film shipping question

[DSkjaeve]

A lot of people seem to think that this thread is about bringing film on planes.

I understand it that it's about actually shipping the film via mail, and what potential x-ray damage will occur (if any).

 

[EdwardKaraa]

A lot of people seem to think that this thread is about bringing film on planes.

I understand it that it's about actually shipping the film via mail, and what potential x-ray damage will occur (if any).

It's the same thing. Parcels get scanned exactly like checked in luggage.

 

[DSkjaeve]

It's the same thing. Parcels get scanned exactly like checked in luggage.

Thank you! After two days of mailing postal offices and reading threads it's nice to get an answer.

I've travelled plenty through x-ray machines and haven't noticed anything so far so I will feel more safe shipping them now.

 

[Freakscene]

nowadays most x-ray / scanner on airport are film safe as far as i know...

Carry-on x-ray scanners are film safe, but checked luggage is selectively scanned using high intensity scanners like the CTX5000 which will definitely ruin photographic film of all speeds.

It's the same thing. Parcels get scanned exactly like checked in luggage.

It depends on where you live and on how the film gets shipped. Freestyle, for instance, have told me the shipper they use does not x-ray any cargo.

Marty

 

[bugmenot]

I doubt that any regular XRay scanning takes place by USPS and they don't want to publicly state that. They handle hundreds of millions of pieces of mail per day. Who would be monitoring the scans? They'd need millions of people just to do that and I doubt computers could do it.

 

[Freakscene]

I doubt that any regular XRay scanning takes place by USPS and they don't want to publicly state that. They handle hundreds of millions of pieces of mail per day. Who would be monitoring the scans? They'd need millions of people just to do that and I doubt computers could do it.

The point of the CTX5000 and other scanners like it is that the scans are automated. Density pattern image recognition is used to identify a range of objects of interest. I agree that the approach is probably to scan a selection of mail, but it doesn't need a person except to confirm a package identified as of concern, but even so, if anything is scanned why take a crap shoot with film that costs you money and will be used to capture valuable images?

Marty

 

[jayavant]

I've travelled extensively with up to ISO1600 film exposed and unexposed, always in my hand luggage but in some cases. X-rayed many many times and never noticed any problems. Likewise with film that I order from abroad.

 

[tj01]

I've two 100ft canisters that showed no visible problems. But when i contact print them, the clear base had subtle but clearly exposed. It wasn't pure black. It still prints alright, but it's there. If u are just scanning film, you will not see the difference.

 

[EdwardKaraa]

It depends on where you live and on how the film gets shipped. Freestyle, for instance, have told me the shipper they use does not x-ray any cargo.

Marty

I think Freestyle may be probably lying, they may have even devised this simple answer/lie rather than to say it depends or we're not sure, which will provoke further questions. All international mail gets scanned, outbound and inbound, at every country in the world.

 

[bruce1007]

Since the X-ray effect on film is accumulative, it makes sense to reduce the frequency of this exposure as much as possible. This said, I have travelled extensively in the past (when X-ray scans were probably stronger) with both exposed and unexposed film with no noticeable image deterioration.

I agree with EdwardKaraa, the radiation is accumulative, maybe my film is went through the X-ray, but one or two times, so the effect is not visible.

 

[bruce1007]

Is there a formula for calculating the film exposure intensity by the X-ray for one time, ie how much cargo X-ray radiation power can visibly effect the film depending on different ISO?

 

[EdwardKaraa]

Is there a formula for calculating the film exposure intensity by the X-ray for one time, ie how much cargo X-ray radiation power can visibly effect the film depending on different ISO?

I'm sure there is a formula, but it must depend on the film ISO, and the scanner intensity and the length of exposure. I don't think it would be possible to know the last 2 elements.

 

[Freakscene]

Dose

Dose

Is there a formula for calculating the film exposure intensity by the X-ray for one time, ie how much cargo X-ray radiation power can visibly effect the film depending on different ISO?

It's not a formula, it's about dose or intensity of radiation. Because different scanners use different combinations of intensity, it's hard to be specific.

Kodak's information here: http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib5201.shtml
is the best available.

I think Freestyle may be probably lying, they may have even devised this simple answer/lie rather than to say it depends or we're not sure, which will provoke further questions. All international mail gets scanned, outbound and inbound, at every country in the world.

My packages from Freestyle have always been hand inspected (they come with a label stating this), and when I have used the same shipper from the US with an xray logger in it it's been clear that the packages have not been xrayed. But again, maybe I've been lucky.

Marty

 

[bugmenot]

The point of the CTX5000 and other scanners like it is that the scans are automated. Density pattern image recognition is used to identify a range of objects of interest. I agree that the approach is probably to scan a selection of mail, but it doesn't need a person except to confirm a package identified as of concern, but even so, if anything is scanned why take a crap shoot with film that costs you money and will be used to capture valuable images?

Marty

You'll have to show me compelling evidence that the USPS uses scanners like this or any other type of XRay device to routinely scan mail to detect contents. I worked for the USPS and the idea that this is being done is completely unrealistic to me.

It's true that an individual parcel which has become suspect due to certain suspicious factors could be scanned by postal inspectors to detect possible explosives, etc but a routine scanning of all mail is just unreal given the volume of mail that moves through the system.

 

[Freakscene]

You'll have to show me compelling evidence that the USPS uses scanners like this or any other type of XRay device to routinely scan mail to detect contents.

I'm not American - I have no idea about USPS. About 12% of packages sent via Australia Post get scanned this way. An unknown proportion (it's a security issue) get scanned the same way on entry to Australia. Another unknown perceptage are hand inspected at the border, but every package I've received from Freestyle has been opened and checked by quarantine and customs.

Marty