 800 colour.
I don't think we'd really come to a conclusive answer wit daz' rolls had we ? Didn't you get other rolls from the same trip developed somewhere else and didn't see any problems ?

dazftw

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

I've put countless rolls of film through carry-on at airports, some rolls multiple times, both shot and unexposed, and never noticed a problem. Fastest I've ever taken with me was 800 colour.
I don't think we'd really come to a conclusive answer wit daz' rolls had we ? Didn't you get other rolls from the same trip developed somewhere else and didn't see any problems ?

I honestly cant remember...

CabanSail

sineadw wrote: »

Never had a problem, as long as it's in carry on

Edit: that being said, I'm bringing delta 3200 to antwerp this weekend and will ask for a hand inspection. No harm.

Even though it's a few years old (2003) this article from Kodak is interesting.

aidanic

Film and airports - two favourite subjects of mine!

Firstly, that Kodak report is quite relevant, even if from 2003. X-ray effects on film are cumulative, so even if you fly from Dublin to London, that will be at least 2 X-rays, and possibly more, if they choose to re-screen your bag (i.e. sending it through again because the first picture was not clear enough). A long haul trip, connecting in Europe to Asia or the US can add up to between 6 and 8 X-rays. There's a sticker on most of the machines that film up to 800 ASA is OK - maybe for one pass, but not multiple.

I travel a lot (as much as 100 flights in a year, and so best part of 100+ x-rays security sessions). A lot of the time I travel with film.

In the US, there's a formal TSA policy for film. Ask for hand screening, and you'll get it, and my experiences have been good.

In Germany, I've had mixed experiences - last month in one airport, they took my film (and me) to an inspection room, and vacuumed every single canister, and tested the particles. In another airport, they did a more cursery vacuum, and check. Last year, I was refused hand inspection in the same two airports.

In Australia/New Zealand last year, there were no problems with requesting hand inspection. One security guy in Wellington remarked that it had been along time since he saw a passenger with film.

I have found that airports in Asia are much more difficult to get a hand-search of film, and most of the time I don't ask.

I travel with an old Fuji Superia 1600 canister, which I show as being unsuitable for X-rays, and that generally gets me a hand-inspection.

I also have a "lead bag", which I purchased in the 80s, and if I have to subject my film to the x-ray, the film is all packed in there. I believe it works.

In some airports, especially with younger security staff, they have no idea what film is, or how you screen it. In South Africa recently, my lead bag of film got very little inspection, but no x-rays.

The old suggestion still applies, to purchase your film at your destination, and to get it developed locally before you return. To this end, I brought a tank and R09 with me to South Africa, and developed a few rolls of Acros 100 one night in the hotel. Finding obscure film in random destinations is a problem.

Travelling with film - leaving an extra 10 minutes for the X-ray is to be recommended, and being polite, but firm about a hand-inspection.

sineadw : For Delta 3200, I'd be holding out for hand inspection.

dazftw: The metal 35mm canister does provide some minimal protection, while 120 rolls have absolutely none, hence medium format can be more sensitive

sineadw

Yeah actually, thinking about it you're right. I guess I'll see if I can get some over there. *Runs off to google film shops in Antwerp...* I'm only bringing a small bag but I'll throw the tank and a few chemicals in I suppose. Cheers aidan

aidanic

sineadw wrote: »

... the tank and a few chemicals ...

There are environmental concerns about this (disposal in particular) - I got ticked off on another board about travelling with R09 - it's regarded as a pretty hazardous chemical

sineadw

lol! I brought the lot to Sweden with no hassle last year. Hmmm... I don't like the idea of leaving the film in some place there I don't know for developing. I've become scarily anal about it.

Hmmm...

DaireQuinlan

aidanic wrote: »

There are environmental concerns about this (disposal in particular) - I got ticked off on another board about travelling with R09 - it's regarded as a pretty hazardous chemical

XTol should be pretty benign, ascorbic acid is the active developer IIRC. Alternatively, a jar of cheap instant coffee and a couple of packs of vitimin C tablets ! Although that might make them even more suspicious ...

"but ... but ... but ... I have a cold !"
*officer snaps rubber glove onto hand*

aidanic

LOL!

CabanSail

I read on one of the sites I looked at it said that Delta 3200 is ISO 800. Is that true?

magicbastarder

1000.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilford_Delta

sineadw

Yep 1000, but it can easily be pushed to 3200 and still have great tonality

poozers

Thanks for all the replies think ill have to just do it! hope for the best. and going by what every ones saying, there shouldnt be a problem at all! eeek!!

Simplicius

Delta 3200 & Xray Scanners

I brought120 ilford Delta 3200 to Berlin this new year gone and shot it at 12,500... the negs are drying as we speak but looking at them there is no sign of clouding etc. I'll know better of course when I scan them next week. and I'll let you know.

On Hand Inspection, you have to be quiet firm but DAA are not the most obliging. Ring in advance the general number and ask for the ASU (Airport Search Unit) and tell them your flight, talk your film up .. ''fine art film very sensitive''. Their biggesti ssue is staff numbers so let them know in advance. I also tend to bring a copy of the scariest internet reports on damage.

Generally though unless you are going through multiple scanners, you should be fine.

sineadw

For the record: I asked for a hand inspection in Dublin, and the woman at the security station took the film cannister off me, shook it, and handed it back to me saying it was grand (!). No hassle at all. We had some stress at security in Belgium coming home today because of guitar pedals (a whole suitcase of them looks a bit scary on xray) so I didn't bother asking and just let it through the machine. Drying now, but there are no signs of any fogging or marks. So all grand

SamH88

Resurrecting this thread to see what people are doing with film when going through Dublin airport now that they are trialling the new CT type machines that can destroy your film at security.