How can camera film be protected in X-Ray machines?

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Does anyone know of a way that camera film can be protected in X-Ray machines when going through airports, etc?

Is there any kind of special bad or container that films can be put in that protect them but still allow the airports to check for security purposes?
 
Dont think there is a problem, i have taken probably 100,s of rolls of film through x ray machines over the years without it causing any harm, unless the latest type ones are any different
 
There is no way round it these days unless you have some fairly negligent airport staff. Little film canisters or rolls are exactly the kind of thing that they want checked out.

Most modern xray machines are quite kind to film and I've not had any issues yet with films being affected. High ISO stuff is far more at risk but you need to be up in the 1000/1600 range to really worry, so I'm told.

I still don't like it though and wish there was a way around having them bombarded.
 
I've seen many many articles and forum questions since xray machines were first introduced into airports but never come across anyone who's actually had a film damaged by one. If you're worried put your film in a clear plastic bag and ask the security staff to examine it by hand, they might or might not depending on how busy or starchy they are.
 
Way back in the 90's there was a concern about X-Ray scanning machines damaging film. At the '92 Olympics in Barcelona, whilst working at the press centre we passed several films thorough the security scanners 1/2 dozen times. These films varied in speed from 100 ASA to 1600. On processing we could not detect any effect on the films compared with stock straight off the shelves.

I'm sure X-Ray scanners have improved over the years and the dosage is even lower than then.
 
Film isn't damaged by X-Ray machines, if you look at the machine as you put your bag on it, it usualy has a sticker on it that says 'This machine will not damage camera film' or something similar.
 
It entirely depends in what part of the world your films are being zapped: in modern, western airports, with modern, western X-ray equipment, your films receive only a low dose of radiation. The chance of radiation damage to your films is negligible there. However, outside north America, western Europe, Japan, or Australia/New Zealand, it's a different matter: Second and Third World countries' airports use the west's (40 year) old, second-hand, high dosage X-ray machines! Which probably have not seen a service engineer in the last quarter century. Radiation doses are hundreds of times higher than in the west. Your films run considerable risks of X-ray 'veils' when they go through those scanners. For protection you can stick your films in lead lined bags or containers, specially for this purpose, before they go through. You may have to allow manual inspection of those, of course. So expect it and stick them somewhere in your luggage where they are easily accessible.
I had 3 of those bags (which hold about a dozen films each). Still have them, actually: one for unexposed films, one for exposed films, and one for my loaded camera body. Only... I haven't shot film in 8 years anymore!

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