Travel Insurance for Analogue Equipment + Airport X-ray Question

Chungle456

Chungle456

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Hi all

I'm about to embark on holiday to eastern Europe for a few weeks and plan to take my 35mm film camera with me. This will be the first time I am travelling with a somewhat expensive analogue camera. For those in the UK that travel regularly with their analogue camera equipment on holiday, is there an insurance company you would recommend? Most of the main travel insurance companies don't seem to cover for older equipment, and even if they do the amount of cover is pretty low. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also, sorry if this has been posted before, but I will be traveling through Hearthrow Airport, and I am aware they now have the latest X-Ray machines that Ilford has reported can damage film. Does anyone have an experience of what effect these scanners have on film? I will be using Tri-X 400 at box speed. I've asked security staff in the past about hand checking film, and Hearthrow was the one airport the staff demanded the film had to be scanned...

Thanks :p
 
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I've not been through Heathrow, but at Manchester they've hand checked my film on two separate occasions when I had to go through the new CT scanners (older x-ray machines have always been fine). I just made sure the rolls were out of any packaging / canisters and in a transparent zip-lock type bag.

I emailed the airport with my concerns in advance of travel and they replied to tell me that no photographic film should go through the CT scanners and that I should request a manual check of the film by security staff. I took a copy of their reply with me to show in case there was any push back.
 
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Thanks FishyFish. Emailing the airport and taking a copy of their reply is a really good idea. I will definitely be doing this.
 
Response from Hearthrow Airport:

Thank you for getting in touch with us about your upcoming journey through Heathrow Airport.

I can understand your concerns about taking film through security. We can confirm, however, that independent tests undertaken by the British Photographers' Liaison Committee (BPLC) to establish the detail of any potential damage to film caused by baggage screening machines at airports have given the all-clear to the current hand-luggage x-ray inspection systems installed at Heathrow.

These findings confirm that hand-luggage security scanning machinery is safe for all normal film types (up to and including ISO 400). Current digital camera storage media can also safely be examined by these x-ray machines without sustaining damage.

If you are carrying professional film rated ISO 800 or faster, you can request the film be searched by alternative means. We will accommodate this where possible but this cannot be guaranteed. Please bring any documentary proof of the film rating with you. We also recommend that you leave extra time to pass through security as additional screening requirements may be required.

Thank you again for taking the time to write to us, and we wish you a pleasant flight through Heathrow Airport.
 
I think they do, although after reading some other forums, it might depend on the terminal
 
I got this response when I asked about scanning film last year.

Good Morning Nick,

Thank you for your patience whilst we confirm the current policy in regards to taking photographic film through Security.

We have now heard back from the Security team who have confirmed the following;

"If the passenger processes through a CT lane then the film can be screened by alternative methods. However, if the passenger is processed through a standard lane, then only film over ISO800 is permitted to be screened by alternative methods, otherwise it will need to pass through the x-ray."

I trust that this helps and we look forwards to seeing you at Heathrow on your future journeys.

Kind regards,

Peter Hearn
Customer Service Advisor

Heathrow

Bookings and upgrades: 0344 335 1000
Airport enquiries: 0844 335 1801
w: heathrow.com sm: BANNED/heathrowairport
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Feel free to print this out to take with you, or alternatively you might want to contact Peter Hearn yourself to get an update.

I'm not sure if things have changed but as far as I know only Terminal 5 had CT scanners in operation this time last year but I understand that they were due to have them in all terminals as soon as was possible.

Also as an update to this I ended up leaving my film gear at home when I went to Canada last year for fear of my images being trashed by the scanners.
 
Went through security in Heathrow the other day. The staff I spoke to said these new scanners will definitely ruin your film and so they hand checked all my rolls. Hopefully they are as accommodating for the return flight
 
Chungle456 said:
Went through security in Heathrow the other day. The staff I spoke to said these new scanners will definitely ruin your film and so they hand checked all my rolls. Hopefully they are as accommodating for the return flight
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That’s good to know
 
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