Sheet Film and Airports

[Rick Floyd]

I bought my last batch of Velvia (50 & 100) at Badger Graphics and they (Jim) sent the entire order to my hotel in Colorado two days before I caught a flight from Dallas. B&H would not ship to my destination, only to the address tied to my credit card. After the shoot I shipped the exposed 4X5s home. I just did not want to take a chance of getting the new officer at the gate who out of a show of "I've got the badge" would open my boxes of 4x5 film. The hotel was very accommodating and kept it refrigerated until I checked-in. This was a very important shoot for me and I took as few chances as possible.

RF

[Ted Stoddard]

I always ship via UPS when I go out of town they do not xray (only ground) within the US and I ship exposed film the same way home and have not had any problems... Regards to the TSA I have had problems in my local airport and also in my home town airport... Only 1 person knew what the film was and convince them not to open the film boxes... he said they will ruin the film, thank god someone knew what it was... both airports are SJC and PBIA... just give extra time or better yet ship to your destination...

[Frank Petronio]

Oh I don't bother labeling film if I ship it, I gave up. And I get film by UPS or mail all the time. But it would be just my luck to have the job of my life ruined by some a-hole who decides to mail some white powder to those precious politicians and then then everything would be getting zapped in a heartbeat.

I wouldn't be surprised if our packages are x-rayed more often than we think and we just don't notice any fogging because they aren't cranked up.

I still think keeping your film, especially the exposed film, in your possession is the safest and most professional way to operate.

[climbabout]

I flew twice in the past year here in the US and just put my 8x10 sheet file in holders on the carry on belt and had absolutely no problems. Some passed thru 4 times - it was FP4+. I won't go through the hassle of hand inspections anymore.
Tim

[Brian Ellis]

What/where do you "call ahead" for special treatment?

And what makes you think any independent shipper doesn't x-ray their packages with as much juice as checked baggage? The "Do Not X-Ray" warning you wrote on the package? lol... Nowhere in the customer agreements does it say that they won't or that they have to tell you.

I've always assumed independent shippers don't typically xray because I don't know what purpose it would serve. Why would a terrorist or other nut case want to blow up a plane carrying two people and a bunch of packages? But maybe I'm missing something, I don't know anything about that business.

Getting back to the question, I just let film go through the passenger xray machines and have never had a problem. I used to ask for hand-checking but the willingness to do that varied depending on the particular airport personnel. I had one person who wanted to open up each Readyload envelope. Another time I was with a friend in San Francisco and we both asked for a hand check. The person I dealt with had no problem just passing the unopened boxes of film. The person my friend dealt with wanted to take him into a dark room and open the boxes. So I just stopped asking and haven't had any problems with film going through the passenger xray. Luggage xray is a whole different deal, nobody should pack their film in luggage.

[Dave Jeffery]

"Getting back to the question, I just let film go through the passenger xray machines and have never had a problem"

That's Great!

Has anyone reported a problem with the passenger x-ray machines recently?

I won't search the archives so this is as up to date as possible. I remember reading previoulsy that there were concerns as many newer machines were put into service but don't remember anyone claiming that they had film ruined.

[mervynyan]

I pass through airport many times, always ask for hand inspection and leave a lot of time to spare to deal with excess delay. If I am tight on time, I will just let it passed through x-ray.

Don't load the film, TSA will wipe the surface for the film box (sometimes plastic wrap) to detect the explosive traces. But if they do try to open the wrap, explain and insist to have their supervisor to find someone knowledgeable about films (it seems there is always someone nearby knows about films).

But I shoot iso25-100 only, so I don't see any problems for x-ray scan.

[DJGainer]

I think people are really overthinking this, and I would love to hear of a specific first-hand report of a TSA officer insisting on inspecting the actual film and ruining it. Remember, they are looking for suspicious and threatening items and a box of film just does not seem threatening. I shoot velvia and fp4+ and always let it pass through the scanner. The scanners will not harm film below 800 and that should give them a good look inside the box, dispelling any suspicion.

As for shipping to destination/home, this just seems to be too much of a hassle for such a self-manifested fear.

[resummerfield]

........I shoot velvia and fp4+ and always let it pass through the scanner. The scanners will not harm film below 800 and that should give them a good look inside the box, dispelling any suspicion.......

That's what I do, too. I shoot FP-4 and I've never had a problem, either fogging or with the security folks.

[Bruce Watson]

I think people are really overthinking this, and I would love to hear of a specific first-hand report of a TSA officer insisting on inspecting the actual film and ruining it.

Per your request: TSA cost me a box of 4x5 Tri-X. Airport is RDU. This happened in late 2004 IIRC.

My Tri-X film box was factory sealed. I asked TSA for a hand inspection, explained that it was unexposed photographic film and that light would ruin it. I showed the TSA woman a processed sheet so she could see what sheet film was and see an image on it to make it more "real" to her. I even offered her the use of my Harrison Pup Tent if she really wanted to open the film (which she seemed to really want to do -- she asked me if there were "film canisters" inside my sheet film box and I assured her that my film wasn't 135 roll film but was instead individual sheets of 4x5 film -- that's when I gave her the example sheet to look at).

She insisted in taking my box out of my sight. I wasn't like I could stop her. When it came back one (not both) seals had been broken. Needless to say I didn't risk using this box of film on my trip. When I got home I took this box into my darkroom. When I had loaded nine sheets of exposed film in my Jobo 3010 tank, I opened this suspect box like they did (one seal still in tact) and found both foil bags were still sealed. I opened the top bag and pulled a sheet of unexposed film as my tenth sheet in the 3010 for my development run. All the other sheets came out just fine, the "unexposed" sheet had one edge that was fogged but was otherwise clear.

Now it might not have been TSA's fault. It's true that it could have shipped from the factory like that. Or I could have managed to load ten sheets into a 3010 tank while fogging the edge of exactly one sheet somehow. Or maybe it got X-rayed while standing on edge (?) by a delivery company between me and the Kodak manufacturing plant. Or something else...

I can't prove that the fogging originated with TSA. I'm just sayin' that there's strong circumstantial evidence that TSA played a (really big) part in crushing that box of Tri-X.

TSA's security theater isn't worth the risk to me. When I have to travel by air I always take my camera equipment in my carry-on and ship my film by FedEX or UPS. Better safe than sorry.