X-Ray protection bags - airport experiences?

Benster

Hi folks,

[Sorry if this is not for this forum but I don't want to cross-post to Travel too. Mods, move this if you think it needs it]

I'm off on hols soon and will be going through several airports on the entire trip. I went and bought a couple of film x-ray protection bags as I want to at least minimise the amount of exposure they get going through in my hand luggage.

I just wondered if anyone had any experience of airport security having a bad reaction to someone using these bags (they have a thin lead lining so would prob show up as a big black shape on their screens).

FYI - I have a Hama Film-Safe bag, protects film up to ISO200, and a couple of Film-Safe boxes which protect up to ISO3200.

Cheers,

B.

Enygma

Are they going to be in your hand luggage or hold luggage?
I used to work at the Hold X-Ray in Cork Airport. They're aware that photographers are sensitive about bringing film through X-Ray machines.
The bags might still be slightly transparent to the machines too so they may be able to identify it as a bag of film. For your hold luggage try to pack the bag so there are no wires at all near the bag of film, also try to keep it well away from any large organic mass. If it looks like there's a wire leading from the film bag to a large organic mass you'll probably be called for inspection.

The worst that'll happen is you'll be stopped and asked to show the contents of the bag, or called over the intercom if their in your hold luggage. They know that photographers don't like film going through the X-Rays so maybe if you call ahead or tell them at the gates then you should be ok. For your hold luggage they should have a separate X-Ray machine near the check-in desk, you could ask to have it scanned there and put the film in afterwards.

Although one time my girlfriends camera was opened and the entire roll was exposed by some morons at Heathrow so you never know.

DotOrg

have a read of:
http://www.vad1.com/photo/x-ray-exper.html

you could always buy your films in the location you are flying to and get it developed before you come home

but i've brought loads of films through the hand luggage x-ray machine with no problems. and in my job i develop peoples holiday films every day and i've never seen any x-ray damage (and i'm taloking about at least 5000 holiday films over the past few years)

Benster

It'll be hand luggage only. And thankfully we aren't going near the Luggage Nazis in Heathrow, flying through Scipol (sp?) instead, then Singapore and Hanoi.

The films will be in my camera bag, with an SLR and possibly a cable-release and other lenses in there, so the whole lot could be rather dodgy looking to an over-zealous security guy/gal. Mind you, I've been through with it at Dublin numerous times without a word said, so I'm not worried about getting hassle over the rest of the stuff, just wondered if they would be aware of the existence of such things.

Thanks for the reply.
B.

[EDIT]

DotOrg - That's a good link, plenty of info in there, thanks.

FX Meister

I've never had a problem with mine in either hand luggage or checked luggage