film and x ray tips

Never used xray bags and never had a problem with security scans if you carry on board. In the past, I would ask for hand inspection (all film was taken out of boxes and cannisters and put in zip locs). In today’s enviroment, this is not likely to happen. Still never heard of issues with xrays at check in/boarding controls.

If you were planning on sending the film in checked baggage, that will ruin your film. You’ll end up with a sine wave like line through the entire roll. Enough to ruin all photos. First hand experience but fortunately unexposed film I forgot about.

To understand cause English is not my mother lenguage. You say that the hand bag check with x ray cause no damage but if you put the film with luggage they ruin the films. What ASA are you talking. 400 or 800 (TMZ for example). Thanks a lot.

trix and tmax 400.

Yes this has been my experience in North America ( in the past ,Europe). Others mayor may not have similar experiences so ymmv.

There’s a photo somewhere of film that was xrayed which shows the result of checked film. I’ll post a link if I can remember where it was.

Hernan,
my experiences have been the same as Fred’s. I have taken 400 film to Europe, Asia, all over Latin America etc and never seen any xray damage from carry-on screening. Sometimes the film is xrayed many times on a trip. However, I would not subject TMZ to this. I only travel with TMZ when I know i can get hand-screening. This has become less and less possible in the last few years.
Saludos!
Pablo
escribeme en español si tienes alguna otra pregunta.

I use to travel with TMZ (TMax 3200) all the time (USA, Europe, Asia). It’s been subjected to the gate x-ray machines in quite a few places with no problems. A few summers ago I left a roll of 800 color neg in my bag and let it be subjected to multiple passes (USA only). It probably got x-rayed about 14 times with no apparent problems. The only film I know of that you do NOT want to run thru the x-ray machines is infared film. Other than that let them run it thru the machine and relax. NEVER, EVER in checked baggage ofcourse. Good luck with your travels, Herman.

There was a post here a few months back where someone said they found a roll that had been through a dozen passes of the x-ray machine and was indiscernible from any other roll (s)he had.

The general consensus is that if you try to stash the films in any kind of x-ray proof bag, the checker will likely crank up the machine until they can see through the bag. It’s much better to have just the rolls in a clear Ziplock and demand (beg for) a hand inspection.

If you’re really worried, take a 2-reel dev tank, developer, fixer and a dark bag and do it on the road. Good way to kill a rainy day or fight jet lag…

thank you to all. I know is another issue but someone know if are there some restriction to ship a few cans of powder developer in USA? I want to ask a colleague that are now in USA if she can buy me some UFG developer there but i don’t want put her in problems because the controls in the airport. Thank you again in advance.

Herman—did you get your UFG?

No yet John, any suggestion?

She should be able to get it shipped in USA. You should check with whatever airlines she’s going to fly and see if it can be packed in checked luggage. I don’t think dry chemicals are a problem unless it’s a caustic chemical.

thanks again and happy chrismas and new year if not get in contact before. Cheers

Good luck to you Herman on your darkroom work. Maybe Santa will bring you a few cans of UFG. Ho-ho-ho.

So no problems with 100, 400 and 800 speed film when put in a carry on?

Would putting slower speed film in checked luggage fine too?

I’ve just got back from a trip to europe in which i did see a few ‘FILM SAFE X-RAY’ stickered onto the big machines at checkin. Perhaps the technology has gotten better so as it doesn’t affect whatever was sensitive to the rays?

Maybe you look at some marketing advice of low ASA film

For a recent series of portraits, on large format, sorry, not Leica, but all the same, I carried on four 50 sheet boxes of Tri X film and they must have passed through the scan about four or five times and no issues at all.

Always forgot to ask for hand inspect so it went through in the Domke bag.

Returning from a recent trip to Honduras through Houston, I had forgotten to ask that a ziplock bag with 3-4 rolls of TMZ3200 be hand checked. Something in a “sniffer” went haywire, and they sent my bag through a total of three times, then hand-checked everything anyway. One roll had been shot during the trip, the others were unexposed. I was certain they flim was ruined but decided to process it out of curiosity. Everything was fine.

However, if you prefer having your film hand-checked, just put it in a lead-lined film bag and let it run through x-ray, then they have to hand check it anyway. It has completely eliminated the many pleadings, arguments and language barriers I used to experience with security people when I would ask beforehand.

i just put the film in a clear plastic zip loc and get a hand search, i never let it go through the big ugly (x-ray)

smile and wave!