Using film abroad

jamesoliverstone

jamesoliverstone

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My order of Ilford HP5 B&W and Fuji Velvia 100F arrived to day ready for the trip to Africa, and I saw something disturbing on the box that I am not too sure about...

It says that the film should not be exposed to xrays... Now this may be a dumb question, but how am I to get the film on and off the aircraft without it bieng subjected to xrays? Can I just show them to security staff and beg them not to put them through the scanners?
 
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Pretty much - just ask for it to be hand-examined. Used to be a regular thing BITD!
 
Should be OK in hand bagge x-ray. i've put all sorts of film through hand baggage x-ray, exposed and unexposed, including ir film, and it's been fine.
 
Film below 800 ISO will be fine passing through the x-ray scanner as the scanners are a lot lower powered than they used to be. I took my Superia 400 and 200 and Portra 160 and through Stansted unexposed and through Bodrum airport in Turkey exposed and there were no problems. The guidance seems to be that unless you are carrying high speed film (like portra 800 or Fuji Superia 1600) then it should be fine and if you are carrying high speed film, to ask for a hand inspection.
One thing though, don't ever put film in your hold luggage as the scanners used for that luggage are so powerful that they will instantly fog any sort of film.
 
I'd heard that some of the scanners in some African countries were a little - how shall I put this - on the older side... could well be using the old-style scanners, depending on the county you're going to. Of course, it's ages since I've been anywhere and taken film, so maybe I'd better STFU now :)
 
You need to put the films in your hand luggage and try to forget about it. A hand search used to be an option but other than picking up a canister, shaking it to "see if it sounds explosive", it's a bit useless.

There is no way you'll get past security without every item you're taking being scanned in the current era.
 
Put the film in your hand luggage. Not all airport security guards will hand examine your film, although it doesnt hurt to ask.

You could have it developed over there, although in Africa I think processing might be hit or miss.
 
Post it home before you leave ?

;)
 
Thanks everyone that's really helpful advice. I shall have to just hope that I am lucky ;) I may look into those lead lined bags that kodak suggest...

I would be gutted if such once in a lifetime pics got ruined by airport security!
 
I've been in some African airports where the X-Ray scanner wasn't even working, but I suppose you can't count on that.

The X-Ray exposure risk is cumulative. That probably doesn't help you very much, but you should be aware of it. The lead lined bags were quite popular with professionals and serious amateurs years ago, but I don't think most holidaymakers bothered taking precautions.

You should be OK with film up to 400 ASA. I'd get a lead lined bag if possible, put it at the top of your hand luggage and ask for hand inspection.

I don't know if you've spent time in Africa, but a lot of the immigration and security people are a lot more courteous than many of the ones I've found at Heathrow - a sullen face and attitude problem seem to be part of their "professional" role playing. Smile, cooperate and be courteous and you'll probably find that lot of African officials will reciprocate, providing you don't pick a country where there's just been another attempt to overthrow the government!
 
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Kodak don't recommend the use of lead lined bags any more as all the operator will do is turn up the x ray strength to see through the lead so the film will end up getting more x-ray exposure.

http://motion.kodak.com/motion/uploadedFiles/US_plugins_acrobat_en_motion_newsletters_filmEss_12_Storage_and_Handling.pdf

Search the PDF for 'lead' and you'll see what I mean. Its about 2 lines. O.K its for motion film but I do remember reading a similar PDF for still photography that said basically the same thing.
 
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jamesoliverstone said:
I may look into those lead lined bags that kodak suggest...
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I think they just crank up the x rays until they can see through the bag!!

Many years ago we did Australia and then New York, and after 10 or so trips through airport scanners the last of the slide film I used was perfectly OK.

HTH

David
 
I had a mini argument with security at Bristol last week after they refused to hand inspect 2 rolls of velvia. It should be ok having gone through twice only but I doubt you'll get away with hand inspection anymore.
 
How about putting it in your pockets would that work if you then walked with it through the metal detector.

I used to take film all the time up and till last year and the x-ray machiene didn't seem to harm them. although they were only holiday snapps.
 
jamesoliverstone said:
Tanzania :)
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Oh wow!

I'm headed to South Africa over December and January for 5 weeks, so face a similar dilemma with X-rays.

I saw this photo.net discussion on film going through scanners, and it seems the carry-on luggage isn't scanned as severely as the checked luggage and almost no reports of ill effects of if done this way
 
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Jared said:
How about putting it in your pockets would that work if you then walked with it through the metal detector.

I used to take film all the time up and till last year and the x-ray machiene didn't seem to harm them. although they were only holiday snapps.
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Good idea, I think I shall just have ro hope that all will be well, it's not like there is much choice :D

ekimeno said:
Oh wow!

I'm headed to South Africa over December and January for 5 weeks, so face a similar dilemma with X-rays.

I saw this photo.net discussion on film going through scanners, and it seems the carry-on luggage isn't scanned as severely as the checked luggage and almost no reports of ill effects of if done this way
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link :thumbs:

Whereabouts in south Africa? I am heading there next year too...
 
jamesoliverstone said:
Thanks for the link :thumbs:

Whereabouts in south Africa? I am heading there next year too...
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Cape Town - my family lives there, so a bit of catching up, bit of cycling, bit of lying on the beach and of course photographing the surrounding landscape in all it's glory :cool:
 
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