7 Countries, 2 Weeks, 8 X-Ray Machines, and a Leica M6

Joel, thanks for the story.

Airport (and mail) X-ray is the counter-mystique to Leica glow.

 

Nice photos, indeed.

Uh, Joel, while your photos are excellent, you've made a grammatical error numerous times above which, if it hadn't occurred, would have imrpoved your presentation. It is in the following first sentence in which it appeared:

 

"I managed to get the film past it's first x-ray exam."

 

"It's" is a contraction of "it is", not the possesive use.

 

Thanks anyway.

thanks Terry ;) my wife wasn't around to proof.

Happy shooting in the days, months, and years forthcoming, Joel, and thank you for inspiring me immensely via the above photographs!

 

Terry

Nice report and photos. I stopped bothering with hand inspections years ago--just slowed things down and made no noticeable difference in the photos.

 

I've found digital is much easier to deal with than film for longer travels. A small, reasonably-lightweight portable drive will hold over 8,000 RAW files; it's much less cumbersome than carrying 200+ rolls of film.

I'm sorry your trip was so hard by worrying about the carry-on X-ray machines. I presume the results with your "most zapped" roll will let you have a much easier trip next time, trust the machines.

 

Yeah, you'll have some more base fog from the X-rays. Also from the cosmic rays in the plane. Next time be sure to buy the film at a real professional store, out of a fridge, and you'll make up that base fog and more.

 

I very much like the three pictures you posted. You should go back!

Great tale, great pix. Haven't used Delta in years but now I want to give it a try.

 

I remember your prior thread (I think) and note that you ended up taking a 35 and a 50. Wide enough? Long enough? If you had it to do over, are there other lenses you would take? Would you leave the 50 at home? Was the Summicron fast enough?

Howdy Jonathan,

 

The 35 was my battle axe for almost the entire time. What's funny is, when I found the goggles for the 50 DR, I pulled the 50 out when I got back to the hotel to try it out, and shortly after that, kept the 50 on for the rest of that day.. and of all things, there was a punk rocker march through the center of Copenhagen. I wish that it had the speed focus tab like my 35, but the images from that day are stunning. Since then, I had the 50 always with me, and would trade off often.

 

I can't recall ever wanting to go longer, and found the 35 wide, and fast enough. I ended up pushing a few rolls from 400 to 800 to get that extra stop, and those turned out very well. One interesting note, is that I was hurting for fast film in Moscow, and one night pushed a roll of Delta 100 to 400. Developed it for 16.6 min with Tmax dev, and of all my low light shots, they are the best. I'll post some very soon on my flickr account.

 

cheers,

j

Great Photo's Joel. I really loved this post & enjoyed you writing style.

Joel,

 

Nice pics. Next time you are in Paris, there's a couple of photo shops that sell B&W in Montmarte. Try the one at the corner of Ave Trudane and Rue Rochechouart for a wide selection of Ilford stuff. And I think there's a pro lab a couple of block up Trudane. The mall at the Les Halles metro stop also has a place selling B&W.

 

I've traveled fairly extensively with various B&W films including Neopan 1600 and Delta 32000. I've never had any of it fog even when it has been through numerous Xray machines. I think the risk is over stated. I still cringe whenever they back my carryon through the Xray machine a second time, but it's always turned out fine.

Hi Joel, Thanks very much for your story! Quite a trip, most people never get to do this in a lifetime. Sorry about the xray hassles, it seems to be a Euro thing.

"you've made a grammatical error numerous times"

 

That is ok since this isn't a high school paper.

 

Mitch, quite your whinning. I've travelled all my life and I still liked Joel's representation as to his perceptions. Thanks

Joel, I think that one of the features that makes this story so appealing is that it's typical of what probably would happen to many of us in similar situations.<P>Only three places in Paris which will develop B&W w/proofs overnight? How the hell you gonna find them, especially if you don't know of them in advance, don't speak the language, and barely have time to sit on the throne between meetings and personal excursions?<P>Well done, I say!

Outside of Hollywood I'd be pressed to advise where you could get proofs overnight in L.A. and I grew up in this damn town. There is no way I'd want to flag down a taxi in Moscow, Berlin, or wherever to locate Igor's B&W lab. YMMV

Dear Joel,

 

May I summarize your fearful experience over 10 days in Europe; the way it sounds to me:

 

Had you anticipated your film needs more accurately, 50 films of your favorite emulsions, bought at home, would have served you well. (Incidentally, all of Munich is full of 3 packs of Kodak Farbwelt (= 400UC equivalent) at 10E for a three times 36 pack), you would not have needed to look for more at all. 5 rolls a day is your average; some smoke 5 packs a day and they know it. So, Joel, please remember your appetite for film the next time and carry it all with you in your carry-on. 50 rolls is not much volume or weight, anyway, just the bulk of a double sandwich ....

 

Secondly, from your experiment, you could just as well let everything pass through the carry-on x-ray a dozen times and you could have left your worries at home, enjoying the trip much more.

 

Some need worries, though. Even if they are baseless. Sorry, you felt hassled so much for ten days. All that stress may not have let you take the pictures you might have had a chance to take otherwise, free of film worries, calm throughout. Sorry. And may you learn to accept what happens where it does from now on. Congrats on the pics!

Joel

 

Can I just say how surprised I am by the rather condescending criticism of your post by a couple of contributers - it was a really useful and well-considered article and their contributions were wholly unnecessary. Thank you for responding to them in the dignified way that you did.

Thanks David.

 

Yeah, that's the kind of response you would expect from the Casio users forum ;) In the end, we're all just people with cameras, and some feel that they are better than others. That attitude works in motor-sports, but not photography.

 

What have I learned? ...Pack more film.

 

Why did I not bring digital? ...because I wanted a romance with my M6 in Europe. I've done Europe digital before. There were times I wanted my DSLR rig and a tripod, but I kept reminding myself to think like Cartier-Bresson.

 

Was I stressing about the x-ray machines the entire time? ...not really. I honestly loved my walks around the cities looking for camera shops. Photographica in Copenhagen.. ahhh... if I only had a disposable income, There would be an Alpa with wooden handles sitting on my desk right now.

 

Thanks again everyone for you feedback in this thread! It's all a fantastic learning experience, even if there a few thorns.

For future reference, the site I'd be tempted to use for worldwide photo info/resources is flickr. <p>

 

For example, in just a few clicks, searching flickr tags, I found Leonid, a <a href=http://www.flickr.com/photos/cust/395662086/>film shooter in Moscow</a>. Never met him, of course, but he's obviously an enthusiastic -- and good -- street photog in Moscow who uses film. <p>

 

The world being what it is, if you e-mailed him asking him where he gets b & w film, he'd likely as not answer: <p>

 

"Whadaya kidding ? B & H, of course !" <p>

 

:-)

Great story! Good to know X-rays didn't harm! First photo is GORGEOUS. Other Great too!

Joel I like your ? Metropolitain Urban Love ? very much !

 

No problem to find a lab suiting your needs in Paris, try ? Negatif Plus ? : one day development/printing, several b&w films.

Joel

don't really understand the paranoia about X-Ray machines and buying film...but interesting images, especially Glitter man.

Hope you enjoyed the trip

 

regards

andy

paranoia started over the xmas holiday, when I had 4 rolls of 120 (asa 400) go through the xray at Baltimore BWI airport. When I got home and developed the neg, they were about 20% fogged.

 

I challenge anyone to who does not speak Russian to buy professional film when you are there in Moscow for 3 days. :)

 

j

"I challenge anyone to who does not speak Russian to buy professional film ..."

 

I've been long ago and couldn't get a decent glass of water or soda to wash down the gulosh, so I started buying wine. Should have just drank the vodka. Before long chics started hanging on me thinking I was some sort of rich American guy.

 

YMMV

Although he spoke English, I just held up an exposed roll of 120 from my Hassy SWC to my Russian driver/bodyguard, and he took me to a camera/processing shop, a taxi could be used for you-all. After a couple of hours the driver returned with my prints, which were about 8X12 (A4). He didn't understand when I explained to him that the prints should be square, I even showed him the neg's. I said they can use the same paper and trim the edges...no dice. I had him take me back to the shop, this time bringing an interpreter. After a long discussion, the printer brought out to show me that the only negative carrier he had was for 6X4.5. Case closed. He did a marvelous job of printing for, IIRC, $0.50 each.