Traveling with film...and other stuff

[rockgurl]

In a little less then a month I am going to Cancun for about 2 weeks with my mom and my friend :-D. Of course I don't go anywhere with out ALL of my photography equipment and tons of film especially when going to some place with a lot of great photo ops such as Cancun. When I travel I always carry on my photography equipment because I know that the X-rays for the bag checks expose film (not to forget they're not always gentle with checked bags etiher though)....then again I haven't traveled in a while so I don't remember if the x-ray machines they use to see your carry on affects the film or not. Does anyone know? If if does harm the film, would they still make me run it through even if I asked them "I have film in there and I can't run it through the x-ray, can you just hand check it?"? I bet they would think I was some kind of terriorist if I said that, but I don't know if I can buy all of my film there and get it developed there in Cancun, and I don't want to expose it going through security.....If someone will let me know if my film would be safe or not that would be great...
Off the subject a little bit, this being the "and other stuff" part of the topic... I am looking into buying a good camcorder but being only 15 and maybe with luck a summer job, I'm limited on funds. I would really like to get one as soon as I can because I just found a lot of video scholarships that I would like to try to get. These are really nice chances especially for me because instead of giving you the scholoarship to a certian college they just give you the money, and that would make it easier for me because I want to go to an out-of-country art school. So what I am gettin to, I don't really know a lot about camcorders, I know I don't like 8mm because it's hard to find an adapter or whatever to play those in a vcr, but I need to know more about specs I would need before I shop. I would really like one of those DVD ones because they'd be super easy to edit, but I'm lucky if I can get $300 for a camcorder and the dvd ones get up to $600. If there's anyone who know a lot about camcorders please help me out. Or if there's anyone with ideas of getting money that would help too, but a part time summer job at six flags is the best I think I can do.... thanks to everyone who actually read all of my rambling and replies...

[carney2]

Don't know much about the "other stuff," but here's the latest on "traveling with film:

1. U.S. carry-on radiation equipment is supposedly safe for films below ISO 1,000. (Can you trust this? I'm not sure. In any event, you should beware of the "cumulative effect" of putting the same film through these "x-rays" multiple times.)

2. U.S. rules state that you are entitled to a "hand inspection" of your film upon request. The film would then, supposedly, be passed around the equipment. I am not a frequent flyer, but I have never - not once, not ever - been granted a hand inspection of my film since 9/11. Why do these rent-a-cops do it? Because they can. It's that simple.

3. Non-U.S. (Cancun) inspection equipment is always an iffy thing. Some of these countries don't want to be blamed for anything and they have the settings set to "scorch."

Here are some suggestions:

1. Go for that hand inspection. Allow enough extra time so that you can deal with the "supervisor" if you have to. Believe me, these people will slow you down to a crawl just because you've asked for the extra consideration. (Why do they do it? Because they can.) Be sure that the film is out of the boxes and even out of the cannisters. Don't give them any impression that you're trying to hide anything.

2. Get yourself a lead-lined film pouch. Place all of your film in the pouch and then the pouch in your carry-on. It is (again, supposedly) resistant to the radiation that is applied to carry-on luggage. If they go through your stuff because this has caught their attention, perhaps - just perhaps - you have forced a hand inspection.

3. As for the Cancun end of this thing, good luck.

4. Based on the "rockgurl" moniker, I am assuming that you are female. Maneuver into a line being run by a male rent-a-cop and give him the helpless/I'm gonna cry routine. I'm amazed at how often this sort of thing works.

[rockgurl]

thanx carney2, I'll definatly try those, especially the 'I'm gona cry routine' because I've always wanted to, but the lead pouch sounds good too

[VT Mike]

thanx carney2, I'll definatly try those, especially the 'I'm gona cry routine' because I've always wanted to, but the lead pouch sounds good too

I haven't flown since 9/11, so I'm sure things are a bit different now. But, in the past I have always had my film checked by hand. You just have to make it as easy as possible for the security people. I put all of my film (just the rolls of film, not in the plastic canisters) in a clear zip-loc bag. When you get to the x-ray machine, take this out of your carry-on bag and hand it to the security person after putting your carry-on in the machine. This has always worked for me in the past.

[Big L]

I just returned from the UK. I had all my film in my carryon. No problem, my pictures turned out beautifully.

[TAMARIN]

Just to add to what VT Mike said, I always carry my film in a plastic packet at the top of my camera bag, so that when I get to the security check I can just hand them the packet before the bag goes into the scanner. They are familiare with this procedure and all you need to do is empty the packet for closer inspection. I remember years ago (back in the 80's) my dad's film was dammaged this way. Technology has proberbly changed by now...but like they say..RATHER SAFE THAN SORRY! (Esp when visiting third world countries) Its a simple safe guard.

Gesondheid

[racingpinarello]

I have traveled a great deal with film, and have never had a problem with the carry-on scanners at the airport. On one trip to Paris, I was stuck at the airport for three days, so my bags were constantly being scanned.

I counted a total of 20 times on that trip (it was a nightmare), but none of my film had visible signs of damage.

Just make sure you keep your film with you, and don't worry. My only suggestion is to make sure you put your valuable bag (purse, etc) on the belt second. You don't want your purse going in and out of the conveyor belt while you wait for your camera bag to be scanned. This way you can make sure nobody runs off with your purse.

Loren

[norma]

Check out this document on the FAA website:
http://www.faa.gov/avr/arm/n97-12.doc

Scroll down to page 85, and see § 108.205 Use of X-ray systems, Section (e). It outlines the policy for handling photo-sensitive material at airport security points.

I have travelled to/from the US a few times since 9/11 and I think things have improved. They will hand-inspect your film if you ask, but it will take quite a while. It took at least 20 mins extra when I did it, and I was also frisked, asked to remove my shoes for inspection, etc. This was done with great courtesy, however, and I didn't find the staff intimidating - just extra cautious.

Norma.

[opus]

The first time I traveled post-911 I put my film in my lead pouch as usual. When that thing went through the scanners, you should have seen the security jump! They treated it like it was a bomb and like I was a terrorist. They pulled me aside and called their superiors... not fun.

So my film went through once, but I didn't want it to go through again on the way back, so I got it all developed in London. I was SO GLAD I did, because the pictures (with my new Rebel Ti) came out so great, it encouraged me to take more than I would have. I had to lug back a new suitcase filled with prints, but it was so worth it!

When I went to Cancun for my honeymoon last year, I wasn't able to get my film developed before coming back. But the film seemed perfectly fine when I got it developed back home.


Now about carrying all your equipment on board: excellent idea. Imagine how someone would feel if they accidentally snagged the wrong suitcase off the carousel (yours) and upon opening it found all your equipment. I doubt you'd get your bag back. Plus, every single checked bag is now inspected. I just returned from Puerto Vallarta and all our luggage had "inspected" tags on them. I wouldn't trust valuables outside my sights. Not to mention how the bags are thrown around...

JUST REMEMBER: if you're sitting in a bulkhead seat, you can't put your bags under your feet. If you can't store them overhead, the flight attendants might take them and store them far away from you. I heard a horror story of a woman who this happened to, and the bag disappeared. She lost her camera with the bag. So whenever I fly (and I fly a lot) I carry my equipment in as little space as possible so that it fits near me, and I keep a close eye on it at all times.

[jasonyh]

The security signs at the airport say that the carry-on scanners will not affect your film as long as it isn't, if I remember correctly, over ISO 3200. The checked baggage scanners are much stronger and WILL ruin your film.

As far as I can tell after multiple times of going through carry-on security, there is no reason to believe that this is untrue. Since 9/11, I've sent about 4-5 batches of film through the machines and have never had any problems. I just put my whole camera bag, film and all, on the machine. I carry ISO 100 and 400, color slide and B&W print.

I used to make security hand-inspect my film, just to be safe. One time, they argued with me, saying that the film would not be affected and x-rayed it anyway. That film was not affected but I got a lead bag for the next time, just to be safe. The next time I went through, the took my camera bag, inspected the contents, removed the film from the lead bag, and sent everything back through the x-ray anyway.

I frustrated, angry, and worried that my film was ruined. It was not, and I then I was only frustrated to find I had wasted money on a lead bag that had just wasted my time and changed nothing.

Anyway, this long story short... in my experience, your attempts at hand inspection may be honored and maybe not, and a lead-bag won't help you any. These days, they send stuff they didn't see the first time, back through the x-rays. Give in, speed up the lines, let your film be x-rayed, and don't worry about it.

[opus]

Oh, let me say one more thing about that lead pouch, that I think is funny.

I told EVERYBODY in that airport that I had film in a lead pouch in my bag. I just about shouted it through a megaphone, wore a sign around my chest, etc. I didn't want anyone thinking I was sneaking anything through. As I went through the scanners, I told EVERY security person there, ahead of time, in a loud voice, repeatedly, that I had film in a lead pouch in my bag. They all just nodded like it was no big deal. But then when the bag went through, they jumped on it like it was some big huge surprise and looked at me with suspiicion, like "how dare you try to sneak something like this through?!?!!"

I found it hilarious.


(ps. It's funny, they won't let me post the word "su****ion" ...

[bevan.n.z]

Just a little hint when travelling on the plane..one time a staff of an airline told me not to worry about the scanners but more importantly to store your bag{film} under your seat as the most radiation comes from the overhead locker where it happens a lot of the electricle wires happen to be store ......Right next to your film!!!!

and tell the scanner people that you have some super high speed film and that usually confuses them and they hand inspect it anyway{which is what you wanted in the first place}

Bevan.n.z