official advisory from Fujifilm USA about commercial air travel with film. Also advice about postal and delivery services

[Terry Roth]

As long ago as Sept 1997, I was unable to get a hand-check of several rolls of Delta 400 size 120, which I had placed in plastic Zip-Lock bag. This was in Heathrow, fling British Air (which I will NEVER use again, they were snotty all the way up the line of supervisors ("Stanley, explain to the man why we have to Xray his film, he won't listen to me"). I finally had to give in, or miss the flight back to Seattle. I bought an Olympus digital camera, but it is strictly for sending web photos to the parents---enlargements for exhibition are just not possible (I am spoiled by the 30x40 prints Ivey Seright made from my 6x9 Fujichromes). Next time I photograph in Italy, I will buy and process the film locally, and mail it back (in several aliquots) to Seattle, or carry on person. The best digital cameras (Minolta Dimage 7, Nikon D1X) produce useful enlargements no greater than 13x17, at resolution and smoothness the same as from a 35mm point&shoot. THis will change, but not as soon as the industry would have us believe. Better is 120 chrome scanned and digitized for LightJet output. Wonder if you could mail film to Post Office in your destination City, for pickup when you get there???

[tim atherton]

"As long ago as Sept 1997, I was unable to get a hand-check of several rolls of Delta 400 size 120, which I had placed in plastic Zip-Lock bag. This was in Heathrow, fling British Air (which I will NEVER use again, they were snotty all the way up the line of supervisors ("Stanley, explain to the man why we have to Xray his film, he won't listen to me"). I finally had to give in, or miss the flight back to Seattle."

There is reason why you are not entitled to a hand check at Heathrow (and haven't been for 20 years or more as I recall) - it's called the I.R.A. , INLA and various other terrorist organisations - a reality Britain has been living with since 1969. Something N Americans are only just learning to live with.

When they won't hand check your film or put up with your whining protests, it for a darn good reason. The rule is - through the x-ray or you don't get on the plane. Simple as that.

Tim A (who has had to deal with the aftermath of far more than one terrorist bomb blast - x-raying your film is a small price to pay, I can assure you)

[Terry Roth]

"Whining protests"?? Pardon me, you need to read more carefully. My requests for handcheck were unfailingly polite and reasonable, why are you so caustic? So you have had to deal with consequences of --- what? bombs? I wonder. Talk's cheap, and internet braggadocio is common. Well, pal, big deal. The subject of these messages has to do with x-ray damage to film and how to avoid it, not damage to your fragile ego, and your flamey response to those of us who endeavor to help others online is not relevant. Grow up.

[bill_1041]

Would somebody answer (first-hand) the BIGGEST question: Is all of the new security doing damage to film?

[Ellis Vener]

I haven't had to fly with any large format film yet, but so far I have seen no damage on any of the 35mm and 120 roll film (up to !SO 400) that I have had pass through the x-ray machines for carry on lugggage in Houston, Atlanta, Tampa, Frankfurt, El Paso, & Newark since October, 2001.

The safest bet will be to Fed Ex your film to & from your location.

[Kevin Crisp]

Bill: I think the bottom line within the US is as follows:

1. Carry on going through the machines is unaffected, as before. If you get hauled out for more special treatment you'd better ask about what they're using. 2. Some checked luggage is being subjected to very high intensity x- ray scans which will fog film and create a dark line of density IF the machine happens to focus on your bag. If you put the film in a lead bag, creating a large radiographically opaque object, there is an increased chance the operator might spend more time exploring your film. 3. The manufacturers of the lead bags claim that their products (within the ISO ratings of the bag) will stop damage from even the high intensity scans of checked luggage 4. #3 is hard to verify, if you send through some test film in a lead bag (I've done that) does it mean you survived a scan or just that they didn't scan it?

The was the best I could come up with, so far as I know it is still accurate. I guess the moral of the story is anything but checked luggage until #3 is known to be true.

[Jennifer Waak]

I've done a fair amount of domestic and international flying since Sept. 11th with both 35mm and LF film (color & B&W) with no ill effects. In all cases I carried it on and made no attempts to put it in a lead-lined bag or anything. It's all turned out just fine. If I was shooting something critical I would probably follow Ellis' advice and FedEx it or develop it locally, but of the hundreds upon hundreds of rolls of film I've traipsed around the world with I have NEVER had a problem with a single one.

[David Beard]

Beware of carry-on scans of digital equipment. My Fuji Digital camera was damaged and left unusable until Fuji replaced the circuit board and CCD. I suppose the x-ray ruined these components. The security people assured me that memory devices are not damaged, but the main capture circuitry was damaged. Should I use a lead lined bag for digital camera?

[Doremus Scudder]

Just arrived back in Vienna, Austria via Portland, OR, Seattle and London (Heathrow). I carried several exposed but undeveloped Kodak Readyloads of T-Max 100, 4x5 (Didn't have time to develop them in the States). I developed them here, yesterday. Despite being put through the X-ray machines a total of 3 times, there was absolutely no fogging or streaking. Although I try to avoid travelling with film at all, buying and processing on-site, this seems to be encouraging for the possibilities of travelling by air with unexposed or unprocessed film. I'll repeat the question I've asked before and was asked above: Does anyone have any evidence at all of film damage from film carried in hand luggage? I'd really be interested to know.

Regards, ;^D)