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Dumb film question - Printable Version

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Dumb film question - Guest - 06-24-2010

Hi,



I got myself a second-hand Nikkor 50/1.2 and an FG-20, which is great fun to use. The lens is so fast and so small and lightweight and the viewfinder is so large and so bright. I love it.

Now, some years have passed since I used film, so my question is:

If I take unexposed or undeveloped film on vacation via airplane, does the film have to bypass the X-ray scanners or is it safe to have it in the luggage?



Thanks,

Thomas


Dumb film question - joachim - 06-24-2010

[quote name='ThomasD' date='24 June 2010 - 12:20 PM' timestamp='1277378441' post='667']

Hi,



I got myself a second-hand Nikkor 50/1.2 and an FG-20, which is great fun to use. The lens is so fast and so small and lightweight and the viewfinder is so large and so bright. I love it.

Now, some years have passed since I used film, so my question is:

If I take unexposed or undeveloped film on vacation via airplane, does the film have to bypass the X-ray scanners or is it safe to have it in the luggage?



Thanks,

Thomas

[/quote]



Hi Thomas,



Standard advise is, hand luggage scanners are ok up to 1600 ASA, but hold luggage scanners are not save at all. But then with the latest fears of terrorism and fewer people using film these days, they might install stronger scanners which are not film-save any longer. So far I never had issues when traveling in Europe.



Considering hand searches to avoid x-ray scaning, in Europe, I never managed to get a hand search of my hand luggage, while in the US (before Sept 11) I managed frequently. That might have changed since.



In the end I feel you have to risk it.



Joachim


Dumb film question - Guest - 06-24-2010

Thanks.



[quote name='joachim' date='24 June 2010 - 01:33 PM' timestamp='1277379193' post='668']

Considering hand searches to avoid x-ray scaning, in Europe, I never managed to get a hand search of my hand luggage, while in the US (before Sept 11) I managed frequently. That might have changed since.

[/quote]



Well, I will try, but a film box may look suspicious nowadays.



Btw, I like your location designation. I am calculating Lyapunov exponents for a living.


Dumb film question - Guest - 06-24-2010

Luggage scanners are very powerful so it is likely that if film passed through these scanners it is ruined.

Most airports will claim iso up to 1600 is ok for the scanner used at the terminal but I always have my film hand checked regardless of iso. There have been a few complaints that even low iso film will be damaged. I believe the issue is that it is additive so if you are scanned many times the film is more likely to suffer.



What I do is take the film out of boxes and put it into a plastic bag when I pack and then request hand check (the plastic bag thing is to make it easy on the checkers). In USA they are require to hand check if requested - though they will insist that low speed film can be scanned and once in a while put up some resistance but only one airport has actually refused to hand check; the few times I traveled over seas (Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, ...) I've not had any issues and in fact they were generally less of a hassle (no resistance whatsoever).





[quote name='ThomasD' date='24 June 2010 - 12:20 PM' timestamp='1277378441' post='667']

Hi,



I got myself a second-hand Nikkor 50/1.2 and an FG-20, which is great fun to use. The lens is so fast and so small and lightweight and the viewfinder is so large and so bright. I love it.

Now, some years have passed since I used film, so my question is:

If I take unexposed or undeveloped film on vacation via airplane, does the film have to bypass the X-ray scanners or is it safe to have it in the luggage?



Thanks,

Thomas

[/quote]


Dumb film question - Rainer - 06-25-2010

I never had any trouble with film in those scanners ...

neither with films in hand luggage nor with filmes in checked

luggage ... and I've done trips were the films were scanned

several times (up to 8 times) ... but that always been 100iso film.



The only time I had a film ruined, was when I left it in a car

for two days ... and the car was parked in direct sunlight on

two hot summer days ... probably over 70deg (centigrade)

inside. Those films produced "strange colors".

(All films above 100iso slides).



Just my 2cts. Rainer


Dumb film question - scottburgess - 07-04-2010

[quote name='ThomasD' date='24 June 2010 - 04:20 AM' timestamp='1277378441' post='667']

If I take unexposed or undeveloped film on vacation via airplane, does the film have to bypass the X-ray scanners or is it safe to have it in the luggage?

[/quote]



Not sure here in the U.S.--I read an advisory about a year or two back that warned about stronger scanners here and recommended having all film examined by hand and kept in a carry-on while on-board. As a digital user I didn't pay too much attention at the time so I don't know where I read this. I was more concerned about growing an extra a** if I got on a plane again (no, I'm not lucky enough to grow another head, or an extra arm to hold an accessory flash). :-D



Scott


Dumb film question - Guest - 07-17-2010

Thank you all for you replies.

I am back from Kiev and all films developed fine. I had only ASA 100 and 200 films and scanning in the hand luggage did no harm.


Dumb film question - Guest - 07-17-2010

[quote name='ThomasD' date='24 June 2010 - 01:47 PM' timestamp='1277380049' post='669']



Btw, I like your location designation. I am calculating Lyapunov exponents for a living.

[/quote]



I just have to ask how you manage to make a living from that. Even a math professor can't really be said to do that.



-Lars


Dumb film question - Guest - 07-21-2010

[quote name='larsrc' date='17 July 2010 - 07:12 PM' timestamp='1279386760' post='1069']

I just have to ask how you manage to make a living from that. Even a math professor can't really be said to do that.

[/quote]



Well, I do actually calculate them on a concrete application, while a math professor just puts up a theorem that they can be calculated in general. But yes, I exaggerated a bit, I am surely not calculating those exponents the whole day.


Dumb film question - Guest - 07-22-2010

[quote name='ThomasD' date='21 July 2010 - 08:51 PM' timestamp='1279738271' post='1215']

Well, I do actually calculate them on a concrete application, while a math professor just puts up a theorem that they can be calculated in general. But yes, I exaggerated a bit, I am surely not calculating those exponents the whole day.

[/quote]



I just had no idea there were jobs where calculating Lyapnov exponents were a regular part. Do you mind telling me what the job is?



-Lars