3weeks with a 4x5 on vacation advise on practical things

[PatrickMarq]

Hi all,
For the first time i’m going to take my 4x5 on holliday for 3 weeks, as i has never used it more than onze day I have some questions.
I’m keeping my Ektar 100 always in the refrigirator and load it the eventing before.
As I am going to a place where the temperature is at least 83 farenheid and there are at least 6 airplain changes I could use some practical advice.
Ps as you can see i’m not native English

Thanks
Patrick

[diversey]

Put your films in carry-on bag, not in check-in luggage. Read Kodak Ektar film instruction.

[Vaughn]

Airport scanners for hand luggage should not harm film (recent trips to Chile via Peru, with multiple scans of 125ASA B&W -- no problem).

After arriving, keep film in center of luggage during the day to keep it cooler...perhaps wrapped in insulating clothes (sweater, etc). If you have air conditioning in your room, keep film out to cool down during the night.

If you are renting a car, buy a small cheap ice chest to put the film in. Do not put the film in the trunk.

Have fun.

[Drew Wiley]

Here school children often carry little zippered nylon lunch bags with aluminized insulation inside. These work great for film.

[LabRat]

Note if you go someplace very hot and humid, sheet film gets sticky and can be hard to change, and we know it can get hot inside a changing bag... A good practice is to only change film someplace cool and dry, like an air conditioned room at night so you don't sweat too much while changing film...

If going through customs, it's probably better not to have holders loaded, but in film boxes, because almost no one knows how film holders work and there is light sensitive film inside, but at least a film box is marked film...

Bring extra empty film boxes to hold your exposed film...

Steve K

[PatrickMarq]

@steve,

Indeed, a few weeks ago I was in Riga (Letland) with a Medium range finder and at customs nobody seems to know 120mm film.

[PatrickMarq]

Drew,

The aluminized zip bags, is this not a problem for the security scanners?
Next month friends from Florida will come to Belgium so I could ask them to bring some.

[biedron]

Bring more film than you think you'll need:)

Bob

[Drew Bedo]

An insulated lunch bag should keep film cooler. Zip-Loc bags inside each other with a bit of ice will help.

Keep the kit simple to save weight; fewer lenses (one?) fewer film holders etc. I bring a changing bag instead of the tent. My 90mm Nikkor 5.6 stays home and the little Schneider 90mm/6.8 comes off the bench. The Ries tripod stays home as does the Berlibach. They are replaced with a CF set of legs with simple Magnesium alloy ball head. The camera is a little Wista-made Zone VI. It is light enough to work with the light-duty CF tripod and ball head. It has alll the movements, but only 12" of max extension.

[Drew Bedo]

Drew,

The aluminized zip bags, is this not a problem for the security scanners?
Next month friends from Florida will come to Belgium so I could ask them to bring some.

Pack for the airport security check point with the bag empty. Load it up with film and ice for ground travel. It is a case of doing what is possible when it can be done and adapting to circumstances.

[tgtaylor]

When traveling by automobile I keep all film in an insulated lunch box with a wide-mouth 1L Nalgene bottle filled with ice wrapped in a thin plastic produce bag to keep the condensation for getting on the film boxes. You can put the bottle in the freezer with water to freeze. When the ice melts (about a day) stop at any fast food or gas station that serve fountain drinks and fill up the bottle from the ice machine. For 120 film I have waterproof Otter Cases - one holds 5 rolls the other about 10 - which I use when backpacking/hiking with MF. Evening is the best time for unloading/loading LF holders But if you must change during daylight hours, stop at a shady location where it is much cooler (you'll stop sweating), wash and dry your hands thoroughly, and use a changing tent. The Harrison pup tent is perfect for 4x5 size.

With Heathrow being the sole exception, I've always had my film hand checked but its been a while since I last flown with film.

Thomas

Thomas

[Jeff T]

When I asked for the film to to be hand checked at LAX International, they dispatched a TSA special agent, and cause a 40 minutes delay. The worst part was that the TSA special agent forced me to put the film through X-ray because he was not confident with the inspection.

[Drew Bedo]

When I asked for the film to to be hand checked at LAX International, they dispatched a TSA special agent, and cause a 40 minutes delay. The worst part was that the TSA special agent forced me to put the film through X-ray because he was not confident with the inspection.

Back in 2011, we spent two weeks at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. In Houston I asked for hand inspection of a fifty sheet box of Tri-X. I explained that it was unexposed high speed film, that it was a sealed box with two inner envelops which could only be opened in total darkness. Ten or fifteen minutes later it was returned with the box insealed.

When it was time to load up the tri-X, I found that both inner packages had been opened. I shot some of the film with misgivings. Back in Houston and now over three weeks later I found that every sheet had 1/4 to 1/2 inch of dark exposure along one edge and fog acros the sheet. No recourse, but wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Now I always put the film through the carry-on x-ray and hope for the best. Seems OK that way.

[Kiwi7475]

When I asked for the film to to be hand checked at LAX International, they dispatched a TSA special agent, and cause a 40 minutes delay. The worst part was that the TSA special agent forced me to put the film through X-ray because he was not confident with the inspection.

TSA is the worst.

[Shootar401]

I traveled to Europe for 10 days with my 4x5, brought 20 sheets of Provia, and 50 Sheets of HP5. I used it all on the 7th day. So next time I would bring more than what I think I would need. I didn't refrigerate it at all, just loaded up holders in the hotel bathroom, kept the exposed and unexposed locked in my suitcase in my room. No issues at all either with X-rays (JFK -> DME -> ZAG) and back again (ZAG -> IST -> BOS) no body batted an eye at security. They seemd to be more interested in my 16mm B&H Filmo with the 3-lens turret than my Linhof.

[Vaughn]

I got held up in security in Lima, Peru -- they had no idea what they were seeing on the x-ray scanner's screen and called over a supervisor. I guess they do not see many wood and brass 5x7 cameras!

[Drew Wiley]

Why did you ask for hand inspection, Jeff? That's just looking for trouble. You're interrupting their manpower flow. Just have the whole nine yards X-rayed. Even repetitive TSA scans aren't going to fog even low densities of sensitive film unless its especially high ASA.
But I've never been through LAX. SFO can also be a bit paranoid.

[Peter Collins]

In the summer, even if out for just a few hours, the loaded film holders travel in a cooler sized for a six-pack. Cars can get terribly hot terribly quickly.