Film in airport X-ray machines

Ste_S said:
Quite sad, days of traveling with film are over.
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Oh please, don't exaggerate. In all likelihood, you will get a hand inspection at all airports that have these machine, then there's the option of buying film at your destination or FedEx/UPS it to your destination before you leave, and have it developed there.
 
giganova said:
Oh please, don't exaggerate. In all likely hood, you will get a hand inspection at all airports that have these machine, then there's the option of buying film at your destination or FedEx/UPS it to your destination before you leave, and have it developed there.
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Not exaggerating. As already stated in this thread by different people they've been refused hand checks at Heathrow. Not worth traveling with film when there's a possibility of your film being refused a hand check.
 
Ste_S said:
Not exaggerating. As already stared in this thread by different people they've been refused hand checks at Heathrow. Not worth traveling with film when there's a possibility of your film being refused a hand check.
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I agree the main stress point is that when carrying film, the decision of handcheck lies on the people at the security point with a seemingly random to negative response. No hand check, film is zapped and damaged... It's a lot of risk, specially for exposed film.

I actually don't really travel with film, shuttling between two locations in the EU which currently do not have CT scanners and may not in the medium term. As the other place is my family home, logistics are fairly easy.

For multiple leg trips in further locations (think hopping between SE Asia countries), the logistics seem more demanding.
 
I stopped using the X-Ray bags, when I was told that if the security agent see something
opaque on their zap machines, they run it again with higher dose of X-Rays...
I never had the visible problem with the film, and I flew to S.America (and back). but then I use slow film...
 
giganova said:
...then there's the option of buying film at your destination or FedEx/UPS it to your destination before you leave, and have it developed there.
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Is it not the case that in many countries that FedEx/UPS packages go through X-ray machines at customs, at least randomly chosen, before being released to the customer?
 
dourbalistar said:
I feel badly for our friends in the UK and EU. I hope there can be a positive resolution (no pun intended) for the new film destroying CT scanners. I'm not sure how popular instax is with travellers and tourists compared to "traditional" 135, 120, or large format film, but now that Fuji has put out a warning, perhaps that will help the cause.

Here in the US, I flew from San Jose to Denver yesterday for the long weekend. SJC doesn't have the new CT scanners yet, and normally I would have just sent everything through the X-ray machine, but I just wanted to see how amenable TSA employees would be to a request for hand check. I requested hand check for the 5 rolls of 35mm film I was carrying (in a Japan Camera Hunter film case), and had no issues. It was a mix of home bulk-rolled cassettes, and some factory loaded HP5+. I don't think the Denver airport has the new CT scanners either, but I'll report back on my return leg.
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I don't think they have the new CT scanners, but for whatever it's worth, I had no issues with hand check for my film on my return flight from DEN -> SJC.

Just out of curiosity, is there a TSA equivalent agency in Europe? As of now, TSA lists the airports in the US where the new CT scanners have been deployed. Wondering if our EU/UK counterparts know which airports have the new CT scanners.
 
dourbalistar said:
I don't think they didn't have the new CT scanners, but for whatever it's worth, I had no issues with hand check for my film on my return flight from DEN -> SJC.

Just out of curiosity, is there a TSA equivalent agency in Europe? As of now, TSA lists the airports in the US where the new CT scanners have been deployed. Wondering if our EU/UK counterparts know which airports have the new CT scanners.
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No. Each country runs its own security. Rules are quite similar, but there is no single entity. We are still separate countries - some republics and some kingdoms (not states or counties :)) In fact, EU commission is setting some common rules (mandatory or as recommendation), so in a way it is THE agency for EU, but not really an equivalent to TSA.
 
Ste_S said:
Not exaggerating. As already stated in this thread by different people they've been refused hand checks at Heathrow. Not worth traveling with film when there's a possibility of your film being refused a hand check.
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Were they really refused though, or was it maybe something that could have been resolved by calling a manager, since some have had hand checks at Heathrow.

I think we have a tendency to be too easily cowed by authority figures. In the worst case, one could refuse to go through, stay in the terminal, and demand a refund from the airline.
 
olifaunt said:
Were they really refused though, or was it maybe something that could have been resolved by calling a manager, since some have had hand checks at Heathrow.


I think we have a tendency to be too easily cowed by authority figures. In the worst case, one could refuse to go through, stay in the terminal, and demand a refund from the airline.
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I was refused every single time, and I was told in no uncertain terms that it wasn't going to happen.
Travelling through security at an airport is not like shopping at a mall. There is no complaining to higher ups to get better service. All you will do is make things more miserable for yourself, perhaps get an extra search etc.
They do not like it when you create a fuss. At all.
Try it for yourself.

Who here got a hand check at Heathrow? And what year?
 
sepiareverb said:
Hah! I've not been through Heathrow, but can certainly imagine this failing miserably anywhere in the US.
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The U.S. guarantees hand checks for film. I think we have established that. This is about other countries. I live in the U.S. and strongly dislike a lot of aspects of the society, but let's at least give credit where credit is due. Most airports actually have signs at the security check regarding film safety and the officers have always been knowledgeable when I asked them about my film or immediately deferred to another officer who was.

And no, in the U.S. you are not forced to go through security and abandon or destroy your things. Only if you want to catch your flight. You can turn around and you can leave the airport. You can always go outside without passing security, just not into the departure area.
 
Hello all, my wife and I just got back from our honeymoon at Lake Louise in Banff, Canada. I am pleased to report that the security staff at SFO (San Francisco) was perfectly happy to hand check my film, and that the security staff at YYC (Calgary) were even happier to hand check it. I even chatted with the guy working security at YYC and he was familiar with the damage posed by CT scanners. Small sample size, but I was relieved at how easy it was.
 
I am glad that the security people were helpful to you, especially in the large airports that you were in. I will try to get a hand-check in the future. As I reported elsewhere on RFF, I allowed my Tmax400 to go through the CT in Asheville, NC with no ill effect. The film had gone to Asheville through the regular scanner at Newark airport. Of course neither scanner had improved the content of the pictures, but that is a different issue.
 
For those, like me, that travel across the channel. I was told that customs in Dover do use x-ray but that it only applies to cars pulled over for checking after disembarcation and you will be told. I'll be keeping my exposed films in a bag ready to take out if they do it to us.
 
NaChase said:
Hello all, my wife and I just got back from our honeymoon at Lake Louise in Banff, Canada. I am pleased to report that the security staff at SFO (San Francisco) was perfectly happy to hand check my film, and that the security staff at YYC (Calgary) were even happier to hand check it. I even chatted with the guy working security at YYC and he was familiar with the damage posed by CT scanners. Small sample size, but I was relieved at how easy it was.
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Were you carrying LF film or rollfilm? Just curious. I've never had issues with rollfilm for a hand inspection. Have never asked with a box of sheet film.

Oh, and congratulations! :)
 
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