Film is Dead for Overseas Travel…

Modern x-ray scanners in airports are designed to minimise exposure to the public and operators. Advancement in detectors means a lower dose can be delivered but getting a decent Image. Don't put film in hold luggauge if possible. The Uk magazine AP did an article on airport x rays years ago (~20). Will lower dose rates delivered from devices today. Should not be an issue.
Will report back next time I fly (when the hell that will be who knows).
 
there are trading stores..

there are trading stores..

I was one of first to post a reply.. sigh
I covered everything possible but..
I failed to realize that we all, are 1st time explorers headed to darkest Africa,
the mysterious Far East, A continent of Jungles.
No shops, trading stores, "Ya gotta be Prepared".
Why "air freight" film to Hong Kong?
In HK I'm sure one can buy a roll, brick, box of film..
IN South Africa which i mentioned, my daughters local supermarket has more than 150 cash-out tills. There are photoshops even B+H!
I bought local, had my daughters wedding developed and printed.
Copy CD-ROM and albums all done in a few hours!.
Yes I planned ahead, asked, was polite and it was a "Print".
But a few trips later i was digital..
Life can be easy or hard..
 
People have different expectations and experience levels when it comes to processing. B&W is generally never processed how you like it by a lab. They do it generically while experienced b&w photographers do anything but. Especially in the case of someone like Km-25, he can’t just hand over his film and expect this to work out. This is, I assume, a body of work he plans to take very seriously, not just some vacation photos.
 
Just an honest question:
Has any of the rff members here had the case that at an airport with the new CT scanners the hand inspection was refused?
And the film was therefore destroyed?

I know that CT scanners damage film. But so far I have not heard of anyone who got a rejection at airports with CT scanners.
Therefore my question.
 
Skiff said:
Just an honest question:
Has any of the rff members here had the case that at an airport with the new CT scanners the hand inspection was refused?
And the film was therefore destroyed?

I know that CT scanners damage film. But so far I have not heard of anyone who got a rejection at airports with CT scanners.
Therefore my question.
Click to expand...

This is because CT scanners only began showing up just before the pandemic began, and most airports that use them also still use traditional scanners. As travel begins to increase (probably in the coming summer and autumn) I’m sure we will find out more about the amount of CT scanners being used and members’ experiences with hand checking. But the reason you haven’t heard much about this experience is because we are living through a pandemic, not because all airports are graciously hand checking film...
 
Skiff said:
Just an honest question:
Has any of the rff members here had the case that at an airport with the new CT scanners the hand inspection was refused?
And the film was therefore destroyed?

I know that CT scanners damage film. But so far I have not heard of anyone who got a rejection at airports with CT scanners.
Therefore my question.
Click to expand...

That’s a fair question but the OP isn’t going to shoot 10 or 12 rolls of vacation photos. He is taking a suit case full of film for an important professional project and understandably doesn’t want to roll the dice.

I myself shoot sheet film. Even if the TSA is willing to hand check I wouldn’t want them to fearing someone will open the box to look inside. Therefore I responded with the FedEx suggestion.
 
Out to Lunch said:
You are supposed to be a 'moderator' but you seem to have issues acting like one. Neutral, impartial, etc... ring a bell? Try harder. Cheers, OtL
Click to expand...

I'm not supposed to be impartial. I am supposed to keep it orderly in the thread. I am asking you to relax because you're being combative in a thread that is important to many people. We understand you e-mailed and tried to help, but when we pushed back that it might not be enough assurance, you became upset. You are the only one that used terms like clickbait on a serious thread. Please stop now.
 
When film is shipped overseas, is it x-rayed? I've been reading through this thread with some real concern. My ultimate goal as a hobbyist is to get better at "travel photography" with my film cameras (for me, that means taking pictures on my trips that I want to hang on my wall). It would be immensely disappointing if I had to give this up.

I know that I will continue to pay attention to this issue.
 
It has been about 4 years since I traveled to France but I took my film in a clear Zip Lock bag and carried it past the sc anner rather than letting it go through the Xray scanner. The attendant let me through without a problem at that time. I guess it is up to the attendant now.
 
Rayt said:
That’s a fair question but the OP isn’t going to shoot 10 or 12 rolls of vacation photos. He is taking a suit case full of film for an important professional project and understandably doesn’t want to roll the dice.

I myself shoot sheet film. Even if the TSA is willing to hand check I wouldn’t want them to fearing someone will open the box to look inside. Therefore I responded with the FedEx suggestion.
Click to expand...

I know about the OP's project. I have read the whole thread, of course.
But my question was a general one, not dependent on the amount of film.
All the airports have been well aware of the issue of x-raying film for decades. Therefore the film-safe x-ray machines.
Now a technology change is occuring with the new CT scanners. It is hard to believe that now from "one-day-to-the-other" the airports don't care at all anymore. And generally refuse hand inspection. I think (hope) it is more likely that they act in the way as the US TSA regulations with hand inspection.
 
The problem is the human element. You have to rely on the good will of the security officer to hand check the film. If that person’s supervision gave them a hard time on an unrelated issue, or the agent and their significant other had a spat that morning, or their teenager talked back to them before they came to work, then you are unlikely to get a pleasant response to your request. Of course, in the best of all possible worlds, every hand check request will be met with a cheerful smile as that person ignores everything else going on around them and hand checks my film. Likely to happen? Not at the airports that I go through. That is the point of this thread, what is the best work around to that surely, overworked, underpaid security agent?
 
Good grief, after reading through this thread it might be simpler to charter a small 6-8 seat turboprop, than to go through all the grief of commercial flights. Maybe not enough range though, for distant travel. Perhaps a association of film photographers who could plan trips together to split rental cost of an airplane.
 
I've been worried and anxious about CT scanners since the issue first came up in 2019 (I think it was). In fact I think my ISO400 colour film was cooked by the CT scanners at Milan Malpensa airport in September 2019.
Now though, thanks to PKR's heads up, I'm worried and anxious about the CCD sensors in my M9s! Imagine asking for hand checks on digital cameras.
 
Pyeh - if you still have any of the damaged film, could you post it so that we can see the extent of the damage?
 
International travel with film isn’t dead it’s just more expensive like shooting film. Black and White sheet film tripled in price in 10 years. If I wanted to fly to New Mexico for 4 weeks of large format photography from Asia, the airfare, hotel, meals, car rental, film already cost $5000 or $6000. If I had to pay FedEx $350 to courier the exposed film home then in the bigger picture it’s doable. If I shot smaller format like with a roll film back the cost of shipping would be half that. The digital alternative to large format which would be a Phase One Acromat set up would run to US$50,000.
 
Skiff said:
Just an honest question:
Has any of the rff members here had the case that at an airport with the new CT scanners the hand inspection was refused?
And the film was therefore destroyed?

I know that CT scanners damage film. But so far I have not heard of anyone who got a rejection at airports with CT scanners.
Therefore my question.
Click to expand...

I've had hand inspections refused a few times at JFK by TSA. I have to date, NEVER been able to get film hand-inspected at Dubai international. Flatly refused. And I fly through that airport at least once a year. Not even going to talk about Heathrow. I guess if you are a certain demographic you get some privileges. Or I just look suspicous.
 
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