Air Travel

Bill Pierce

Bill Pierce

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I recently wrote a column for the next issue of the Digital Journalist on traveling with cameras. My philosophy is that no camera goes into the hold of an airplane; it's just too risky that it won't join you at the end of the trip. Indeed, domestically, anything I can't get on board with me (clothes, e.t.c.) gets shipped to the destination by FedEx.

This is a long way from the days when a well tipped Skycap got you carefully handled luggage promptly delivered at your destination. I wondered what you folks are doing, especially those traveling with film?

Bill
 
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I take boats 🙂
Seriously though, cameras, laptops, storage media(film/memory cards/portable HD) come with me on the plane. If I'm traveling internationally I pop some dry d-76 and fixer in my checked luggage and process in the bathroom of the hotel so that my film doesn't get over-fried in places that don't do hand checks. So far I've never once had a problem packing on the dry chemicals with security and customs, perhaps i've just been lucky in that department.
 
All photo gear and film is strictly carry-on for me. A pro on a big assignment may not be able to, although gear could be distributed among those travelling with him. My bag of film (about 100 rolls) was part of my daughter's carry-on.
 
Never do I check in camera equipment. never. if I have a lot, I will Fed EX it (rarely). Mostly I just put it in my shoulder bag and it stays with me. Film, same thing. I have never had a problem with film exposed or not going thru the X ray machine. Am I just lucky?
 
Does anyone know if this TSA 2 extra battery limit is actually enforced?
"Spare lithium batteries: Spare lithium batteries (not installed in their electronic devices) must be packed in carry-on bags. The limit is two batteries per passenger." This was from a notice on the orbitz site, dated January of this year.
The reason I am asking is that I am flying via NYC to Buenos Aires later this year. I would normally take 2 extra batteries for my R-d1 and one extra for my GRD II.
(And no jokes about digital: even if I got my Contax T3 fixed, the extra battery for it is lithium too.)
 
all the cameras go on board. Tri-X can be x-rayed 20 times or more with no visible fogging as long is it's CARRY-ON x-rays. NEVER in the hold.

Problem is flying into remote locations or small cities with tiny planes where camera backpacks or the like will not fit in overhead bins or under the seat. Then you must check the cameras but you can do it right next to the plane, and pick it up right next to the plane. And you can usually talk to the baggage handler and explain it's fragile.

As far as I'm concerned w/ xrays - from carrying thousands of films on board and having them x-rayed, this is a non-issue. I do have the very fast films (like tmz) hand-checked but in some places they won't do this. They you have to finesse it, or not take ultra-fast film. I've always managed to avoid having the tmz x-rayed but there are certain countires where I just don't take tmz because I know they'd insist on scanning it.

The biggest problem with traveling with film is not the x-rays before getting on the place it's the x-rays used by CUSTOMS in a number of countires. It's a sinking feeling to claim your bags and on the way out see these HUGE x-ray machines, the sort they use to scan the baggage that goes in the hold, and you are expected to put everything through there. At that point, a lot depends on your language skills.

Entering a certain central american country recently, I talked my way out of having the film pass thru this monstrous scanner - the down side is I had to pay import duties equal to the value of the film (they let you bring in 6 rolls for free....)
 
(Film) Cameras and film in carry-on, always. I always have a laptop in carry-on as well, but not for photographic purposes.

Pablito is right: even in San Francisco they might force you at customs
to go through one of these big xray machines these days.

Roland.
 
The lithium batt restrictions are for the big honkers (network-grade video cams, and the like)---not 123s, AAs, or even laptop batts.

These days, I just pare down what I'm taking on a trip and fit it into a carry-on. Even a 'blad, a couple of M's and a few lenses will pack down nicely. I nearly got caught out in that Heathrow scare a couple of years ago, when they suddenly wouldn't let you take anything more than your ticket and the clothes you were wearing aboard, and bought a Pelican case to check any gear into the hold. But I only had to use that once, and I didn't get a lot of sleep on the flight. They've since reverted to allowing "normal" carry-on sizes.

Film goes in the carry-on, too. I try to get it hand-inspected when I have time and the TSA lines aren't too long (they invariably run *each roll* through the sniffer), just to cut down on the number of passes through the x-ray on a trip with a lot of connections. Overseas, those requests tend to draw a hiss and chop of the hand. But I quit worrying about x-ray damage years ago. Even TMZ seems to have a lot of headroom in that regard.
 
ferider said:
Pablito is right: even in San Francisco they might force you at customs
to go through one of these big xray machines these days.

Roland.
Click to expand...

Entering the US they make you x-ray your luggage in customs if they have some suspicion about you - but they will honor a request for hand-check of films. There are countries where everyone must x-ray everything that enters - through those huge machines. That's when your negotiating skills come in. Things are not going to get any easier for film users in this regard. Contrary to what you might think, digital has just about totally eliminated film in some 3rd world countires. The situation has reached such a point that I am more and more leaving the film cameras at home if the job can be done in digital. When you're getting paid, and your trip is being paid for, you just can't afford to have everything ruined by customs x-ray. It all depends on the country of course. A couple of weeks ago I entered China by land border crossing (not at an airport) I was very glad I had no film - EVERYTHING went through a huge machine or you did not enter the country..
 
I have travelled three times this year. To Switzerland in April, Guam in May and I'm currently home in Boston. All three times I traveled with film cameras and film in x-ray safe bags.

Airport security in Japan has been the most thorough in that each and every 35mm roll was taken out of its plastic case and hand checked. After that the US was slightly less strict and Europe the least (film was not taken out and checked separately in Zurich or Helsinki.)

Interesting enough, cameras weren't touched on any of the three trips. When I travelled with a dSLR however, it was always taken out and hand inspected.
 
Like everyone else, cameras, lenses, film with me in the cabin. I don't use NP1600 any more although the last time I went through Barajas in Madrid they insisted on scanning everything and pointed me to a notice on the scanner that said films up to 1600 were OK to go through. Recently was in Berlin and they scan everywhere, even the museums. (They liked my Leica cameras at Tegel Airport though 🙂.) I've never had a problem and like Chuck above I've stopped worrying about it. I think the only time to worry these days is when customs x-ray going into a country as Pablito points out. It has only happened to me once and I put my film bag under my camera bag on the belt. I don't know if it had any effect but none of the film was fogged.
 
I carry what I am going to use -- two cameras, a few lenses.


Last year on trip to Central America this guy looked in shock when he was told his Pelican cases --several of them -- would have to go in the hold. He complained saying that he had about $50K in gear for a shoot.

I cannot vouch for his $50K statement but he did have quite alot of gear.
 
It makes more sense these days to use a digital camera when traveling on a plane.


I don't like digital cameras, but the thought crossed my mind after being asked by airport security overseas about the 30 rolls of film with me. "What kind of photos did you take in this county?"

I felt like responding with " a 2GB card in a digital camera can hold more images than these 30 rolls of film." Why is film causing suspicious looks whereas a digital camera is kosher?
 
raid said:
Why is film causing suspicious looks whereas a digital camera is kosher?
Click to expand...

Personally speaking, I wouldn't phrase the question like this in any country except Isreal or New York. Imagine the response if asked in an Islamic country!
 
I take everything with me in carry-on, no camera in check-in luggage anymore. Once I had to carry my F3HP and two Nikon lenses in my checked-in luggage and after a 12 hours flight I found the UV protection filter being broken (the front lens cap still in place on top of the filter) and the glass parts of the filter trapped between front cap and front element had nicely ground the front element of my 105/2.5 Ais into depolished glass ... :bang:

Film (usually nothing over 400ISO) is packed in zip-lock bags and goes with me into the cabin (one or two camera, two lenses and ~ 20 films fit into my messenger bag). I let them x-ray everything, so far no problem (I found Japanese TSA staff to be most friendly and being more concerned about my cameras / films then I am ... 🙂)
 
Some camera stuff gets checked in, the cameras I don't want to live without, go with me on the plane. All film is carried with on the plane. I haven't lost anything yet--knock on wood.
 
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