How to protect films from airport security screen?

[brave_lau]

Hihi,

I will be using FC for the first time for a oversea trip. I would like to have some advice on how to protect films from the airport security screening.

Thanks!

[Tetrode]

Originally Posted by brave_lau Hihi, I will be using FC for the first time for a oversea trip. I would like to have some advice on how to protect films from the airport security screening. Thanks!

Get yourself a leadlined film bag - Ruby photo might still carry them.
And never pack the film into your check-in luggage. The x-ray machines they use now (post 911) are powerful enough to fog your film. (All f***ing thanks those Terrorists!)

[brian]

I use one of those leadlined bags from... Tenba or Tamrac (or something else) I think but got it long time ago and dont notice which brand. Only problem I have is that when it goes thru the xray it looks like you're concealing something, so 8 out of 10, the security guy will ask you to see it... if that's the case you might as well let them hand inspect the film. That's what I thought at first, but once I had 20 rolls of new film at KLIA and the lady officer wanted me to open every single can of film roll to make sure its film inside!!!

So, either you pass it turn in a xray proof bag, or hand inspect them with the box removed for ease, or be like me now... I dont care too much anymore, most of my film goes thru the xray machine (I use mostly Kodak 400TX and Ilford FP4+). I guess compared to the check-in xray, the handcarry xray machines are not that powerful. Anyways, if you're paranoid about the x-ray machines, I was told that when the ship the film to you, it was probably scanned at one point or another during importation into Singapore, so....

[enivre]

Hm.. I was also thinking of getting one.. but how much for one of these bags huh? and how big is it?

[thearttofeelme]

im working at the airport.i noticed the scanning machines are safe for flims.

[brian]

enivre: it comes in different sizes. Just checked at home and mine's a Domke. Cathay might sell it then. Mine takes just about 10 rolls of film without the box. There are bigger ones but I think 10 is ok for me.

thearttofeelme: that's what I think too about xray machines, but if you have some masterpiece on your roll, maybe its normal to be a little more kiasi. I was like that before but now I just let it go thru the machine, less questions from the security guys and I dont see too much effect on my film, even when I push 400TX to 1600EI, but I didn't do any scientific study on it. Since my developing sloppiness has quite a bit of margin of error, maybe that's why I dont see too much effect on my film.,

[brave_lau]

Thanks for all the advice! I think I will hand carry them and let them pass through the xray machine this time

[jamesong]

ISO 400 & above will have problem with x-ray because of its sensitivity of grains.

Below ISO 400, my films went through 12 times x-rays without any problems.

[enivre]

but x-rays airports like singapore I can trust, what if you go to more backward countries?

Also, I've heard that although you might not see the effects of being scanned immediately, it might show up later (like few months down the road)... I'm not sure if this is true...

[LKSC]

Which country are you visiting? Find a reputable lab there and have your film processed before returning.

[Larry]

actually lead-lined bags are useful only if you're storing them in the check-in luggage. hand-carrying those, they still ask you to open up the bags to check.

unless you're carrying like a truckload of films, the easiest thing to do (and safest) is to take out your films out of the canisters, put them in a transparent baggie (like a ziploc) and hand carry across the detectors. explain to the immigration that these are high-sensitivity films and they usually let them thru.

unless you're going to US or UK... nothing is allowed to be hand-carried across except v restricted items (even medicine is checked).

see this...
http://www.changiairport.com/changi/..._advisory.html

[Ghostrider117]

Originally Posted by brave_lau Hihi, I will be using FC for the first time for a oversea trip. I would like to have some advice on how to protect films from the airport security screening. Thanks!

Last time with flims, I never take any chances. I always put them into a seperate bag that I carry with me all the time. I will take out the bag and request the customs officers to search by hand. So far I have not any problems with customs from other country.

Remember...make life easy for them and not request them to search thru your belonging but only the flims are not to go thru X-ray machine only.