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Thread: Airport Scanners - the age old question (finally somewhat settled)

  1. #71
    ARS KC2UU
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    Re: Airport Scanners - the age old question (finally somewhat settled)

    Quote Originally Posted by cyrus View Post
    Look guys, I think we can put this to rest. Anecdotally, I've been through every sort of scanner at every sort of airport in every sort of hitthole third-world country, and have never ever ever never ever never had any fogging problems (we're talking about the scanner that is used on carry-ons and not the scanners used on checked baggage.) In fact I am not aware of a single post by anyone on any photo forum which has made a believable case that the airport scanner fogged their film. Lets just put this to rest.
    I'm one of those guys that simply hates the thought of film being x-rayed at all, ever! And I've posted many times in earlier threads about this personal aversion of mine... and my exasperating experiences at security checkpoints trying to keep my films free of x-ray exposures.

    But lately the hassle of flying (period) and the constant ramping-up of airport security has gotten so intense that I despise the thought of having to fly anywhere anymore. And I simply gave up the extra hassle of asking for hand scanning about 10 flights ago. I found it had gotten worse (even) than arguing with an ex-wife about some interpretation of legal language in a divorce agreement.

    So since then I've had sheets of Ektar 100, Portra 100, Provia, Velvia100, Efke IR820, Aura, TMY, TMX, Kodak HSI, and all sorts of rolls of 120 film including custom spooled Aerochrome B&W and color infrareds go through the carry-on scanners multiple times. Some as much as 8-times before being used and processed.

    And so far (thankfully) I've noticed no adverse effects with these (mostly) slower films.

    So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things continue to work out that way for me. And like "Meatloaf" I'm praying for the end of time so I can end my time flying for business. I'm frankly sick of the airline hassles and rotten service and look forward to days of leisurely (retirement) travel on the ground.

    By the way. I always take a separate plastic tub for films and put them in there with nothing more sinister looking than eyeglasses, car keys, pens, and coins. I keep shoes, undies, laptops, and all the camera gear and whirlygig photo accessories far downstream of the film tub.

    BG
    All natural images are analog. But the retina converts them to digital on their way to the brain.

  2. #72

    Re: Airport Scanners - the age old question (finally somewhat settled)

    All of my 400 ASA B&W 120 size film was fogged after my trip to Israel, South Africa, and Egypt last summer. I've never had a problem with that same type of film being fogged when flying through multiple destinations in Europe and South Africa together in a single trip (have done that about 4 or 5 times), so I presume it was Israeli or Egyptian security and scanners that did it. The Israeli security people at Ben Gurion were very, very suspicious of me (never, never arrive late for an El Al flight even if you're leaving Israel) and put my hand luggage through the scanner multiple times (what kind of scanner, I don't know - I did tell them about the film and express my concerns but I wasn't in much of a position to insist on anything if I wanted to catch my flight) several times. They then told me that I could fly with my camera gear - but that my hard drive and computer would either have to stay in Israel or be sent after me on a separate flight. Both countries at their respective Sinai border crossing posts put all my bags through a scanner - no separate checking of hand luggage seemed possible, and communication was difficult. Perhaps those scanners did the film in, or perhaps it was a combination of all of these.

  3. #73

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    Re: Airport Scanners - the age old question (finally somewhat settled)

    Interesting... I'm more worried about baggage handlers, obstrosive searches and ridiculous air fee's than scanners fogging my film.

    On that note, I've never met anyone that had his film fogged due to airport scanners.

  4. #74
    Lachlan 717
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    Re: Airport Scanners - the age old question (finally somewhat settled)

    I'll repeat (again) what I was told about radiation and film based on a University of Melbourne investigation:

    *Fogging will occur after approx. 60 passes;
    *Cosmic radiation, especially on long haul flights, impacts film far more than Xray machines.

    In addition, I'd like to point something else out that seems somewhat common in the posts where fogging has occurred: the listed destinations all seem to be hot. Can those with fogging confirm that their film didn't get cooked along the way?

    (For what it's worth, I now travel with a lead film pouch to minimise cosmic radiation. No issue so far, and I fly at least weekly).
    Lachlan.

    You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky

  5. #75

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    Re: Airport Scanners - the age old question (finally somewhat settled)

    Quote Originally Posted by Lachlan 717 View Post
    I'll repeat (again) what I was told about radiation and film based on a University of Melbourne investigation:

    *Fogging will occur after approx. 60 passes;
    Can you find the paper on this? It disagrees with the study that Brian Shaw posted, where it talks about five passes.

  6. #76

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    Re: Airport Scanners - the age old question (finally somewhat settled)

    I've had some 400H 120 film affected by what I believe was a carry-on xray. Bought the film in Japan, flew to Malaysia and then Australia. So it seems to have happened in either Japan or Malaysia.

    The effect was a sparse patten of bright dots in diagonal lines across the film, similar to examples of actual xray damage published by Kodak.

    I was also carrying several other kinds of film which were not affected: Neopan 1600 (exposed but not developed), Tmax 400 (ditto) and Ektar 100 (unexposed).

  7. #77

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    Re: Airport Scanners - the age old question (finally somewhat settled)

    Quote Originally Posted by Lachlan 717 View Post
    (For what it's worth, I now travel with a lead film pouch to minimise cosmic radiation. No issue so far, and I fly at least weekly).
    Not much unfortunately. Next time I fly I'll try to remember to take the meter and a lead bag and do a reading.

  8. #78
    Lachlan 717
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    Re: Airport Scanners - the age old question (finally somewhat settled)

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Michael View Post
    Not much unfortunately. Next time I fly I'll try to remember to take the meter and a lead bag and do a reading.
    Here's the rub for me: I know that the Pb bag will prevent most damage. I don't know what will happen without it. As such, I'll stick to using it regardless of what comes up here.
    Lachlan.

    You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky

  9. #79
    Lachlan 717
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    Re: Airport Scanners - the age old question (finally somewhat settled)

    Quote Originally Posted by John NYC View Post
    Can you find the paper on this? It disagrees with the study that Brian Shaw posted, where it talks about five passes.
    I'll try to, John. Not sure if it'll quell the doubters here, though. Like Clint Eastwood said in the 1988 classic, The Dead Pool: "Opinions are like arseholes - everyone has one".
    Lachlan.

    You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky

  10. #80

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    Lachlan, I too will be very interested in seeing the study you refer to. I'm curious about their assumptions and experimental protocol, and how it may have differed than I3A.

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