Around the World with A Load of Film - An X-ray report

[Turtle]

By blank do you mean clear rebate with no exposure to the film at all? If so, it was certainly not due to X-Rays. The latter causes exposure to the film in the pattern of the X-ray, but it depends on the angle of exposure.

One of the airports which has come up more than a few times regarding fogging of film is Charles De Gaulle, however.

If exposed to enough Xray to damage the film, this should be fairly easy to recognise and certainly would not cause uniform exposure to my understanding (and from the examples I have seen).

This is nice to know. Thanks!

The only problen with carry on scanners I've had so far happened last year on the way back to the US from Paris. My last exposed roll of Arista Premium 400 (tri-x), which was still in my M6 when it went through the scanner came out completely blank after I developed it. This has never happened before on domestic or international flights, so I don't know what to attribute this to. It is possible that the roll of film had a light leak, but I just don't know.
The one thing I do now is I don't leave film in the camera when it goes through the scanner.

 

[Sparrow]

I not only demand a hand examination but also take Potassium Iodine tablets before hand ... and I've been looking at these ... just to be on the safe side eh?

 

[sevo]

My last exposed roll of Arista Premium 400 (tri-x), which was still in my M6 when it went through the scanner came out completely blank after I developed it. This has never happened before on domestic or international flights,

... which would be no surprise. Even the worst airport X-ray device can never "un-expose" your exposed film. The worst that once could have happened in pre-CRT days would have been blackened film. For the past twenty or thirty years, the worst that can happen (in general only if you put film through the check-in baggage) are wavy scan lines across your film.

Blank, with edge numbers, means "film not transported, lens cap never removed, shutter stuck shut", while blank without even edge numbers or a black trailer means "never developed, or fixed before development". I.e. a user, camera or lab error.

 

[Paul Jenkin]

All my film (exposed or otherwise) goes into my hand luggage and I never bother with hand checks. No poblems to report to-date. Visited Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Maldives, Sri Lanka, India, Holland and a few others.

 

[useless generation]

Never had a problem with any color film but I want to take some tri-x with me to Japan and shoot it at 1600. If I push process will I see signs of xray damage?

 

[zauhar]

I likewise had no problem with Tri-X @1600 checked with no special handling through several airports this Summer. I was glad that the airport personnel understood what film is, and could answer questions without hesitation.

I appreciate the OPs post, however. Someday if I have a Pulitzer-prize winning image in the can, I will want a hand check. ;-)

Randy

 

[Roma]

Not sure exactly what happened to my last roll, but I rewound the film in the camera when I got home, loaded it as one of 5 rolls that I developed that day in one developing tank with 4 other rolls. 4 other rolls were fine, but this one was clear/blank. I don't remember if the numbers were present or not.

Of course, a couple of really good shots that I believe were on that roll made me say a few nasty things, but, I guess, that's part of a photographer's experience

P.S. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that I never wear a lens cap as I use a lens hood for protection and the film was definitely advancing when I shot it since I clearly remember rewinding it normally as any other roll.