Film and security scans

[cz23]

Just sharing a personal film v. digital experience, FWIW.

Last week I returned to the US from a two-week trip to Delhi for a wedding. I had not shot film in 10+ years, but before leaving I ran a couple rolls of XP2 through an old Minolta. I liked it so much I bought an beautiful M4-P, 35mm Voigtlander, and some ISO 400 film for the trip.

But by the time I shot the first frame in India, the film had already been security scanned seven times. In India, scanners are everywhere, and much of the equipment looks very old. The New Delhi subway scans every time you enter, and I was bopping all over. Major hotels scan every time you enter, as do tourist sites. Once outside the US, no one was willing to hand check film. They all claimed THEIR device was safe, but they aren't thinking about the cumulative effect. I figure some rolls would have been scanned at least twenty times.

Before leaving I read mixed viewpoints on scanner safety, but I had such little confidence in the film's integrity that I used my Nex 7 for the entire trip. I'm still going forward with film, but for international travel I think I'll stick to digital.

John

 

[Addy101]

Nice pictures, but the thread title doesn't do them justice.... To bad, a lot of people won't look at them because of the title :bang:

Re. The scans, you worry too much. You should have used the film. IMHO of course.

 

[cz23]

Good point. So I'll remove the pictures and place them in another thread. Appreciate the suggestion.

I am a worrier, but it was an important trip and I didn't want to risk fogged film.

John

 

[Messsucherkamera]

In the future, you could use lead lined film bags to protect your film from x-!ray scans.

Domke makes three sizes of these bags (called Domke Film Guard Bags) which provide protection for emulsions rated at ISO 800 and lower. These are intended to protect your film from the lower power scans used to inspect carry on luggage, not for the high power scanners used on checked luggage