Film is Dead for Overseas Travel…

[KM-25]

Copying from the Kodak website:

"Suggestions for Avoiding Fogged Film

X-ray equipment used to inspect carry-on baggage uses a very low level of x-radiation that will not cause noticeable damage to most films. However, baggage that is checked (loaded on the planes as cargo) often goes through equipment with higher energy X rays. Therefore, take these precautions when traveling with unprocessed film:"

Yeah, well they need to update that...

This email sent last week is directly from a contact of mine who is pretty high up in Kodak:

“ Your note below was forwarded along to me for follow up. The change to CT technology for scanning carry-on luggage began back in January of 2020, and we made a very conscious effort to notify photographers via our social media channels as these new scanners began to be implemented. Bottom line, to avoid any danger of fogging unprocessed film, our best advice is to always hand-carry your film and request a visual inspection at the airport security check point.

You can find the following information on our website Resources | Kodak Alaris
Storage and Care Information Summary (See the section “Protect film from x-rays”) CIS_E30.fm (kodakalaris.com)
CT Scanner Warning Label (variety of templates / formats)”

This is from Ilford last week as well:

“ Thanks for writing us about travelling with film. We are certainly aware of the issues photographers are having with travel and film. I find myself in the same position as I am a regular traveler and avid shooter. Rules appear to be all over the place and I have had good luck with some hand checking / inspecting and not such good luck at times. Until there is some further clarity on what can be done we are recommending that people in your situation fedex film to their final destination and back home after exposure. If you are fortunate enough to be travelling to countries where film is regularly available we would recommend buying there and shipping home or processing the film where you travels take you. We understand it is a hassle but we believe this new technology means we need to recommend this for travelers.”

 

[Rayt]

Would it be cheaper to buy the film from a European seller like Macodirect and have it shipped to the island?

 

[Dralowid]

You meet a lot of interesting people if you buy film and process in the country you are visiting. It has its risks but also an entertainment value and a sense of achievement.

Having said that I still doubt that anyone is going anywhere soon...

 

[Rayt]

Paying for processing is expensive. Even if someone can do it cheap for like $5 a roll it adds up if you have 50 rolls to process. I tend to shoot 10 rolls of 120 a day when I travel. I have even thought about processing in the hotel bathroom. It is possible. If Weegee did it back of his Buick then we are wimps.

 

[KM-25]

Would it be cheaper to buy the film from a European seller like Macodirect and have it shipped to the island?

Not likely. For example I need at least 200 rolls of Tmax 400 because the place is often windy. The other film I would bring is Acros 100 because of sharpness and reciprocity ability. If I did 200 rolls of each that would be $5000 from Maco before any tax, shipping or customs.

I have about 500 rolls of Acros and 400 rolls of TMY in 120 in my freezer that I need to use, I am still ahead if I blow through $2K in shipping what I already have back and forth.

 

[KM-25]

Having said that I still doubt that anyone is going anywhere soon...

My wife and I are fully vaccinated. I did a commission last month for an interior designer I do regular work for in Costa Rica. The need on this one was color so I brought my Hasselblad kit with the CFVII digital back. The travel was safe and relatively easy.

Currently, the place I am looking at going to is at the absolute lowest risk on the COVID scale. Now that could very well change in the coming months but for now, it’s relatively smooth sailing.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I was traveling with ISO 400 films between Toronto and USA airports with new scanners already installed. Zero problems. Never asked for hand checks. Never used special containers.

Not sure if those new scanners in USA are any diffrent from scanners for "overseas".

 

[vbsoto]

Maybe sell some of your freezer stock to offset having to buy and process abroad. Just a thought.

 

[shorelineae]

In 2019, I took 40 rolls of film to Vietnam and had it processed directly there. I even got all my shots printed (excessive, in retrospect). You could see going to the lab several times as a hassle, but it was fun for me. The labs there processed everything within 12 to 24 hours so I was fortunate.

In the same year, in Japan, the labs there were equally fast with C41 but wanted a week for B&W and a week for slide film as they had to send it to specialist labs somewhere else. The solution I hit upon was to leave the slide film with them and fly back; I asked a friend to pick it up and send me the slides through postal mail.

I don't think anything is easy for film photographers anyway. We just have to research and plan ahead... or shoot digital 🙂

That said, I am glad you posted this because I will start being wary of hoarding too much film for "future travels"....whenever that may be.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Last time I traveled and wanted to shoot film (Ektachrome) was 2019. Took the family on a road trip down the last half of Route 66 from Tucumcari NM to Los Angeles. I contacted the first motel we were going to be staying at (the fabulous Blue Swallow in Tucumcari) well in advance of our trip and let them know a package was going to be coming for me from B&H Photo and asked them to hold it for me. It arrived a week before we did. Also packed all the mailing info I needed for Dwaynes in Kansas and brought stamps. So we got to Tucumcari, picked up the film, and when we got to LA, after shooting thru all the film, I sent everything to Dwaynes for processing, and had them send the processed film to my home.

I won't be carrying film, exposed or unexposed, onto an airplane again. Just too much of a hassle and too much chance of it getting ruined.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Out to Lunch]

In 2019, I took 40 rolls of film to Vietnam and had it processed directly there. I even got all my shots printed

Where in Vietnam did you have it done? Cheers, OtL

 

[giganova]

Just ask for a hand check. These scanners make zero difference for film shooters.

 

[Doug A]

This is just one of many reasons we stopped flying and take the train. We are fortunate that all of the friends and relatives we travel to visit are in North America and, by very happy coincidence, each of us lives less than five miles from a connecting train stop. We have been taking the same train to Florida for years. It's nice to be greeted by name when we board at Penn Station in New York.

 

[das]

For almost 20 years now, I ask airport security to hand check my film. There has never been any pushback to that request in the USA, Europe, or Asia. No scanner, no problem!

 

[Deleted member 65559]

I don't agree that 'film is dead for overseas travel.' Once the pandemic is over i'll spend more time travelling in Europe, certainly more than to the USA. I work with film and print in a darkroom. I won't be switching to digital and machine printing.

 

[jukka]

For almost 20 years now, I ask airport security to hand check my film. There has never been any pushback to that request in the USA, Europe, or Asia.

I've been doing this for ten years now all over the world. I don't remember one single occasion hand check would have been out of the question.

Granted, I don't lug around as much film as the op. I can fit mine in a plastic zipper bag. That and a friendly smile should work just fine also with the new scanning equipment.

Even if you have to pay more attention to this in the future, the reports of films death for overseas travel appear to be greatly exaggerated.

 

[Andrea Taurisano]

Film shooters of any corner of the world, unite. Someone cleverer than me, please make a social medium or an app for analogue photographers only, something like LinkedIn or Couchsurfing, where we just write a place name or click a "near you" button and promptly find a local fellow photographer who can help us with anything when travelling. I would gladly sell a few tens of rolls of (un-Xrayed) film to any of you if you happened to be in Norway and need film. Just as easily, on an app or social like that, we could help each other find shooting locations, photo stores worth checking out, fixers, etc..

Edit: ok, it doesn't have to be for analogue photographers ONLY.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

That's a great idea Andrea.

 

[rfaspen]

For almost 20 years now, I ask airport security to hand check my film. There has never been any pushback to that request in the USA, Europe, or Asia. No scanner, no problem!

You have clearly never gone through Heathrow.

 

[p.giannakis]

I think this is blown out of proportion in a typical internet fashion. Imaging machines are well known to damage photographic film - this is not news. Over the last 20 years that I have been traveling abroad, I have asked for a variety of different things to be hand checked - films, baby milk formula, wife's ultra sensitive make up powder - no one ever declined my request (yes, that includes Heathrow, Schiphol and Charles De Gaulle airports).

If these machines are so much worse (by the sound of it, they are) maybe before flying contact the airport and explain that you are carrying film, ask about requesting hand search and ask about any signs being put up to inform staff and passengers regarding CT scanners and film. Maybe that way we can be vocal about it and airport staff are more aware of such requests. That is what I will be doing.