Travel kit

Is there any scientific elaboration on film (exposed, unexposed) during security checks at Airports?

I am flying a lot in Asia and just started to use film.
 
Nick, even if you have not had a bad experience so far, I'd still say you're flirting with disaster. Common wisdom has it that the scanners used for check-in luggage do way more harm to film than those at the carry-on controls.
Maybe someone can correct me, but I think that's the way it is.
 
Nick De Marco said:
I always put films in the check in - take too much for hand luggage. Never had a problem
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Heresy!! :eek:

(However, if true it'll make my life easier when I travel - I've always followed the herd in religiously carrying it in hand-luggage. I've never tested carrying it in the hold.)
 
I bought one of those film X-ray protecting baggies. They go for just a couple of $. I'm not paranoid, but since I have to put my film in a bag anyway, why not lead bag?
 
I've heard they just crank up the x-ray if they find a bag they can't see through, all the way until they can or something.
 
kywong said:
I've heard they just crank up the x-ray if they find a bag they can't see through, all the way until they can or something.
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Hmmm... I was also wondering about that - if the lead bag can hide the film from the x-ray, how can they just let it pass? Mystery.

On the other hand, I have never ever had any problems with X-rays. I travel a lot, through various airports, always with film, check-in or carry-on, sometimes expired film, often same rolls go through X-ray multiple times. Knock on wood, no problems so far.
 
Phantomas said:
I bought one of those film X-ray protecting baggies. They go for just a couple of $. I'm not paranoid, but since I have to put my film in a bag anyway, why not lead bag?
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If they can't see through the bag they will likely just up the X-Ray strength until they can. I use one with my carry on but it's mostly to show how important my film is to me when I ask for a hand inspection.

Always tell them you have ISO 3200 film. If you have film under 1600 they will insist on not hand-inspecting it (by my experience)
 
I gave my girlfriend two rolls of 1600 film for her trip. I deliberately went with the Neopan 1600, over pushing Tri-X by two stops, so she can have an easier time explaining to the people at the customs. Turns out they made her put it through anyway because, as capitalK said, they insist that anything 1600 or under needs to go through the x-ray scanner.

I had a roll of Tri-X which had a weird brighter band in the middle, pushed two stops and went through a x-ray before, I wonder if that did it...
 
kywong said:
I gave my girlfriend two rolls of 1600 film for her trip. I deliberately went with the Neopan 1600, over pushing Tri-X by two stops, so she can have an easier time explaining to the people at the customs. Turns out they made her put it through anyway because, as capitalK said, they insist that anything 1600 or under needs to go through the x-ray scanner.
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Yeah, a few rolls of Delta 3200 would do the trick. For me, I took 50 rolls with me so they took my word for it... gave it a quick swab and sent me on my way.
 
Come on. Stop repeating this nonsense. They don't crank up anything.
This is a ridiculous internet rumour.
The only thing they can "crank up" is the contrast or color palette for the image that is already recorded by the machine.
 
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