Travelling with lots of film - ziploc bags?

[shadowfox]

I just returned from shooting a couple of weddings in Europe. I brought along 600 rolls of 35mm (ISO 100, 400, 1600 and 3200) and 300 sheets of Fuji 3000 ISO instant film... I had all the film loose in a duffle bag due to the volume and was able to have it hand checked at Miami and Rome (it was scanned in Paris as they did not care about hand checking it). I never worry about the carry-on scan but if possible, I always ask for a hand check... The developed film came out great as always... When I am traveling with less film, I always put them in clear ziplock bags as I want to make it easy on the TSA folks to inspect the film if I ask for a hand inspection.

Cheers,

You go Riccis! 🙂
Gosh, 600 rolls is a lot.

Btw, why different in Paris? do they somehow feel it's beneath them to hand-check film? If you want to talk about being too busy, that giant airport in Hong Kong is more busy than Paris' yet they still hand-check film.

 

[emraphoto]

i also let my film go through xray with no issues to date. i gave up the 'hand inspection' thing mainly because it amounted a large bribe i was unwilling to pay. my last few times through de gaulle equals Ricci's experience.

i do ziplocs though to cut down on the roll change time and as a means to track pushed film, subject and develop first.

 

[raid]

I use ISO100 film in most cases anyways.
There is no observed Xray problem even with ISO400 film.

 

[whitecat]

I remember years ago going with the lead lined bags. Boy is that a mistake today.

 

[Riccis]

You go Riccis! 🙂
Gosh, 600 rolls is a lot.

Btw, why different in Paris? do they somehow feel it's beneath them to hand-check film?

Not sure why, though... I fly into Charles de Gaulle a lot and I've never been able to get a hand check (and I've asked in English, Spanish and French 🙂)

I had to bring enough film to be able to shoot two weddings (one 3 days long and the other one 6 days in addition to shooting my own personal work). It turns out that film is not dead (of course it's not 😎) as I found a store nicely stocked in Turin.

Cheers,

 

[Chris101]

Yes - sealed plastic bags

Yes - sealed plastic bags

I keep my film in zipper bags all the time, until I shoot it, that is. I keep it bagged in the fridge, then I put it into my camera bag in a bag, I use them for travel ... just always. But I usually do not use the Ziploc[//i] brand - I prefer Hefty bags with the sipper that clicks upon sealing and unsealing.

In the fridge I keep one to two dozen rolls in a gallon bag, and I put half a dozen in quart bags for travel. Each bag gets a silica gel pillow to keep condensation from happening.

Oh, and I NEVER freeze my film. I have kept HIE in the fridge for over 20 years, and gotten great results. But I have lost two rolls to unintended reticulation after freezing them. So I don't do that anymore. And the silica gel keeps the condensation spots to a minimum. Well, that, and I live in Arizona. In more humid climes, you might want to throw in two pillows.

 

[Matus]

I do no fly all that often. Also the X-ray machines used for carry-on luggage are different all over the world (and I did hear about some "nasty" ones).

When I traveled to New Zealand my films (ISO 100 & 400 Provia, ISO 400 Kodag negative films) were 9 times scanned without any ill-effect. I did not feel good about it until I saw the developed films. All was fine. So today traveling across the Europe I do not bother for a hand checks as I do not use high sensitivity films.

 

[Jamie123]

I've never had my film handchecked before and so far I haven't had any x-ray damage. However, this time I'll be travelling with lots of film and some of it will be ISO800.

Anyways, I talked to a friend of mine who works at the airport here (Zurich). He asked his superior and they said they'll do a hand check if requested. So the only other airport I'll have to worry about is the one in San Francisco when I fly to New York. I suppose even if they don't do a hand check it wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

[shadowfox]

So the only other airport I'll have to worry about is the one in San Francisco when I fly to New York. I suppose even if they don't do a hand check it wouldn't be the end of the world.

Jamie, SFO will hand-check your film. It's posted on the waiting line that you can request it, they can't refuse you.

 

[Jamie123]

Jamie, SFO will hand-check your film. It's posted on the waiting line that you can request it, they can't refuse you.

thanks! that's good to know.

 

[akremer]

I fly with 400 and 800 speed all the time and I have never seen any signs of fogging on my film - even when having the film xray scanned up to 6 times.

I always remove all wrapping from the film and place it in plastic bags.

 

[Spicy]

Can anyone answer explicitly regarding bulk rolls (100ft in the tin canisters, not loaded bulk in the plastic rolls of 24 or 36 exposure)?

I am returning home for a little while and was hoping to buy a few bulk 100ft rolls of tri-X, since it's much cheaper to buy back in the States than it is here in Seoul... I can push that to 1600 pretty easily, which is why I'm worried about letting them X-ray it.

Anyone who can comment? I know the airport will do hand inspections of the small 24/36exp rolls in plastic containers, but what I'm curious about is whether or not they will make me open the plastic wrapper of 100ft brick or the tin (thereby ruining it)...

 

[Rayt]

Just leave the bulk rolls in your carry on and let them go through the scanner. The chances of X-ray damage this way is nil at least compared to curious TSA agents.

 

[Spicy]

Right but after they are scanned, if I shoot some of them pushed to 1600, I'm wondering if that will mess with the film. Like, does ISO 400 film pushed to 1600 behave like 1600 film shot at 1600 (ie: risk of fogging because it has "become" high speed film?)