Airports and 4x5 film

[GPS]

I would use the word "allegedly" cleared out... but to me not definitive.

My stuff often gets backed up and/or picked up and sent through again for another scan. But I carry a pack full of MF panoramic cameras which seems to attract a lot of attention, i.e., the reason I always send film through in a separate plastic bin.

My opinion.

bob G.

It goes like this - they can toggle between different electronic filters to see different materials they are looking for. When the shape is for them not familiar or suspect they sometimes need to take a new picture from a different position of your bag. Then they reposition it and it goes back to the oven (they don't like that as it delays the processing of the merchandise). But the new picture is just another scan, nothing to cry about. This procedure is quite rare as they get the info also from the material composition of your stuff and often they prefer to open your case instead of delaying the whole belt. But if they want to know more for a future reference (they too learn day by day new things) they open your mystery merchandise and have a fun time...

[Drew Wiley]

Not long ago I did all my gear carryon, even the tripod. They took my stuff and went through absolutely everything, but wore white gloves and seemed to be very careful to repack all the lenses etc just as they found them. Of course no guarantee that kind of care will happen everywhere. Since I was carrying 100 speed film I just let them run it thru the X ray each time - no problem whatsoever. Checked out both b&w and color film after dev both visually thru printing and with a densitometer. Don't know if I'd be so comfortable with 400 ASA since I'm finicky about shadow values, but they claim anything less than 800 is OK. I generally fly out of Oakland airport. If it was SFO it can be a much bigger hassle - they're really paranoid over there.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Drew, I flew out of Monterey through SFO to PHL in October, and had to change terminals to catch my connecting flight. Had to do TSA twice that morning as the result.

Now, I'm really adverse to X-raying film for it's cumulative effects. I especially don't like having to remember which films have been X-rayed how many times. I carried my Quickloads in a little insulated lunch cooler and requested hand inspection of the film; but apparently that meant everything had to be explosives-sniffed. Also flagged me for a thorough search of every bag and pat-down-- twice. Thankfully, I don't fly with LF very often, I'd rather drive and linger longer unless it's over 2000 miles.

Easy to understand why pros who did have to fly everyday abandoned film in large numbers for an all-digital workflow.

[Andrew O'Neill]

I guess I won't be flying anywhere with my x-ray film then...

[rguinter]

I, too, have noted that my gear seems to be scanned and rescanned ... as many as three (or more as I haven't always been watching the whole time).

But I have some strange looking accessories in my LF and MF kits. One time I had a harmonica (chromatica) in a back pack (not containing photo gear) that they asked to see after rescanning it several times because they couldn't figure out what it was.

I am not comfortable with the belief that the scanner only gives it one dose.

Yes I carry some strange things in my kit also including fuji 617 and widelux cameras that always attract attention. And my gadget bag has small carpenter's levels, clothespins, various nuts and bolts, etc that always get a second look.

And I'm also not sure about the one shot scan either that several members here keep insisting... why would they reposition the pack and back up the conveyor if it were only one shot. With the physical work involved in repositioning a 40-pound pack I am quite sure they are making that effort so they can shoot it again from another angle.

This is the reason for my suggestion to keep film together in a separate tub... it doesn't get the back-and-forth, multi-pass, multi-scan treatment.

Bob G.

[rguinter]

It goes like this - they can toggle between different electronic filters to see different materials they are looking for. When the shape is for them not familiar or suspect they sometimes need to take a new picture from a different position of your bag. Then they reposition it and it goes back to the oven (they don't like that as it delays the processing of the merchandise). But the new picture is just another scan, nothing to cry about. This procedure is quite rare as they get the info also from the material composition of your stuff and often they prefer to open your case instead of delaying the whole belt. But if they want to know more for a future reference (they too learn day by day new things) they open your mystery merchandise and have a fun time...

GPS:

I'm only talking from personal experience of about 100 recent flights since 9/11/2001.

Where precisely are you getting your personal knowledge of x-ray scanning/handling techniques? I'd be curious to know.

Bob G.

[GPS]

...

And I'm also not sure about the one shot scan either that several members here keep insisting... why would they reposition the pack and back up the conveyor if it were only one shot. With the physical work involved in repositioning a 40-pound pack I am quite sure they are making that effort so they can shoot it again from another angle.

...

Bob G.

As said, they reposition your 40-pound pack to see the item of interest from a different angle because they were not able to identify it from the picture taken (shades and shapes are confusing for them). It only takes a new scan - nothing to cry about...

[GPS]

GPS:

I'm only talking from personal experience of about 100 recent flights since 9/11/2001.

Where precisely are you getting your personal knowledge of x-ray scanning/handling techniques? I'd be curious to know.

Bob G.

You have your personal knowledge. I have my knowledge. Stay curious where from.

[rdenney]

This is the reason for my suggestion to keep film together in a separate tub... it doesn't get the back-and-forth, multi-pass, multi-scan treatment.

Yes, they may move a bag back in front of the machine and run it through again after they have removed or repositioned the offending item, but the statement that we have put to rest is the notion that they have a button on the machine that pumps up the dosage for any given item as it passes through. That is not the case with carry-on bags (it is the case, however, with checked bags). And if the belt stops, the scan stops, and all they do is move the image from the previous scan around to study it more closely. When they back up the belt, they are not scanning again--they are repositioning the belt to the point where they stopped looking before so they don't miss anything. Everything on the belt still only gets one blast. The only way for an item to get an extra dose is to be pulled from the belt when it is ejected and placed on the belt upstream of the scanner to be scanned again.

You know when the X-ray is on--the red light is on.

Rick "whose knowledge is based on close observation during 30-50 flights a year" Denney

[Noah A]

Now, I'm really adverse to X-raying film for it's cumulative effects. I especially don't like having to remember which films have been X-rayed how many times. ...

Was your film damaged by the x-ray doses?

I've never been denied a hand-check of my 120 film in the US. Since I switched back to film in mid-2010 I've flown through PHL, EWR, ORD and MIA with no issues and no x-rays. I just (very politely) explain that I'm a professional photographer and that I often push-process my film. When shooting rollfilm I'd also mix a few rolls of 800 speed film in the bags so when asked, I could say that there are a few high-speed rolls in the bags.

I did have my film x-rayed in Lima and Istanbul. But the film (160NC, 400NC, Tri-X) was not affected. In Lima I asked for a hand inspection but they told me the film would be safe. In places where I don't speak the language I usually don't even bother asking and just let them send it through.

I do worry about cumulative effects. Normally I'll buy a batch of fresh film for a trip. (As a working photojournalist/documentary photographer I could easily shoot 100 rolls of 120 or 200 sheets of 4x5 on a 2-week trip.) Whatever film I don't use during the trip I save for projects closer to home. That way my film won't get exposed to x-rays more than once or twice.

I also tend to travel to one destination at once and so I try to limit the number of flight segments and, therefore, the number of screenings. I can't always afford direct flights, but if at all possible I try to connect within the US where I'm fairly certain I'll get a hand-check.