Polaroid and film through X-ray

[Lemaildetom]

Hello,

I'm planning to go in holiday and I wanted to know what to you do with your:
-polaroid (unused film)
-camera (unused 35mm film)
-camera (finished 35mm film)

Ideally I would like to go travelling to south america with them!
Any problem with x-ray at airport?
If not any problem with x-ray while posting?

Sorry the subject has probably be mentionned a few time but I can't find anything about polaroids...

Thanks

 

[PMN]

I'm not actually familiar with carrying Polaroid film through airports so perhaps someone else can help with that one, I've probably done a few hundred flights carrying both unexposed and exposed 35mm film though and it's absolutely fine. Just keep it in your carry on luggage.

 

[skysh4rk]

Hello,

I'm planning to go in holiday and I wanted to know what to you do with your:
-polaroid (unused film)
-camera (unused 35mm film)
-camera (finished 35mm film)

Ideally I would like to go travelling to south america with them!
Any problem with x-ray at airport?
If not any problem with x-ray while posting?

Sorry the subject has probably be mentionned a few time but I can't find anything about polaroids...

Thanks

No idea about Polaroids, unfortunately.

Regarding 135 film, I've never had an instance of x-rays damaging photographic film, so you should be fine. If I'm only going through a handful of scans, I usually just leave the film in my carry-on bag. If I know I could be going through many scanners, as was the case with my recent trip to Asia, I'll ask for hand inspections occasionally (I had no problems with this in SE Asia, but it can be harder to get hand inspections in European airports).

Never put your film in your checked luggage.

Faster film is theoretically more susceptible to x-ray damage, so I don't usually carry anything faster than ISO 400, although I have taken some Portra 800 to France and it was fine. Underexposed rolls that are intended for pushing are also meant to be more vulnerable to x-rays, so I try to minimise x-ray exposure for any such rolls as well.

Basically, I try to minimise x-ray exposure for the films I'm carrying, but I don't stress about it, as I've yet to have had any problems.

 

[Lemaildetom]

Thanks for help.
I've been to France with my polaroid but can't recall if I put the car on the boat or fly. I can't imagine polaroid to be more sensitive than normal film....

 

[Lemaildetom]

Also I would like to take some 3000 ISO BW polaroid film and from what you say high iso can be a problem.
But at the moment you can only get hold of the 100ISO for a reasonable price!

 

[s162216]

According to Stansted Airports advice it still takes a good few X-ray passes with high speed film before any noticeable defects show so you'll probably be fine.

 

[skysh4rk]

According to Stansted Airports advice it still takes a good few X-ray passes with high speed film before any noticeable defects show so you'll probably be fine.

It's not certain that everywhere you travel will have such modern machines though, as they do at Stansted, so the x-ray exposure is possibly quite variable. For instance, some of the scanners I saw in Asia were quite rickety, while others were very modern.

That said, in most instances, there's not really much to worry about as long as it's in your carry-on bag.

Not sure about ISO 3000 polaroid film though.

 

[pingu666]

given its value, you could get like a wash bag? Short you put your bathroom bits in when you travel, and have that seporate or just pull it out from bag at airport, so your main bag gets scanned and small one gets hand checked

 

[MartynK]

I really don't know about Polaroid film, but I'm sure someone on this forum must be able to advise!

Normal 35mm film will be fine. I carried quite a lot of it through airports with X Ray scanners back in the 70s and 80s without any problems. The general thinking was that multiple/repeated scans increased the risk, although I never found any definitive guidelines, and that very high ASA/ISO film was more susceptible to damage. You could get lead foil bags to protect your film in those days, but I never used them and I haven't a clue if they really worked.

Carry all your film in hand luggage, and don't put it in a checked bag. I do know that some airports put checked bags through much more powerful X Ray scanners, but the main risk is loss/theft of irreplaceable film. You can also ask for hand inspection but I'm not sure you have any right to insist, and it may depend on the security officer concerned.