Film, FedEx and/or airports

I just returned from a trip to France and the Republic of Ireland and

managed to send myself 40 rolls of T-Max 100 (120 size) through FedEx.

Not sure I will do it again. It's nerve-wracking (wrecking?) When I

first called FedEx to ask about sending film to Cork, I got the

"absolutely no problem" response and felt ok about packing it off.

Just to calm a nagging suspicion, I called back and got the "no

problem except when it leaves our hands in Cork and goes through Irish

customs" response. Pins and needles until I got the film near Cork

(Clonakilty) and decided to calm myself with another call to the Irish

FedEx office. There I got the "no problem on our side except for the

airlines FedEx may contract with, outside its own fleet" response.

The idea of shooting with pre-fogged film was so awful that I located

a wonderfully friendly member of the Irish Photo Club who actually had

me over one evening, developed a blank roll of film and offered me a

glass of Baileys. What a nice guy and what an ordeal.

On the way back, the French would absolutely not consider hand

inspecting film, unlike the two US airports I passed through. Still,

two passes through the scanner weren't fatal and the negs are fine.

There has to be a way to SEND film ahead without the uncertainty or

the need to place oneself at the mercy of security agents. Does

anyone have a carrier to suggest?

Wherever i go, I see camera stores where I could buy the film that i have carried with me in my carry-on luggage.

I assume you know how to spot a store that sells film, we photogs are notoriously drawn to snoop in their windows, so WHAT is YOUR problem, Jan?

Jan, you really should pack your film in a carryon. The xrays that examine carryons will not harm film, and to play it extra safe put your film in a simple cloth bag.

In another forum I related my experience with film xrays--I had a number of rolls get xrayed 10 times in a single trip last year, between Egypt and South Africa. They all came back fine. Some were Provia 400F, others were Velvia. Not one showed any sign of damage.

Buying film abroad is possible, but it will pay to check ahead about prices. For instance, I'm traveling to Germany in 6 weeks, where Velvia costs more than in the US simply because of the strength of the Euro versus the dollar. MUCH cheaper to buy in the US and carry it with me, in this case.

I've never tried FedEx, and after reading your post, I doubt that I would want to. It sounds very iffy--and "iffy" is a real headache when you want to enjoy your trip.

Transporting 40 rolls of 120 film was not possible in a carry-on which was already dedicated to the transportation of a medium-format system, unfortunately.

In any case, the trip from Honolulu to Cork requires passing through at least three airport scanners, at least on the route I needed to go. At some point, yes, the scanners do have an effect, especially when one adds on the necessity of returning by the same route. I did have B&W film ruined on a previous trip, even though it was in a lead bag. I suspect that not all scanners are equal at all times in all countries. One becomes reduced to offering bribes to the security agents in hope of reducing the number of scans by one or two ...

If I was shooting in a place like Paris, I would have paid the extra $$ and purchased the film there at FNAC, but Ireland is not France. It's more like ... Tahiti? India? Probably more like Maui. Even in Cork, and probably Dublin, that amount of film would have required a special order and who knows how many days. I can't even buy that amount of film here in Honolulu without a special order.

I'd like to return and lug my 4X5, lenses, film, etc. I process everything myself, or I would try to locate a place to have it done there, although that is iffy. Maybe Dublin.

There has to be a way to send that stuff over there without having to worry about what happens to it. I saw some UPS trucks in Ireland when I was there...

"I assume you know how to spot a store that sells film, we photogs are notoriously drawn to snoop in their windows, so WHAT is YOUR problem, Jan?"

I know what my problem is. The places I like to go to often don't even have stores. Forget camera stores. Even if they did finding something like 120 or 4x5 isn't going to be that easy at the local corner store.

Jan instead of sending it have the store send it. Europe should be fairly easily. Check the internet for online shops then ask if they'll ship to your hotel. With the Euro and the EU plenty of shops deal cross country so check Germany and the other EU countries.

What I did not mention earlier was CUSTOMS:

What if FedEx delivers in two days to Tahiti or Timbouktu, or Cork, but a customs go-normal keeps your films under wraps for 4 weeks, or just two, until you fly back out again?

Happened to me: FedEx was free of fault, just those pesky customs guys could not get to the shipment in time, and by the time I left I had understood they needed payola, but I was going on the next day and they must have "sold" the stuff on the street for their own profit as unclaimed, so to speak.

Jan, you are between some rocks and hard places here, if you carry this much and can not give up your lenses as checked baggage. Sorry!

I think you're better off carrying the film with you.

There are very good reasons to bring your own film. I shoot 120, and although I've found it in Europe, I haven't in Latin America, where I travel regularly. I'll be in Vietnam later this year, and I doubt there will be 120 film there.

I've never seen Customs hold anything shipped Fed Ex, I think it's pretty unusual except in politically volatile countries. A bigger issue is using Fed Ex to remote locations - I sent a package (my portfolio, not film, fortunately) to Chiapas (southern Mexico) and it took eight days. Turned out that Fed Ex used (not sure if that still applies) local delivery services south of Mexico City and put it on a truck there. It's useful to check with Fed Ex and see if they are delivering to the location or using local carriers.

Good suggestion about having a store send the stuff. US stores will not ship out of the country for orders that originate within the country, I discovered in another context, but European ones probably would send film to an address in Ireland or wherever. Maybe there is a place in Dublin that takes orders. I wonder how the movie studios do it when they need to shoot on location.

Thanks for the ideas.

I have come up with one more option:

Thinking of musicians such as cello or bass players, I thought you might just buy a second ticket for your stuff, put it into a large soft bag such as a cello bag, and set it next to you in the seat you have paid for. Then all your valuables are permanently with you, and you would be happy with all the gear, film, etc around you.

Just a thought.

Lastly, how about asking the airline about your special needs? They might have an answer, but it might not be possible to do this all on one economy class discounted ticket.

Sometimes it is well worth paying for what we want, is it not, Jan?

Real quick just got back from 3 weeks in England (Southern and SE coast) and Germany (mostly Bavaria) with short side trips to France, (rue da Vin) Switzerland and Austria. Took 75 rolls of 35mm with in carry on used a smal1 lunch box size cooler bag. Got nice quick hand check at Portland, OR scanned before chunnel train and scanned at Frankfurt on way home. Bought about ten more rolls of film in Germay Provia 400 and 100 at almost twice the price of mail order in US. And it took three days of looking to find it. Only film found cheaper then US was store brand color print 200 ASA. Shot a total of 82 rolls between the two of us. Over 3000 exp as 8 rolls are 1/2frame. Haven't gotten stuff developed yet. Only worried about two rolls of 1600 Neopan at frankfurt they wouldn't even hand check those two rolls. People nice I didn't argure. Not worried at all about 100-400 even the two rolls of Supra 800 I shot. If anything to note will post end of the week when developing back. OH could not arrainge developing in Germany as all shops found send out took three days for E6 and we moved around to much for that. Can't wait to see the night shots in the snow from Fussen, Germany taken at night. If you doo a cruise on the Rhine for the castles andd shooting 35mm a 200mm is a must and near perfect for framing.

Mark W.

About Fedex in France:<p>

In France Fedex does not pass the films in X-ray machines. But French cusotms do. This is what Fedex people told me.

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I think the "best" solution is to bring your films with you.