Flying with exposed film - Question

The short answer is not to worry about Xray scanning for carry on gear. I never had a problem when flying even going through numerous scans. Only caveats were that the film was all 800 or less and I never put any film in checked baggage for the above mentioned reasons. Film has become such a hassle that I now go digital when flying as trans ocean train service is not presently available.

Bob
 
what I really need is a "polaroid like" badge/sticker to send thru the scanner ahead of time. you peel it and underneath there is the word OKAY!, and "You're Sc**wed" appears before your eyes if the it was exposed to a significant amount of x-ray.
this MIGHT help convince reluctant staff to hand-check your film.

might be cool just to have one that says that no-matter what!

Robert
 
I just flew with a bunch of film, up to iso 3200.

My strategy was to put all film in clear ziploc bags, and ask for a handcheck. A few places told me just to run it through the scanner - most of them had 'film safe' stickers or documentation to that effect. A few places with old, dodgy scanners gave me handchecks straight away.

I wasn't too put out by film going through the newer scanners, but the old ones, well I was glad they gave me a hand check on them.
 
I always use one of the lead lined x ray bags. The one I have is pretty small, but it will hold 20 to 30 rolls of film, depending on format. In my personal experience, about half the time, it gets opened and hand checked after going through the scan, and about half the time they just let it go. I have never had anyone insist that my film go back through the machine out of the bag.
 
Pablito said:
This is the 7,058th thread on this subject. The phrase "broken record" comes to mind.
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I guess I wasn't specific or blunt enough in my question. I know the topic of airflight has come up. I have read those posts but did not come across my question, or I am getting absent minded in my age.

What I want to know...

Does X-ray affect exposed film more than unexposed film?

I know all about the lead bags, the hand checking, the accumulation of rays and all that stuff. It's all old hat. The trip that I am taking will be to parts of the world where there will either be no labs, or really unreliable ones. I am taking all my film with me and bringing it back to develop.

The reason I asked the question is because I could theoretically ship myself chemicals and develop along the way, but would rather wait until my return.
 
Nothwithstanding that the subject has been discussed many times, and there are many similar threads floating around in cyberspace, I understand there are exceptions to the rule that X-rays are generally safe enough for film. I've been reading that there are checkpoints outside the US that do not permit hand inspection, and the X-rays may not be quite so harmless, either. So far, I've read that two of those places are said to be DeGaul airport in Paris; and the airport in Helsinki. Since my wife and I will be going through both of those in a few months, this subject is of interest to me. It seems to me that asking for a hand inspection in places where it is offered, will help to reduce the cumulative effects of mandatory X-rays in other locations.

It would be worthwhile to have contributions that will increase out knowledge of the higher risk checkpoints.
 
blue4130 said:
Does X-ray affect exposed film more than unexposed film?
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No. Why would it?

Film is light-sensitive until it is processed, whether it has been used to record an image or not. It would perhaps be more instructive to say it is sensitive to radiation - and both light and x-rays are the sorts of radiation that can affect film.

Unprocessed film is sensitive to both. Processed film is not sensitive to either one. Whether or not the film has been used to record a photo is immaterial.
 
Rob-F said:
Nothwithstanding that the subject has been discussed many times, and there are many similar threads floating around in cyberspace, I understand there are exceptions to the rule that X-rays are generally safe enough for film. I've been reading that there are checkpoints outside the US that do not permit hand inspection, and the X-rays may not be quite so harmless, either. So far, I've read that two of those places are said to be DeGaul airport in Paris; and the airport in Helsinki. Since my wife and I will be going through both of those in a few months, this subject is of interest to me. It seems to me that asking for a hand inspection in places where it is offered, will help to reduce the cumulative effects of mandatory X-rays in other locations.

It would be worthwhile to have contributions that will increase out knowledge of the higher risk checkpoints.
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For what it is worth, I used to be a road warrior, flying twice a week, every week for seven years, to the tune of some 150,000 miles per year or so. I have found that although the TSA says you can 'request' a hand inspection, and in most places you will get one, in some places you will not, and they will not discuss the issue with you. The places where this refusal occurs appears to be arbitrary, as I have had TSA goons, er, I mean agents, refuse one week and cheerfully agree the next in the same airport.

I tried, once, bringing the printed webpage with me that shows that they will hand-inspect upon request. The TSA supervisor to whom I spoke asked me if I would like to be arrested. I took that to mean that they would do as they bloody well pleased.

I know that some here have 'never had a problem' with hand inspections upon request, since we have, as mentioned, had this thread about 10,000 times already. I flew more per year than most do in their lives for quite some time and I occasionally did have problems getting hand inspections. Your results may differ.

As to x-ray machines outside the USA, I have also heard that some are more powerful than others. I do not have any personal knowledge of that.

I will say that in all my traveling, I never saw damage to my film that I could put down to radiation damage. None.
 
Melvin said:
When traveling I buy my film when i get there and mail it home. I don't think they x-ray mail.
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Not only do they x-ray it, it is guaranteed to destroy film if it is hit by the mail scanners. Remember the anthrax deaths?

Not all mail is scanned. However, if yours is, and unprocessed film is inside, it's a goner.

http://www.i3a.org/advocacy/itip/

Mail Sanitization of Imaging Materials

ITIP tests demonstrated that the electron beam mail sanitizing devices in use by United States Postal Service on selected mail in select facilities would harm imaging materials, particularly unprocessed photographic products and electronic imaging components, rendering them unusable. CDs and floppy disks will work after irradiation, although there will be physical degradation. Photographic and inkjet prints were not substantially affected, based upon short-term evaluation.

ITIP therefore recommends avoiding mailing imaging materials to postal service areas where irradiation is likely to be performed; the USPS can assist with identifying these locations.
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bmattock said:
I have found that although the TSA says you can 'request' a hand inspection, and in most places you will get one, in some places you will not, and they will not discuss the issue with you. The places where this refusal occurs appears to be arbitrary, as I have had TSA goons, er, I mean agents, refuse one week and cheerfully agree the next in the same airport.
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I fly about once a month on average and almost always carry film on.

I agree that it's consistently inconsistent, but I have never had a case where my film went through the scanner against my will.

I've had them balk, even tell me to put the 200 through the scanner and they would inspect the 800, but the most I've ever had to do is ask, politely, for a supervisor once.

This is almost funny, but for a while they were very consistently doing one interation of push-back but then cheerfully accepting the baggie for a hand inspection on the second request.

Now this here is something that kinda concerns me ...

Not only do they x-ray it, it is guaranteed to destroy film if it is hit by the mail scanners. Remember the anthrax deaths?
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I would think that the large mail-order processors such as Dwayne's would be saying something about this if it were common practice to radiation-sterilize mail. I know that sometimes the dealers of unexposed film ship parcel post as well, and if this were really a problem, I'm sure the boards would have been abuzz about it by now.
 
Hi
It never happened to me,:rolleyes: but insisting in a hand search may have a different kind of risk if one is not fluent in English (or in the local laguage, for that matter)
http://searchsearch.notlong.com
Regards
Joao
 
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dmr said:
I would think that the large mail-order processors such as Dwayne's would be saying something about this if it were common practice to radiation-sterilize mail. I know that sometimes the dealers of unexposed film ship parcel post as well, and if this were really a problem, I'm sure the boards would have been abuzz about it by now.
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I suspect that this represents a dirty little secret. The USPS won't say how much mail they 'sterilize' in this manner for security reasons, but I suspect that they total is staggeringly low, percentage-wise. Probably not something they want people to know.
 
I think what blue is getting at is that because exposing the film has pushed it past the threshold, does this make it more sensitive ? Practically speaking, I don't think so, for reasons bmattock mentions.

I ran exposed/ unprocessed 4x5 Tri X through about 3 or 4 passenger scans and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I guess the x factor is how many scans you think you'll be subjecting the film to during your trip. I wouldn't sweat it much if it was 3-5 scans.
 
Thanks for the help guys. I knew something sounded fishy and untrue. I figure, I'll be going through 15 scanner areas, Hopefully I can get a hand check at some of those...
 
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