Scan your film at the security area.
One trip, my film got scanned eight times in a 6-week period, before and after exposure, and nothing was wrong with it at all.
Scan your film at the security area.
One trip, my film got scanned eight times in a 6-week period, before and after exposure, and nothing was wrong with it at all.
I travel to India every year where there are xray machines everywhere even at entrances to hotels. Most of the time I can get through the door without getting my films scanned but there are times when security insists especially in US chains. So my films get scanned roughly 20 times. At the international airport they scan the bags when you walk in and then scan again through security and then again when you board.
On one trip I flew to Karachi in Pakistan and then on to Lahore and finally to Delhi. I must have had my 135mm roll films scanned 30 times both color and and black and white. I didn't see any defects. If there were any then they were invisible to me.
The prospect of asking security to hand inspect my sheet film and then having to explain what exactly is sheet film to people who do not speak English scares me more than any potential xray damage my eyes cannot see.
I hollered at a TSA guy once who was opening up my film box. He only got one layer off as I had taped it adequately. I shouted loud enough to get his attention over the din of the airport and was to the point "please don't open that". They didn't like being hollered at, but I didn't be enough of an *** to receive their special attention or handcuffs.
Letting is go through the carryon xray is usually wise advice. I have mailed film too. Within the US, "general delivery" is a good address to pick up your stuff at the destination post office.
I am really glad to hear all these "carry on" scanners are OK stories. I have scanned my film up to 3 times and no problems, but always wonder what will happen if they have to go through more scanning. Sounds like it's basically non-issue in most cases.
In the old days, I always asked them to hand check, but a) that's before I use LF sheets, and b) that's before they rolled out the porno-scanners. I rather get molested publicly than have my body go through scanners unnecessarily. Asking them to hand check is "one more thing" that I don't want to get them to be pee-off at me for (although I found that being pleasant to them, regardless how much I despise the system, helps move things along quickly).
In 2010 we flew to Denver from Houston for a week at Rock Mountain NP. I brought unopened boxes of Velvia, T-Max 100 and Tri-X 320. In Houston, I asked for a hand screening for the Tri-X and discussed the packaging with the screener. The box of 50 ccame back with the seals broken . . .OK that was expected. When finally settled in and loading film holders, I found that both the inner foil packages had been opened! Shot a few sheets, but no more. Each had an ~1/2 inch black edge and fogging over much of the negative.
Drew Bedo
www.quietlightphoto.com
http://www.artsyhome.com/author/drew-bedo
There are only three types of mounting flanges; too big, too small and wrong thread!
San Francisco is almost as bad as LAX, in my experience, about security. My last time there, I didn't have film. I didn't even have to go through the main security. I literally walked across the hall. My flight was late, and the flight I was boarding was held for several of us. I was flying first class, but didn't fit in- white, long hair, greying beard, jeans, t-shirt etc. The security guards nabbed me out of about 6 nicely dressed and clean cut people, and proceeded to search practically every inch of my body. They even made me unbutton and open my jeans in front of everyone, even after being warned I was unclothed beneath them. The whole time they repeated "I am sorry sir. It's about security..."
They watched me leave the plane that arrived and enter the terminal, they watched me hustle across the hall, and they watched me in the line. When I questioned their choice, the reply was it's random. while chuckling and speaking in a foreign language to one another.
Truth be told, even during all that, I was happy to get my plane home. I was in first class the others weren't and so it made up for it! My best friend was waiting for me and the whole affair became just another cool story to tell. Faith and a positive outlook can make even these events come out OK on the other side.
Update: All 350 sheets developed nicely, except for one small batch of a dozen or so that had extremely faint lines that seemed to have come from objects stacked above them when the film went through one of the the 7 carry-on scanners in Europe. Probably not a developing irregularity — I use a JOBO Autolab. One of the images turned out to be a keeper, but since I scan my 4X5 negs, Photoshop worked well to "erase" the line. (Clone tool set to 20% opacity does the trick, and replicates the grain nicely.) I realize that many others have not had issues w/ carry-on X-ray, but aside from the fact that different airports have different generations and brands of scanners, it might not be safe to assume that all are correctly maintained. In any case, MOST of my film came out well.
The downside: one box of unexposed film was ruined in SF when the security guy opened the boxes of film — beyond my sight. I had sealed all of the inner foil packets of exposed film but not the two two opened packets of unexposed film. Those sheets were all exposed in one corner and had to be thrown out. I filed a complaint form w/ Covenant Security and they promptly sent me a check for $95 to cover the cost of a box of 4X5 TMX. I think what got me the quick settlement is that I was not given to opportunity to have the boxes scanned after the security guy determined that he needed to open them in order to do a swab.
Next time: I would still ask for hand inspection in the US if the film were to pass through a half-dozen airports elsewhere - especially on the outbound leg, when the boxes are sealed. No sense asking in Europe - everything gets scanned, like it or not. I am going to give serious thought to FedEx for return shipment of the film, maybe packed in lead-lined bags with prominent "hand inspect" notices on the outsides.
This has not been my experience. Amsterdam totally happy to hand inspect when I've been through. Frankfurt too. Italian airports are always a battle, and usually one I've lost in the end, but not always.Originally Posted by Jan Becket
Can depend on who you ask and what mood they're in on that particular day.
Flying through Dubai to Australia I had no problem getting a hand inspection, back through on the return journey I still couldnt persuade them not to put the film through the machine even after 30 minutes of negotiating.
Arrive early, be prepared to talk, wait, and perhaps ask to speak to superior staff. And maybe you'll get through. If you do: cool, that's one less pass of the dreaded rays. If not, so be it.
As ever, speaking the local language and being patient and friendly go a long way.
in the states they hand inspected fine and were even interested in the film
overseas ... hand inspect wasn't really an option
i have had everything from iso 125 to iso 3200 go through scanners.
this past summer in mulhouse airport ( switzerland ) and in frankfurt
i tried to get hand inspect but they insisted their scanners don't harm film,
( even high iso ) i didn't really have a choice so i believed them,
and they were right.
years ago, it was probably soon after the subway bombings in london
i was traveling through heathrow and they had security and scan checkpoints it seemed
every 50 feet ... my film ( iso 125-3200 ) was scanned heavily that trip, and came out fine then too.
I avoid SFO whenever possible and fly out of Oakland. They didn't even give my camera and film stuff a second glance the last few trips, but did trash my wife's laptop, and I mean trashed it. SFO is always a major headache, and often has serious flight delays. I've traveled with even ASA 400 film like TMY and not had an issue with multiple X-rays; and I did critical comparison tests with a densitometer. So that saves me the risk of hand inspection. It just goes thru with the rest of the carry-on. But normally I'm traveling with ACROS and Ektar, which are relatively slow speed films, so the risk of fogging is even less. But with sheet filmholders per se I always put a little strip of bright colored vinyl elec tape over the top, to make anybody think twice before pulling a slide. Some of these TSA people seem very thoughtful and responsible, but others are kinda bozos.
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