New CT scans at airport eager to deep fry your film

[sepiareverb]

Fed Ex or USPS for me. I ship to my destination if at all possible, and always ship exposed film home. Insuring a package or adding a signature confirmation can help it arrive more safely, but I can count on half of one hand the number of things I’ve had lost by either carrier in the last 30 years.

 

[sanmich]

Fed Ex or USPS for me. I ship to my destination if at all possible, and always ship exposed film home. Insuring a package or adding a signature confirmation can help it arrive more safely, but I can count on half of one hand the number of things I’ve had lost by either carrier in the last 30 years.

That's an excellent option indeed.
Just a bit more complicated when doing this international, and there is always the risk of Xray use on the parcel itself (customs or homeland security)

 

[Takkun]

Time before last I flew, I ended up buying my film at Calumet (remember them?) mostly because I forgot to pack much, and packed it USPS back just fine. I’ve heard rumors of postal service irradiation, but I send out my color film to processors Priority Mail and never any mishaps.

My most recent trip last month (first time flying in half a decade, oof), I was a little nervous. SeaTac has some new automated conveyor contraption for scanning where the guys manning the scanners are in some booth somewhere else. Took a minute to find someone to ask, but they did do a hand scan. Little nervous carry it and my camera bag back to another room.

Flying back out through IAH was same old, same old. Off peak hours, friendly agents that were more than happy to, and chat about photography.

One told me they rarely see film anymore, but it’s not like staff don’t know policy. They have a puffer detector specifically for things that can’t go through X-rays, be it film or medical devices.

 

[sanmich]

..., but it’s not like staff don’t know policy. They have a puffer detector specifically for things that can’t go through X-rays, be it film or medical devices.

That's really what I wanted to hear.

So whatever is put in front of them, be it a medical device or a relatively large box of film, they can (have to?) inspect it without xrays?

 

[Takkun]

That's really what I wanted to hear.

So whatever is put in front of them, be it a medical device or a relatively large box of film, they can (have to?) inspect it without xrays?

I assume within reason. Obviously I don't think they'd be too happy with you asking to hand-inspect all your luggage. But they do have explosives-detection devices for all sorts of non-x-ray-able things. The gentleman in front of me at IAH had a walker that they swabbed and he was on his way.

 

[Bill Clark]

New CT scans at airport eager to deep fry your film

Haven’t noticed it. But my wife and I have TSA pre. Usually different lines/equipment. Why not get TSA pre? $85 for 5 years. There is also Clear.

Recently traveled to Phoenix. Another trip to LAX.

No problems. Didn’t notice any CT scan equipment different than in the past.

Will watch as we’re going to Egypt soon. 2 weeks on the Nile

 

[olifaunt]

Are you sure they are the new scanners? I have not seen them yet at LAX and I travel a lot. Perhaps not at the terminals I fly out from?
The current/old generation scanners have not damaged my film.

I hope for the best since I just had the same undeveloped film go through 8 airport checks including LAX twice. The photos are important since they are literally irreplaceable, because of death. I wish I had known this.

Depending on resolution a CT scan can be 50 times the radiation of a single X-ray or it can be 1000 time a single X-ray, so in future I won't risk it. At the lower end, 8 checkpoints x 50 = 400 of the old scans.

 

[Mute-on]

Avoided the Smiths CT scanner at Melbourne airport and got in line for what looked like a traditional X-ray scanner.

I asked the attendant if it was a CT scanner, to confirm. He didn't have a clue, and asked me why. I told him I had film. He said I should remove it, and I asked for a hand scan. Despite some resistance, as I had 400 iso max, I got it hand inspected. Well done Melbourne airport security!

I was pleased with the outcome, but the operator I spoke with had no idea what a CT scanner even was. That's disconcerting. Not sure I'll have the same accommodating treatment in future. Here's hoping!

 

[Rob-F]

He didn’t have a clue, and asked me why.

That's disconcerting. Not sure I'll have the same accommodating treatment in future. Here's hoping!

Mute-on, I'm curious as to what causes ’ to be inserted into the text. It seems to happen when you type an apostrophe. Did you realize this is happening?

 

[Huss]

..They have a puffer detector specifically for things that can’t go through X-rays, be it film or medical devices.

Interesting thing that happened on my last time through LAX. I had Fuji 160ProS 35mm film with me and asked for a hand check. They used the puffer detector which gave a warning. They did it several times - warning. The TSA staff member apologized to me for the delay but said she had to use a different detector to make sure - same warning. Then they had to put it through the Xray machine as - understandably - the film had triggered warnings with the puffer machines.

This film is part of the same batch as my other Fuji film that I have never had issues with before. It was stored in my fridge with all my other film. I do not have anything in my house that could leave residue - whether from hobbies, smoking etc. Don't go to places that people shoot their toys etc etc.
So the only thing I can think of is did something get on me just by being outside? There have been fires in California so the air is not clean.

 

[Doug]

Mute-on, I'm curious as to what causes ’ to be inserted into the text. It seems to happen when you type an apostrophe. Did you realize this is happening?

It's from using Tapatalk to post, which apparently inserts a code like that to replace curly quotes and apostrophes. I sometimes edit to correct that...

 

[Takkun]

Huss—
Very curious indeed, but thankfully there doesn't seem much evidence the carry-on scanners do much damage.

That does remind me of my own story. I do a little bit of target shooting at an air/small-caliber range here in Seattle. I was plinking away with my air pistol one afternoon next to a gentleman with a .22 semiautomatic.
Next day on my way to work, I dropped my messenger bag on the bus and about 15 shell casings fell out, to the suspicion of my fellow passengers. Must've gotten ejected straight into my bag sitting just behind me.
I'm definitely not bringing that bag on my flight tomorrow...

I wonder if your trouble did indeed have to do with the smoke. I'm not sure what compounds the trace detectors look for specifically. No problems here, but we didn't have a smoky summer this year. Curious if anyone else had items to be hand-inspected that day.

 

[Timmyjoe]

I'm tired of dealing with TSA and film. Last year I started shipping film to the motel of my first night's destination and travel with a small collapsed box that I ship the B&W film back home from my last destination before re-boarding the plane (and ship the color film to Dwaynes at the same time).

Haven't had a problem yet with the new workflow.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Archiver]

It's from using Tapatalk to post, which apparently inserts a code like that to replace curly quotes and apostrophes. I sometimes edit to correct that...

This is kind of funny. I first read this on Tapatalk and wondered why Rob-F was asking about apostrophes! Surely Rob knows this about English grammar, I thought.

On tapatalk, the &rsquo appears as an apostrophe. But now I'm on the computer, the Tapatalk apostrophe is now &rsquo, and suddenly his post makes sense, hahaha.

 

[Mute-on]

It's from using Tapatalk to post, which apparently inserts a code like that to replace curly quotes and apostrophes. I sometimes edit to correct that...

Correct. I was using Tapatalk. Apologies for the distracting random symbols.

Blazing through Ektar over here in Japan. Portra 400 is in the second body waiting for the next opportunity. Kyoto next ... 😀

 

[sepiareverb]

That's an excellent option indeed.
Just a bit more complicated when doing this international, and there is always the risk of Xray use on the parcel itself (customs or homeland security)

I’ve not done an international Fed-Ex for awhile, but my local office here in Podunk said they could mark it as photosensitive and it would be handled separately. No fog was seen upon development.

 

[markjwyatt]

Always seems to be far more threads on forums about people worrying about x-ray damage, than actual posts from people who’ve experienced x-ray damage. I wonder why that is ?

I have traveled a bit this year for work and personal- mainly domestic, but also Mexico and Canada once each (Europe once, but took digital), and Guatemala once. Domestically, no issues. They will hand check film and cameras with film. Once my camera set-off the hand check chemical detector, so I rolled up half the roll, and had them open then x-ray the open camera, and hand check the film. Coming back from Montreal, they refused to hand check my camera with film loaded, so I put it through the x-ray (FP4+, no issues). In Mexico, I got picked for a random custom's inspection coming in, messed up and put everything through (realized what I did, but it was too late). This included Fujifilm Superia XTRA 400 and Ilford B&W (FP4+, possibly HP5 also), all unexposed. As far as I can tell, no issues. In Guatemala they also did a hand check. If I recall correctly, all the International hand checks consisted of basically looking at the film outside the box (including Canada). In the US they wipe it and put the wipe through a chemical screener.

A couple of times, I fumbled and accidentally put a roll through a domestic hand bag x-ray (Fijifilm Superia XTRA 400, and probably an Ilford FP4+ or HP5 or two), so far with no ill effects. At this point I am not anal about it, but still ask for hand checks.

 

[Darthfeeble]

From the TSA website:
Film
We recommend that you put undeveloped film and cameras containing undeveloped film in your carry-on bags or take undeveloped film with you to the checkpoint and ask for a hand inspection.