Flying with film

I

Isca

Established
Local time
2:48 PM
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
59
It's been a while but on Friday I will be getting on a plane with a film camera and unexposed film, are there any precautions that I should take?

I know the destination airport well so I anticipate having luggage x-rayed twice, on leaving and on landing.

Should I ask for a hand check or am I being paranoid?
 
Put it in a clear zip lock bag, out of its boxes and politely ask for a hand check.

LA International airport has always been very cool about this, London Heathrow refuses hand checks, at least to me every time I've been through. Don't travel with films faster than ISO 400.
 
Seconding the opinion about London Heathrow - they rejected my polite request for a hand-check, even after I spoke with the duty officer. Seriously, even the guys at a rural airport in Hami, China were able to accomodate my request even though I hardly spoke the language!

In any case, CARRY-ON scanners didn't harm my rolls of ISO400, despite it being scanned 3-4 times (it was a long haul with plenty of transfers). Apparently the larger scanners that look into your checked luggage are more powerful and thus NOT recommended that you check-in your film.
 
They don't know what film is anymore, so don't expect them to handcheck it.
It's not neccessary anyway. No problems as long as it is in your handluggage.
As said before, do not try over iso 400. That could be a problem.
Regards,
Frank
 
I used San Diego CA. airport and Oakland CA airport recently (2 weeks ago) and I handled them my film (Plus X) for hand inspection. They readily comply on this and didnt pass the film through the scanners.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Isca View Post
am I being paranoid?
Yes

I don't recall a single report of film being fogged by modern carry-on X-ray scanners.
Click to expand...

Dont really sure if it will affect the film but cant hurt to be too careful, especially if there are important photos on the film

Just ask politely and if they refuse well, lets hope for the best.

Marcelo
 
I dont bother asking for hand checks, never had a film go bad on my travels and I have taken up to iso 800.
Just dont put film in the check-in luggage, those scanners are more powerful than the carry-on scanners.
 
meso said:
I dont bother asking for hand checks, never had a film go bad on my travels and I have taken up to iso 800.
Just dont put film in the check-in luggage, those scanners are more powerful than the carry-on scanners.
Click to expand...

Same here... Very, very same. With one more thing: accidentally, I let a roll of ISO 3200 film in my hand luggage and it came out of it OK after going through the scanner.
 
Merlijn53 said:
They don't know what film is anymore...
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. I suspect the screeners see less and less film every year. Eventually, the new hires won't even know what to do with it.

Myself, I've always gotten my film hand-checked and never with any fuss. Even at busy LaGuardia Airport, they let me sit on a couch and get comfortable while they looked at my film. It was just short of getting a red carpet to walk in on.
 
Its all in the previous posts:
- Avoid film higher than iso400
- Ask for a hand check if the airport is one of those smaller, friendly, less busy kinds. I would only do this if I expect my film to go through lots of airports (potential scans). Heathrow will scan your film multiple times if you ask for a hand check, just out of spite (true story)
- Never place film in check-on luggage. Carry-on only.

Carry-on luggage scanners have become increasingly friendly to film over years. Even compared to just 7-10 years ago. I don't think they did that for us film users though.

To get damage to iso400 film via carry-on scanners, it takes a lot of runs through the scanner. I always get yelled at for relating my personal experience, but I had damage to iso400 film from a trip about 15 years ago when my film went through 10 scanners (may have been 9). ISO 100 film showed no noticeable damage, but ISO400 (slides) had overall fog (I think it was either green or pink, but I've long thrown them out).

I'm about to fly domestically in US this Wed. I'm bringing ISO100 film and not bothering with a hand check.
 
FrozenInTime said:
Yes ;)

I don't recall a single report of film being fogged by modern carry-on X-ray scanners.
Click to expand...

I had 400 neopan ruined in Paris. I wached security run it in and out of the scanner multiple times. I don't think they could figure out what my F2 was.
 
As others have already stated, pack it in your carry on bag and you wont have any issues. I have had film x rayed at least 4-6 times through the carry on screening process and never had an issue regardless of ISO. I have never gone out of my way to pack it any differently than I would anything else. I have had a couple of agents grab a colleague and say hey whats this and point at the screen. Every time the colleague has simply said, oh its camera equipment dont worry about it. One time I was asked to demonstrate that my camera was a functioning camera, so I turned it on and fired the shutter for him and on I went.
 
Just to confirm, film on check-on luggage will be damaged. Once I forgot to take my camera out of my luggage and it went into check-on. Film was Kentmere 400 and was fogged and looked like it was out of focus.
 
Some of us have had ours fogged in carton and others haven't. It's always a risk so take your chances f you like. Me personally, no thanks, I'll never carry film on again. It'll be digital only or have my film shipped to my location through the mail and return ship it by mail and Mark it photographic film do not x-Ray.

There are no guarantees either way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom