Film and Airport Security

[redshift]

I'll be doing some international travel this spring. What is the best way to transport 4x5 Ilford HP5? Checked baggage? Carry on? UPS to first destination? Is there a different concern after post exposure? Will the current security screening damage the film?

[djdister]

Carry on all the time, unless you want to ship it. Checked baggage gets much higher dose of x-rays.

[vinny]

link to dozens of threads on the subject:
https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=site%3Alargeformatphotography.info+airport&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001

[Doremus Scudder]

I'll be doing some international travel this spring. What is the best way to transport 4x5 Ilford HP5? Checked baggage? Carry on? UPS to first destination? Is there a different concern after post exposure? Will the current security screening damage the film?

First, never put film in your checked luggage. The scanners used for checked bags are much stronger and are guaranteed to damage film. Film, either unexposed or exposed and undeveloped needs to go with you in your carry-on bag.

I travel a lot between the U.S.A and Europe. I carry unexposed 4x5 film to Europe a lot (it's just a lot cheaper in the States) and lately, since my darkroom in the States is under construction, I've been bringing all the negatives I shot there back to Europe with me to develop. So, from my experience a couple of observations:

First, you can put ISO 400 film through the hand-luggage scanners many times without ill effects. I've had film I brought to Europe (scanned twice) go with me to Italy (two more scans) and then the film I didn't expose there go on yet another trip or two; in short, 6 - 8 times through the scanner without a problem. A lot of that film was exposed and got developed after I got home; I've never seen any damage to exposed but undeveloped film either.

However, I ask for a hand inspection in the States whenever I can. I have unexposed sheet film in factory-sealed boxes, but transport exposed film in opened but retaped factory boxes clearly marked, "Undeveloped Film: Open only in total darkness." The TSA guys are for the most part familiar with the process and will simply swipe the outside of the box with a patch and put it in their detector. Don't put your film boxes in sealed or taped plastic bags, they'll have to open them to do the swab test; I carry mine in regular ZipLocs that can easily be opened. It's not a bad idea to be observant and make sure a greenhorn doesn't try to open a box instead of just doing the swab test; tape your boxes well. If there's any problem with a hand inspection (even if it's someone not knowing what he/she's doing) then just let them put the film through the scanner. I only get a hand inspection to reduce the total number of scans I know my film is going to get just in case.

Don't bother with asking for hand inspections outside of the States. Do, however, remove the film from your carry on and send it through the scanner separately. This is to keep the scanner operator from giving your film repeat scans because they don't recognize what it is in your bag. If it goes in by itself, there shouldn't be a problem.

Do all that and you should be just fine.

Happy travels,

Doremus

[redshift]

Thank you D.S.!


First, never put film in your checked luggage. The scanners used for checked bags are much stronger and are guaranteed to damage film. Film, either unexposed or exposed and undeveloped needs to go with you in your carry-on bag.

I travel a lot between the U.S.A and Europe. I carry unexposed 4x5 film to Europe a lot (it's just a lot cheaper in the States) and lately, since my darkroom in the States is under construction, I've been bringing all the negatives I shot there back to Europe with me to develop. So, from my experience a couple of observations:

First, you can put ISO 400 film through the hand-luggage scanners many times without ill effects. I've had film I brought to Europe (scanned twice) go with me to Italy (two more scans) and then the film I didn't expose there go on yet another trip or two; in short, 6 - 8 times through the scanner without a problem. A lot of that film was exposed and got developed after I got home; I've never seen any damage to exposed but undeveloped film either.

However, I ask for a hand inspection in the States whenever I can. I have unexposed sheet film in factory-sealed boxes, but transport exposed film in opened but retaped factory boxes clearly marked, "Undeveloped Film: Open only in total darkness." The TSA guys are for the most part familiar with the process and will simply swipe the outside of the box with a patch and put it in their detector. Don't put your film boxes in sealed or taped plastic bags, they'll have to open them to do the swab test; I carry mine in regular ZipLocs that can easily be opened. It's not a bad idea to be observant and make sure a greenhorn doesn't try to open a box instead of just doing the swab test; tape your boxes well. If there's any problem with a hand inspection (even if it's someone not knowing what he/she's doing) then just let them put the film through the scanner. I only get a hand inspection to reduce the total number of scans I know my film is going to get just in case.

Don't bother with asking for hand inspections outside of the States. Do, however, remove the film from your carry on and send it through the scanner separately. This is to keep the scanner operator from giving your film repeat scans because they don't recognize what it is in your bag. If it goes in by itself, there shouldn't be a problem.

Do all that and you should be just fine.

Happy travels,

Doremus

[Sirius Glass]

Carry on only. Put it in checked baggage if you want it ruined.

[BetterSense]

I have had film, typically 400 speed, scanned through carry-on many times without damage. I still ask for a hand check sometimes but sometimes I just can't be bothered since I don't think there is any risk.

[redshift]

Good advice. Thanks all.

[Drew Wiley]

Depends on the airport and specific personnel on duty at the time. Hand-check might go smoothly or it might not. I'd rather just leave the film in the carry-on and
have it X-rayed along with the gear.

[Bogdan Karasek]

I travelled to China twice last year, from Canada, via Los Angles, and each trip, with planes changes and all, I had to go through 7 scans on each trip. Contrary to Doremus's affirmation, "Don't bother with asking for hand inspections outside of the States." , I never had a problem, in Canada or in China, asking for a hand inspection. I always carry my 35mm and 120 film in transparent ziplock baggies which the attendant inspects and returns to me on the other side of the scanner. The only place where I was repeatedly refused a hand inspection, going and coming, was in L.A. The problem with X-rays is the cumulative effect on the film. With 7 scans on a round trip, I'd take my chances with a hand inspection.

[barnacle]

Is there anywhere a definitive guide as to the sensitivity of film emulsion to x-rays? My understanding - which may be either or both of out-of-date and plain wrong - is that it's not particularly sensitive. X-ray images are usually formed by placing a film against a material which fluoresces in the presence of x-rays, and exposing on the visible light of this fluorescence.

Neil

[Doremus Scudder]

I travelled to China twice last year, from Canada, via Los Angles, and each trip, with planes changes and all, I had to go through 7 scans on each trip. Contrary to Doremus's affirmation, "Don't bother with asking for hand inspections outside of the States." , I never had a problem, in Canada or in China, asking for a hand inspection. I always carry my 35mm and 120 film in transparent ziplock baggies which the attendant inspects and returns to me on the other side of the scanner. The only place where I was repeatedly refused a hand inspection, going and coming, was in L.A. The problem with X-rays is the cumulative effect on the film. With 7 scans on a round trip, I'd take my chances with a hand inspection.

Bogdan,

Interesting and encouraging that you got hand inspections abroad (although in my mind, Canada is lumped in with U.S. airports). My experience in Europe is that security people will rarely hand-inspect film and simply insist on putting it through the scanner with the explanation that it is safe. I don't argue with them, since I've never had any damage even from multiple scans.

I'm surprised the TSA guys in LAX wouldn't hand-inspect your film! They should know better.

Doremus

[koraks]

Is there anywhere a definitive guide as to the sensitivity of film emulsion to x-rays? My understanding - which may be either or both of out-of-date and plain wrong - is that it's not particularly sensitive. X-ray images are usually formed by placing a film against a material which fluoresces in the presence of x-rays, and exposing on the visible light of this fluorescence.

A definitive guide, no. Some googling yields this thread on photo.net, which seems well-informed (although it's hard to check as few sources are cited). However, anecdotal evidence supports the notions put forward there, and logic dictates that there's probably truth to it. Keep in mind that:
1. The actual x-ray dose used to scan luggage, particularly carry-on, is high if you compare it to background radiation, but it's only a brief moment. Storing your film for a few weeks will expose it to more radiation than passing it through a carry-on luggage scanner a few times.
2. X-rays are high-energy rays and as a result, the vast majority will pass through the material without altering it. This is especially true as film is light-weight, i.e. it's not a whole lot of big nuclei bunched together, but rather a thin film of small nuclei with mostly nothing in-between them. The odds of a single x-ray hitting a nucleus in your film (even less so a silver halide nucleus) are vanishingly small, and even very many x-rays will mostly pass through. After all, this is the way x-ray works anyway; most of the radiation passes through and only a small part is reflected or captured, and the differential is used to create an image (with substantial contrast enhancements, either through digital means or by using a sensitive fluorescent screen that amplifies the image and makes it a little more persistent than the momentary blip it really is).

All considered, it follows that even a relatively large exposure to x-rays will only create a small amount of fog on film. Remember the Chernobyl accident? It's one of the rare cases in which photographic film was actually exposed with x-rays to such an extent as to substantially impact the resulting image. This happened with film used by journalists hovering over the exploded reactor core in a helicopter, being exposed to radiation levels many orders of magnitude higher than those used in x-ray equipment.

[barnacle]

Chernobyl's an interesting point, though: surely the damage there would have been from gamma radiation from short-lived nucleotides expelled to the atmosphere? Alpha and beta radiation don't need much to stop them, so unless you're very close to the source gamma is all that's left. I don't think there's a lot of x-radiation from nuclear decay and/or fission.

Apropos of which: fifty years ago my father discovered that he had a lump of pitchblende he didn't know about when it fogged a box of print paper for him...

I'll be bringing back some new Fomopan from Berlin next week to the UK, so we'll see what DE security have to say.

Neil

[BrianShaw]

"A definitive guide..."

Actually, there once was better information than a guide. Back in the good old days the film industry association, I3A, which did the research leading to the FAA and industry regulations made available their final reports for both carry-on scanners and CTX. They included data. Unfortunately most people reading it are ignorant of both research and the trends in the scanning equipment and dismiss it based on Thor assumptions and internet hearsay. Unfortunately I3A has long ago disbanded but the reports should still exist on the web.... Somewhere. In terms of a currently available guide: the FAA, Kodak, Fuji, etc guidance and recommendations are based on this research data. What more do you desire?

[barnacle]

All of whom say, if I recall correctly, shove it through the scanner...

I suspect that you probably get more damage from cosmic radiation on the flight itself than from the scanner.

Neil

[Willie]

Do they hand inspect the boxes of X-Ray film?
Seeing as a number on here use it for their LF work it might be nice to know reality with scanners.

Then, we have alt process chemistry and glass plates...

[barnacle]

A thought: anything arriving in most countries by mail is certainly getting a good blast at customs...

Neil

[koraks]

Chernobyl's an interesting point, though: surely the damage there would have been from gamma radiation from short-lived nucleotides expelled to the atmosphere? Alpha and beta radiation don't need much to stop them, so unless you're very close to the source gamma is all that's left. I don't think there's a lot of x-radiation from nuclear decay and/or fission.
Certainly! The camera body would have stopped virtually all of the alfa radiation and the vast majority of beta as well. Gamma is likely to have been the culprit.

[Doremus Scudder]

Just so we don't mislead unintentionally:

While hand-luggage scanners use a relatively low dose of radiation and film is safe even with multiple passes through them, scanners used for checked baggage uses considerably more radiation and will, and has, damaged film. I have seen film damaged in this way and there are numerous accounts and examples of damage from checked-baggage scanners here and on other forums. However sensitive film is to X-rays, these scanners emit enough to cause damage. Don't check film, period.

Doremus

[Drew Wiley]

Anything of value checked-in will probably be stolen by the handlers anyway. We even get goodies like boxes of chocolate stolen from our luggage.

[Jim Andrada]

The only time I had film damaged by airport security was when leaving New Zealand a lot of years ago. Got to Sydney and sent the film out and it came back - ruined. At the time NZed was using very old (antiquated!) scanners. I think now it's no problem. I know Japan - US is no problem. In fact they apologize for bothering you to put your stuff through the scanner.

[barnacle]

Came back through Berlin Schoenefeld (SXF) this week. They weren't interested in hand scanning, so I just pulled the film and laid it flat in the tray alongside a laptop, in the hope that a minimum dose might be used. Haven't exposed or developed it yet, and it's a new film to me (Fomopan) so I'm not sure what I might learn.

Neil

[tgtaylor]

Why take the chance? Heathrow was the only airport that wouldn't hand inspect my film - all the rest did.

Thomas