X-ray safe film?

[Dzerzhinski46]

Dear All,

Is there such a thing? Has anyone experience with this sort of thing? I was planning to chronicle our flight home, but am wary as to bringing film through security checks, what with the scanners and everything. Has any particular film come out alive from this sort of thing before? If you could be so kind.

Dzerzhinski

[Lionheart]

Dear All,

Is there such a thing? Has anyone experience with this sort of thing? I was planning to chronicle our flight home, but am wary as to bringing film through security checks, what with the scanners and everything. Has any particular film come out alive from this sort of thing before? If you could be so kind.

Dzerzhinski

Well, I brought film ISO speed 400 and 800 through security checkpoints immediately following 9/11 with no adverse effects, but that was a one way pass, and my gear got stolen shortly after, so I've been digital since about february of 2002. I have read that you do not want your film to go through baggage. The scanners will destroy your film at any ISO speed. In fact I've read in some mags that digital cards and digital camera sensors have been fried going through the scanners in the baggage check. No problems with digital though going through the security checkpoints for over 2 years now, and I've travelled monthly through airports for almost the last 18 months now going to and from orthodontic seminars in Seattle.

[Trevor Ash]

When I was last at SFO (November of this year) I saw signs in the airport that clearly said that you can request and hand inspection of your film but that you should have it in a plastic bag and out of the film canisters.....or something to that effect. Check the website for SFO and/or the FAA to see the specifics but I'm darn near positive I read it at the actual airport. Having a manual inspection is what you'll want to do.

[Mig]

can be found here.

I've put ISO 800 through with no problems and have had ISO 3200 hand inspected - like the site says, if you make it easy for them you shouldn't have any problems.

Danielle

[another view]

Rule #1: Don't put film in checked baggage.

That's it. You can request a hand inspection which I've done before, but it will take extra time. Plan for that in advance - especially when you know the airport will be busy. Never had a problem with 400 going thru the x-ray for carry-on, but then you don't want to do it over and over - it's a cumulative effect. It may be easier just to FedEx the film.

[Dzerzhinski46]

Dear All,

Thanks for the suggestions. I was planning to chronicle our trip home from Colorado Springs, through the airport, and so on. That is why I was curious about whether any kind of film can make it through carry-on scanners. I was planning to use ISO 800 film, so hand inspection is probably a must. Any suggestions for color 800 film?

Dzerzhinski

P.S. By the way, the film is only going through the scanner once, so damage will be minimal if I put it through the scanner, and don't have it hand inspected.

[Lionheart]

my favorite was always Fuji npz 800 professional. just a personal choice.

[another view]

The only two I've used are Kodak's Portra 800 and Supra 800. I don't think the Supra is made anymore - had kind of a "Royal Gold" look to it if you remember that. Portra 800 is a good film, but you'll get the best results at a good lab that's used to working with Portra (portrait labs). It's not bad but it's not something I really am nuts over, either. I use it when I have to.

One tip - don't underexpose. You may want to set your camera at 640 instead of 800 to give yourself a little extra room for error. I wrote the reason why in Megan's thread about Pushing and Pulling film...

[Dzerzhinski46]

Dear All,

Thanks for the suggestions. I did a little looking around, however, got down to the camera shop, and unintentionally bought some Superia 1600 (is it possible to buy film unintentionally? ). Ah well! Fuji seems to have a little better reputation than Kodak with high speed color. Anyone have any experience with it? I am hoping to get kind of a funky travel log for my friends of the flight back,. I hope it all works.

Dzerzhinski