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gflanslo
8-Sep-2009, 09:48
I've been traveling throughout Germany and I recently got a chance to develope a roll of film. To my horror it appears as though the film was either effected from multiple (2) airport x-ray scans, or poor developing (I got it developed at a janky place in Bremen, Germany), or the camera. This comes from my olympus xa which as never given me problems before. My guess is it's the x-ray but I hope not because this means all my other film is probably effected. Also, this is Fuji NPZ800.

take a look at these and let me know what you think.

Gem Singer
8-Sep-2009, 09:54
I think you are correct. It looks like X-Ray exposure.

Robert Hughes
8-Sep-2009, 11:26
That's ISO 800 film? Most likely x-ray. Sometimes you can tell by seeing a repeating, wave-like nature to the overexposure (as the film was wound on a tight spool), which your third example seems to exhibit.

gflanslo
8-Sep-2009, 11:39
thanks for the responses. Do you think ISO 100 and 400 will be effected as drastically as the 800? Logically this makes sense but I don't know.

Also, Do you think I should play it safe and buy new film? I went to a couple of camera shops around Bremen today and no ones carries 120 or 4x5. I'll be in Cologne this weekend so maybe I'll have better luck there. Any suggestions on what I should/ can do.

Jim Michael
8-Sep-2009, 11:49
There are some past threads on x-ray exposure worth reading. Exposure is cumulative and proportional to film speed, so minimal impact would occur by using slower film and reducing the number of x-ray exposures.

dsphotog
8-Sep-2009, 14:09
Was the film in carry-on or checked luggage?
They use much more powerful Xrays on checked baggage.

David Silva
Modesto Ca

adietrich
8-Sep-2009, 15:07
thanks for the responses. Do you think ISO 100 and 400 will be effected as drastically as the 800? Logically this makes sense but I don't know.

Also, Do you think I should play it safe and buy new film? I went to a couple of camera shops around Bremen today and no ones carries 120 or 4x5. I'll be in Cologne this weekend so maybe I'll have better luck there. Any suggestions on what I should/ can do.

Hi Gregory,

If you are in Cologne, you could try Photo Gregor (http://www.foto-gregor.de)

Regards,
Arne

gflanslo
9-Sep-2009, 07:39
the film was in my carry on bag and has been through the x-ray three time. Kodak says it usually takes around 5 but this is iso 800 film.

thanks for the store recommendation in Cologne. I'll most likely go there and replenish all the film I lost.

Don Dudenbostel
9-Sep-2009, 15:15
It looks like x-ray fog. I had the same problem with 400 ISO in Paris this summer. My 100 had no fog.

pocketfulladoubles
9-Sep-2009, 17:49
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe one is allowed to wrap film in aluminum foil, which will eliminate this problem, no? As an alternative, I suppose you can always request a manual bag check.

ki6mf
9-Sep-2009, 18:11
Its best to acquire color film and process locally when traveling internationally. Its my understanding that the X Ray machines in Europe have different and stronger X rays which results in fog.

Jim Michael
9-Sep-2009, 18:32
A lead foil bag will attenuate x-rays but not totally stop them. However, you may run the risk of the bag being scanned multiple times trying to see inside as we saw a couple of years ago on a trip to Alaska.

Also, keep in mind that most of the comments on the subject posted here are USA-centric. Other countries may have different standards for their scanners, the scanner technology may be different than what is commonly used here, etc.


Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe one is allowed to wrap film in aluminum foil, which will eliminate this problem, no? As an alternative, I suppose you can always request a manual bag check.

rdenney
9-Sep-2009, 19:56
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe one is allowed to wrap film in aluminum foil, which will eliminate this problem, no? As an alternative, I suppose you can always request a manual bag check.

Aluminum foil has no effect on radiation, and won't prevent fogging from X-rays at all. Lead will, but it takes somewhat more than people might think. And it shows up on the security screen as an unidentified blob and therefore will attract a stronger dose as has been said. It's better to put the film in a clear plastic bag and ask for a hand inspection, which is always available at least in the U.S. I don't know how one deals with sheet film which is in a box--I've never attempted to carry that through an airport security gate, and certainly not since 9/11. It may be that they just sniff it using the sniffer device.

I had several rolls of roll film fogged when flying to Alaska a couple of years ago. It wasn't supposed to happen, but it did. I have just about decided to take only digital equipment on flying trips, as limiting as that is. Were I being paid to do it, I think I would ship the film via Fedex both ways.

Rick "who prefers to drive" Denney

Glenn Thoreson
9-Sep-2009, 20:19
Yep, X-ray damage. Always ask for a hand inspection of your film. In fact, insist on it.

dsphotog
9-Sep-2009, 22:32
And of course, be nice to the luggage inspector people.....
Unless you enjoy body cavity searches.

Patrick Dixon
10-Sep-2009, 01:10
Yep, X-ray damage. Always ask for a hand inspection of your film. In fact, insist on it.

In the UK they won't do it and they insist that the machines are safe for film.

Robert Hughes
10-Sep-2009, 08:13
...Unless you enjoy body cavity searches.
I don't know how many 8x10's I can carry in a body cavity :eek:

Philippe Grunchec
10-Sep-2009, 10:17
May be a stupid - but serious - question: do you know if (and how) X-rays at the airports affect X-Ray films? I've started to use them in my LF cameras.

Fred L
11-Sep-2009, 19:51
I'm gonna buck the trend and suggest poor lab quality control. Any xray damage I've had or seen featured various wave like or sine patterns. Yours exhibits mostly fog in the centre of the frame. I'd bet their film processor was the source of the problem.

As well, the film was in carry on, which I've never had nor experienced fog of this type. I've had 4x5 Tri X security scanned five or six times with no probs.

AmandaTom
13-Sep-2009, 22:39
This site shows examples:
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib5201.shtml

Your shots look more like poor processing.

Tim Meisburger
13-Sep-2009, 23:25
To me, it looks exactly like the x-ray damage I had on some 100 asa film I had in my checked bags. Especially the shot in front of the cathedral. Since yours was 800 asa, perhaps the weaker scan for carry-on was still enough to fog the film.

Interesting you use an XA. Its the only 35mm I still shoot (occasionally), and probably the single best 35mm camera ever made.

gflanslo
14-Sep-2009, 01:46
Thanks everyone for their insight. I'm going to get a slower ISO film developed at the same place to see what happens. I'll let everyone know the results

fyi - Foto Greggor in Cologne has a very nice selection of 4x5 and 120 film and helpful staff. Plus a nice selection of old Leicas and Hasselbalds

eddie
14-Sep-2009, 04:33
why nit get another lab to develop some and see what you get?

i just shot the famous cathedral in koln recently. they can be seen here:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=37200&page=37
post 364 if you are interested.