Film in lead-lined bag for air travel to SA

[Rangefinder 35]

I might go for a few weeks to Chile. It requires a 30+ hrs of air travel. I've heard that Chile uses a powerful X-Ray machines to zap the luggage. I use 50-100 ASA film only. Does it make sense to carry my film in lead-lined bag? Couple years ago I went to Istanbul with Velvia 50. My bags were X-Rayed many times. I never noticed any problem. Should I worry now?

 

[2WK]

I wouldn't worry. From my understanding it is only high speed film that can be affected. Even then you would have to pass said film through the machines many many times to see fogging. I generally travel with some high speed film, and I just ask that it be hand checked. I have never had a problem doing so.

 

[kxl]

As long as you have it in your carry-on bag, you should be fine. The only time I have ever had xray-fogged film was when a roll of TMZ (3200) was subjected through about 6 passes.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Carry on bags okay. Do not need lead lined. ISO up to 400 no problem. Do not place in bags to be checked. That is where they use a stronger xray.

 

[Rangefinder 35]

Thanks

Thanks

Thank you for the replies. And I've already bought Sima bag. What would happen I f I put the slower (ASA50) film in the checked-in luggage in the bag. Would it survive X-Rays?

 

[JChrome]

I travelled through India and Sri Lanka. Every flight they required me to have my items scanned multiple times and they would not "hand check" anything. I showed my film to some folks and told them it was "120mm" and they thought it was ammunition!

Over all my film probably went through 10 scanners from beginning to end. I was worried about fogging but even the film I pushed from 400 to 1250 looked fine.

Bottom line, use carry on, hand check when you can but even if it's scanned you'll be A-OK.

 

[Sparrow]

Thank you for the replies. And I've already bought Sima bag. What would happen I f I put the slower (ASA50) film in the checked-in luggage in the bag. Would it survive X-Rays?

... no idea, why not try it and report back?

 

[awbphotog]

I just processed a lot of film from my trip to Paris/London from last March. Even my Tri-x is exhibiting some nasty banding from going through four sets of x-ray machines. I say be as careful as you can be!

Example:

 

[Sparrow]

... not again

 

[rfaspen]

Yes, again.

You should know that opinions will vary widely on this topic. In general, we used to have troubles with film through airports (I certainly have!) but things have improved in recent years. Having said that, I still do what I can to minimize "exposure" to x-rays when travelling. Some airport checkpoints will happily do "hand checks", others will rudely rebuff such a ridiculous request. This is very strongly correlated with the "busy-ness" of the given airport and culture of the location.

My approach: (1) If possible bring mostly slow films (400 and below). (2) Carry-on bags only! (3) Hand check when possible and when not possible, rest assured the carry-on machines are gentler on your film. If I have a lot of film and hand checking all of it is not possible -- I choose the fastest films or most dear rolls for hand check and send the rest along the carry-on conveyor belt.

Again, very wide range of opinions on this topic. However, I don't many will have much problem with my approach outlined above. Recent travels (within the last 7 years) have revealed no issues. Prior to that -- well, my experience was my experience.

 

[Sparrow]

Yes, again.

You should know that opinions will vary widely on this topic. In general, we used to have troubles with film through airports (I certainly have!) but things have improved in recent years. Having said that, I still do what I can to minimize "exposure" to x-rays when travelling. Some airport checkpoints will happily do "hand checks", others will rudely rebuff such a ridiculous request. This is very strongly correlated with the "busy-ness" of the given airport and culture of the location.

My approach: (1) If possible bring mostly slow films (400 and below). (2) Carry-on bags only! (3) Hand check when possible and when not possible, rest assured the carry-on machines are gentler on your film. If I have a lot of film and hand checking all of it is not possible -- I choose the fastest films or most dear rolls for hand check and send the rest along the carry-on conveyor belt.

Again, very wide range of opinions on this topic. However, I don't many will have much problem with my approach outlined above. Recent travels (within the last 7 years) have revealed no issues. Prior to that -- well, my experience was my experience.

... do you have an example x-ray damage?

 

[Sparrow]

One from the wife's mjuII ... these are a couple of my customers, late June in Madison CT maybe ten years ago, that neg had a minimum of 14 x-ray scans on that trip, it was just before I stopped smoking and there wasn't a smoking area in the lounge at Chicago/O'Hare so it probably had another 3 or 4 as I popped out for a fag, I may then have checked it in then to fly from Chicago to Dublin and Dublin to Manchester (I was business class so I checked everything on the trip home and hit the gin and tonic at that point) ... then it went off to Greece in SWMBO's handbag and would get another 3 or more on that trip ... it's Fuji 400 btw

 

[rfaspen]

I could dig out the slides with fog, but they were "toss" shots partly because of the fogging. Not sure where they are, and frankly don't care about them. Someday, they will go in the trash (when I finally clean out the closet with decades of travel photos). The most egregious experience I had with x-ray damage was over 10 years ago when I travelled to Bulgaria and Romania shortly after the end of the Soviet Bloc. My films were all carried in my hand luggage, but we went through well more than 8 x-ray checks. Can't remember just how many it actually was, but quite a few. During that trip I had some of my films hand checked at some points, which probably helped me retain some "keepers" from that trip. I didn't notice at the time, but the higher ISO films (Ektachrome 400, some pushed) suffered the most.

I should say that I'm not trying to raise the panic flag here. Modern x-ray machines (at carry on points!!!) are not likely to fog average speed films with just a couple passes. All of my domestic travel that had films go through the carry-on machines has been fine (or at least I haven't been able to detect damage). I think that's because of both the modern machines, and the relatively few passes the film takes through them.

Also, I've found that all the busy airports within the U.S. will simply refuse to hand check your film...often with some nasty treatment when I ask. However, small airports are often really friendly and happily check my film (and chat with me about photography while doing it). I found airports in Ireland were friendly and happy to check film, but London really gave me the stinkeye. Prague was not friendly either. Most airports in Mexico were quite friendly except Mexico City.

 

[furcafe]

It might not be X-rayed at all (AFAIK, they only check certain bags & containers), but the machines used to screen checked luggage are like those used for cargo & are much more powerful than those used for carryons (which are the same as those used at courthouses, etc); they work like gigantic CAT scan machines. If the big machines can look through metal containers, etc., they probably can cut through a thin lead bag.

Thank you for the replies. And I've already bought Sima bag. What would happen I f I put the slower (ASA50) film in the checked-in luggage in the bag. Would it survive X-Rays?

 

[brbo]

Thank you for the replies. And I've already bought Sima bag. What would happen I f I put the slower (ASA50) film in the checked-in luggage in the bag. Would it survive X-Rays?

Don't! My film ended up in checked luggage by mistake, half of my 120 rolls were destroyed. 35mm was fine.

 

[johannielscom]

Yes, again.

You should know that opinions will vary widely on this topic. In general, we used to have troubles with film through airports (I certainly have!) but things have improved in recent years. Having said that, I still do what I can to minimize "exposure" to x-rays when travelling. Some airport checkpoints will happily do "hand checks", others will rudely rebuff such a ridiculous request. This is very strongly correlated with the "busy-ness" of the given airport and culture of the location.

My approach: (1) If possible bring mostly slow films (400 and below). (2) Carry-on bags only! (3) Hand check when possible and when not possible, rest assured the carry-on machines are gentler on your film. If I have a lot of film and hand checking all of it is not possible -- I choose the fastest films or most dear rolls for hand check and send the rest along the carry-on conveyor belt.

Again, very wide range of opinions on this topic. However, I don't many will have much problem with my approach outlined above. Recent travels (within the last 7 years) have revealed no issues. Prior to that -- well, my experience was my experience.

So, why bother to discuss this in a thread?

I ask you, how are we ever going to benefit from anybody's experience when there are so many variables in any anecdote that is going to be posted here? For crying out loud, I had to use both bold and underline to distinguish the one variable from the other in your post!

 

[Sparrow]

I could dig out the slides with fog, but they were "toss" shots partly because of the fogging. Not sure where they are, and frankly don't care about them. Someday, they will go in the trash (when I finally clean out the closet with decades of travel photos). The most egregious experience I had with x-ray damage was over 10 years ago when I travelled to Bulgaria and Romania shortly after the end of the Soviet Bloc. My films were all carried in my hand luggage, but we went through well more than 8 x-ray checks. Can't remember just how many it actually was, but quite a few. During that trip I had some of my films hand checked at some points, which probably helped me retain some "keepers" from that trip. I didn't notice at the time, but the higher ISO films (Ektachrome 400, some pushed) suffered the most.

I should say that I'm not trying to raise the panic flag here. Modern x-ray machines (at carry on points!!!) are not likely to fog average speed films with just a couple passes. All of my domestic travel that had films go through the carry-on machines has been fine (or at least I haven't been able to detect damage). I think that's because of both the modern machines, and the relatively few passes the film takes through them.

Also, I've found that all the busy airports within the U.S. will simply refuse to hand check your film...often with some nasty treatment when I ask. However, small airports are often really friendly and happily check my film (and chat with me about photography while doing it). I found airports in Ireland were friendly and happy to check film, but London really gave me the stinkeye. Prague was not friendly either. Most airports in Mexico were quite friendly except Mexico City.

... I don't agree. I don't believe hand-baggage scanners cause noticeable damage

 

[xxloverxx]

I've never had film damaged, but the way I usually do it is to always carry it, and go through security 30 minutes before I actually "need" to and make sure to insist on hand-checks. In some airports, this will be refused, which is why I think it's important to get it where you can (basically minimise x-ray exposure).

Being insistent is always a good idea: Just this Christmas, during a transfer at Toronto Pearson, the woman told me it "should be" okay to put film through the scanner. She said it with no confidence at all, and I pointed that out. She called her supervisor over and HE insisted on hand-checking the film (and did so very quickly).

(When I mentioned that I was about to be late for my transfer, she had the nerve to say, loudly and in front of her supervisor, that I was the one who'd asked for the hand-check.)

So yeah, just be insistent where you can (though always be polite, else you'll give them a reason not to be nice about it). It also helps to speak the local language (every time I ask for a hand check, I'm the only one in the scanning area to request it, so it can't be such a common thing), even though I've never been to an airport outside of Asia where the staff didn't also speak rudimentary English.

 

[rodinal]

I live in Chile (Santiago) and travel frequently. When you arrive, there are not security x-rays scans... but once you get your checked luggage and walk towards the exit, Customs officers use modern x-ray machines to scan all your luggage, including carry-on. I usually let my camera and film through this machine, film inside Hama (or Kaiser) x-ray protecting cases. Never noticed any problem (B&W ISO 400). When you leave the country, it's the standard procedure and you are in the hands of the good (usually bad) mood of the security officer to have part of your carry-on hand-checked. BTW, passengers of flights to the USA, regardless of their nationality, are subject to tighter security checks. If you had any question regarding the country, just PM me.

 

[mervynyan]

Anything under ISO 800 is safe for X-Ray. I have been traveling with films in zip-lock bags and have no problem. To be safe, in smaller airports when the line is not busy, you can ask for hand inspection. Most times the security is not asking questions.