shutterfiend
cheap and lazy
I'm sure this issue has been talked to death but I'm still confused. What's the best place to store film during flights, carry-on OR check-in? Or does it not matter?
Question regarding Film in Flight
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css9450
Veteran
Are you flying in the US or overseas? If just flying within the US I would suggest carrying it on board with you, in a ziploc bag, and ask them to hand check it at the airport. I've never been turned down when I've asked for this service, even when carrying 20 or more rolls. In fact I've never had a roll go through the X-Ray equipment at any airport.
PlantedTao
Well-known
Carry on.
As long as it is slow film...below 800...the x-ray machine will have no effect up to 5 scans (I think this is the #...look on the TSA.gov)
I have them hand check it 80% of the time. I have several occassions where they would not, and not wanting to argue I let them scan it with no problems.
Do not put in your check in luggage...this is a strong x-ray that ruined a bunch of film before I knew what was going on.
As long as it is slow film...below 800...the x-ray machine will have no effect up to 5 scans (I think this is the #...look on the TSA.gov)
I have them hand check it 80% of the time. I have several occassions where they would not, and not wanting to argue I let them scan it with no problems.
Do not put in your check in luggage...this is a strong x-ray that ruined a bunch of film before I knew what was going on.
uhligfd
Well-known
For developed film it does not matter, for undeveloped film, since the checked bags are usually zapped much more so than the little people z-ray, this makes them useless for photography when put into checked luggage. So: undeveloped film that you intend to use needs to be carried on by hand!
venchka
Veteran
Carry on only! Never ever put film in checked luggage.
I'm headed to an airport this afternoon with 12-15 rolls of film in my carry on camera bag. It's fine.
I'm headed to an airport this afternoon with 12-15 rolls of film in my carry on camera bag. It's fine.
ferider
Veteran
Do not check in un-developed film ! Nowhere/Never.
For different reasons, don't check in camera equipment or jewelery either ....
it might not be in your bag anymore, after arrival (suitcases are
routinely opened these days).
Best,
Roland.
For different reasons, don't check in camera equipment or jewelery either ....
it might not be in your bag anymore, after arrival (suitcases are
routinely opened these days).
Best,
Roland.
DougK
This space left blank
Carry-on, definitely.
wgerrard
Veteran
Because I've just recently started shooting film again, and will leave for a week in the UK in a few days, I've been pondering that very question.
Guidance at the TSA site and at the individual airport sites I've checked is consistent: The x-rays in the machines that scan checked luggage will damage any unprocessed film. They say the carryon scanners will not. So, put film in a carryon. Then, remember that many carryon bags won't fit in the small regional aircraft, so carryons can be taken from you and stored in the plane's hold. If that happens, it's worth asking if it will be x-rayed.
The effect of x-rays is cumulative. Most sites seem to say don't worry if your film is exposed less than 5 times.
High-speed film, 800 and up, is a different matter. Even the official sites say ask for a hand chck of high-speed film.
All that said, the net is full of anecdotal reports of film getting fried in the carryon scanners, and of surly security staffers refusing hand check requests.
My own inclination, for 400 film and below, is not to trust the anecdotal reports. When someone claims an x-ray machine zapped his film, how are we to know what other hazards that film was exposed to? There are other reasons for ruined film.
Film photography is not inexpensive. If airport x-ray machines were regularly and consistently zapping film, I suspect it would be the number one topic on every photo board, as well as every travel board.
Me? Well, today, I'm inclined to take my DSLR. I plan to shoot a lot. I've got two 8-gig memory cards that will take about 1400 RAW images and it's dawned on me that i would be looking at $500-$600 in film and processing costs for an equivalent number of exposures. I'm not comfortable with that; film costs are more palatable when spread over time.
Guidance at the TSA site and at the individual airport sites I've checked is consistent: The x-rays in the machines that scan checked luggage will damage any unprocessed film. They say the carryon scanners will not. So, put film in a carryon. Then, remember that many carryon bags won't fit in the small regional aircraft, so carryons can be taken from you and stored in the plane's hold. If that happens, it's worth asking if it will be x-rayed.
The effect of x-rays is cumulative. Most sites seem to say don't worry if your film is exposed less than 5 times.
High-speed film, 800 and up, is a different matter. Even the official sites say ask for a hand chck of high-speed film.
All that said, the net is full of anecdotal reports of film getting fried in the carryon scanners, and of surly security staffers refusing hand check requests.
My own inclination, for 400 film and below, is not to trust the anecdotal reports. When someone claims an x-ray machine zapped his film, how are we to know what other hazards that film was exposed to? There are other reasons for ruined film.
Film photography is not inexpensive. If airport x-ray machines were regularly and consistently zapping film, I suspect it would be the number one topic on every photo board, as well as every travel board.
Me? Well, today, I'm inclined to take my DSLR. I plan to shoot a lot. I've got two 8-gig memory cards that will take about 1400 RAW images and it's dawned on me that i would be looking at $500-$600 in film and processing costs for an equivalent number of exposures. I'm not comfortable with that; film costs are more palatable when spread over time.
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