Film: Check it in or carry on

Film: Check it in or carry on

  • Check in the luggage

    Votes: 7 6.4%

  • Carry on and hand check

    Votes: 102 93.6%
  • Total voters
    109
I've stopped asking for a hand check. Just causes more issues than I'm willing to deal with these days - despite the guidelines, TSA folk don't seem to know what to do, or are unwilling to bother (also, Efke film seems to set off the chemical sniffer). But I've not had any noticeable fogging with either 35mm or 120 film under 400asa.
 
Funny, I always buy film when visiting the US, including bulk rolls and bring them home in checked in luggage, especially after I got tired of getting hand checked at security. . I've never noticed any ill effect. How does film get distributed around the world or sent when order from adorama or B&H? Isn't cargo also scanned?
 
Can I ask a little different but related question?

Anyone HAD fogging or other visible issues from traveling with films in CARRY ON bags?

One trip may involve more than a couple of security stops. I've heard that you don't want to put the films in X-Ray blocking bags because the agent will crank up the power of X-ray machine to see better. I don't even know if that's real or an urban myth.

So have you seen (not heard or read somewhere online) any fogging, lines etc from putting naked or boxed rolls of film in regular carry-on bag (or ziplock bag sitting in tray)?

I'd love to just leave them in carry-on bag and forget about hand inspection especially I now use TSA pre-check whenever possible.
 
I've had good luck in Asia -- for example, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and even Brunei. Some officers look at me quizzically (one even thought I was asking to have digital cameras checked! I had some Natura 1600 unfinished in a camera) but all in Asia thus far have obliged. I've been treated rudely in Doha though and would not try Heathrow (it's a mad house there these days).
 
jamin-b said:
Funny, I always buy film when visiting the US, including bulk rolls and bring them home in checked in luggage, especially after I got tired of getting hand checked at security. . I've never noticed any ill effect. How does film get distributed around the world or sent when order from adorama or B&H? Isn't cargo also scanned?
Click to expand...

Quite. Never been able to get this question 100% cleared up where I live (SE Asia). It seems some people can order film overseas from places like B+H and have no problems. Others place larger personal orders and find it all ruined by the time it gets here. Yet I know of people in other countries (Australia) who order overseas constantly without issue and I know that Oz customs are really tight on everything so it's puzzling.

I have always thought that the main importers must have some sort of special cargo treatment policy applied to their large crates/pallets of photosensitive material that won't be applied by the authorities in customs to small packages with a a few films in. Too much of a crap shoot for me and the prices locally are still fair enough and don't warrant ordering overseas so I haven't had to experiment further. I don't like the risk. I doubt you would be able to return the film to the place you bought it from either, who would be able to say for sure where the film was ruined? You would be out the costs of the film, shipping and import duties. I could bring back from Europe once a year carry on if I ever needed to anyway.

Never had a bad roll from a dealer though, they're always fine.
 
coelacanth said:
Can I ask a little different but related question?

Anyone HAD fogging or other visible issues from traveling with films in CARRY ON bags?

One trip may involve more than a couple of security stops. I've heard that you don't want to put the films in X-Ray blocking bags because the agent will crank up the power of X-ray machine to see better. I don't even know if that's real or an urban myth.

So have you seen (not heard or read somewhere online) any fogging, lines etc from putting naked or boxed rolls of film in regular carry-on bag (or ziplock bag sitting in tray)?

I'd love to just leave them in carry-on bag and forget about hand inspection especially I now use TSA pre-check whenever possible.
Click to expand...

Never had problems with carry on, despite multiple scannings at a few airports. I don't think Xray bags are worth it, in 2016, for a variety of reasons.

Ask for hand inspections, don't expect any.
 
Since I have families in Japan, I usually keep few rolls of Tri-X with them (ask them to put them in fridge and don't touch or open). Flying back to the US is usually easy as Japanese airport security seems to be used to the idea of people asking for hand inspection.

I'm flying to Canada again for work next week. For the heck of it I'll try just leaving a roll or two in carry-on bag and go through TSA Pre-Check line without asking hand inspection. Then I'll do the same on my way back, and see if I see any ill effect. From what I'm hearing, I doubt it. Maybe I'll start flying with film regularly again.
 
I usually have my film hand checked by security whenever I'm flying within the U.S.

Just recently last year I've worked in China. Came to the point that I've ignored the handcheck and the film was scanned roughly around 2-5 times. To my conclusion, some fo the film was affected, some new film, some expired film. Oddly the fresh porta 400 and Trix320 was affected most. Even some 4x5 Portra 160 was affected but more so along the edges.

I've bumped into a fellow photog in Shanghai who told me about the Domke x-ray bag. This time around I'm experimenting with this. Having my film just scan through carry on. Security ended up doing a hand check, seeing 75 rolls in one bag. Process was quick though.
 
rjstep3 said:
Remember also it depends on the speed of the film. You won't have problems with ISO 100 or 50, but starting with ISO 800 and up, there could well be problems - and the more times they go through X-rays, the greater the risk of fogging.

One day they will increase the X-ray even for carry on and film for travel will be dead.

rjstep3
Click to expand...

This is absolutely correct. Xray damage is cumulative and each pass adds to the previous exposure. And yes the higher speed the film the greater the chance of damage.

I person have had 400 Fuji B&W ruined by multiple passes through the carry on machine in Paris. The imprint of the top of the metal cassette caused dense black wavy lines through the one roll I processed as a test. The 100 I had was ok.

Many deny that carry on X-ray machines will damage film but I had it happen. I decided after this experience to never carry film when flying commercial, I'll always take digital.
 
coelacanth said:
Can I ask a little different but related question?

Anyone HAD fogging or other visible issues from traveling with films in CARRY ON bags?

One trip may involve more than a couple of security stops. I've heard that you don't want to put the films in X-Ray blocking bags because the agent will crank up the power of X-ray machine to see better. I don't even know if that's real or an urban myth.

So have you seen (not heard or read somewhere online) any fogging, lines etc from putting naked or boxed rolls of film in regular carry-on bag (or ziplock bag sitting in tray)?

I'd love to just leave them in carry-on bag and forget about hand inspection especially I now use TSA pre-check whenever possible.
Click to expand...

Inspectors will not let something through that they can't see the contents. Yes if needed they will increase the Kv on the xray tube which increases penetration and exposure. They must see the contents otherwise how do they know you don't have explosives or a weapon.
 
Just came back from Ottawa, Canada. I flew with two rolls of Tri-X (Arista Premium 400), and had them in my carry-on bag, or more precisely in the accompanying laptop bag with camera insert. The films were in their retail boxes sitting in the bag insert, not in the camera. They went through the X-Ray machines twice. One at SFO (TSA Pre-Check line) and another one at Ottawa YOW. I only shot one roll and it came out just fine with no noticeable issues.

I'm going to mark the other roll and make sure I'll shoot it locally as I don't want further X-Ray exposure to accumulate.

This is just one instance but so far so good.
 
When I fly with sheet film I never ask for hand inspection fearing some person will insist I open the box. I have had 4x5 film scanned 6 times without evidence of damage.
 
Just a bit of recent personal experience traveling with film. I took 5 rolls of portra 400 and 2 rolls of portra 800 on a trip from Dallas to Italy..all in carry-on baggage. The bottom line is that I do not see any visible fogging or other X-ray damage in my scans...will check the negatives when they get back from the lab.

1. TSA in Dallas hand-inspected my portra 800 with no problem (was in a separate baggie). There were very few people in the security line. They swabbed each roll for residue and checked it over. I suspect they may have been less willing if it was crowded or if I had a large quantity.

2. All Portra 400 went through the carry-on XRay in Dallas

3. Two rolls of Portra 400 went through the X-Ray scanner at the Vatican museum in Rome (I suspect with the crowds and extra security, hand-inspection would not have been granted even if I had asked)

4. All Portra 400 and Portra 800 went through the carry-on XRay at Malpensa Airport near Milan. The security person would not hand inspect...insisted that it go through the x-ray. He was polite about it, and I did not push the issue.

5. All Portra 400 and Portra 800 went through the carry-on XRay at JFK Airport in New York. The place was packed and I didn't even bother to ask for a hand inspection...I suspect that it would have been denied.

The 800 went through 2 scans with no visible problems, and the 400 went through 3-4 scans with no visible problems.

I was a little concerned that they might be using a more intense x-ray machine at the Vatican, but it did not appear to be so.

I did not travel with film in my cameras, because I have been asked to open them at security before.
 
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