Traveling through airport with photography equipment.

<p>I can only add a quick note about the things you do check...... Put the tripod to at the top of your case. I think a tripod can sometimes look like a weapon to the person doing the x-ray of the bag. Twice now I've had my checked bag ransacked in US airports (complete with the lovely TSA calling card). Leave it at the top and when they see it and panic, they won't ruin your neatly folded clothes.</p>

<p>As for bodies and lenses, depending on how much you carry, it gets to a stage where you must compromise and check something. This is fine as long as you use the right kind of hard case and have the airline put a fragile sticker on it. Theft from US and European airports is rare though not impossible. I'm aware of of one airport where you <strong>must never</strong> check anything of value:</p>

<p><strong>Johannesburg Oliver Tambo International Airport, South Africa</strong><br>

The theft from checked baggage at this airport is rampant and the baggage handlers have been known to damage expensive cases to get around locks. I transit through this airport a few times a year and my checked bag often has evidence of tampering when I reach my destination. If going through this airport, you may need to compromise what you take with you.......</p>

 

<p>Airports and the local equivalents of TSA agents vary. I assume the agents are all uneducated unsophisticated and not very motivated, but going through the motions unless they are thieves ( Johannesburg, Cairo, Luxor, Athens), and put anything *(tripod, monopod, small repair tools, knife)likely to attract X-ray attention in my checked bag. so far thieves have not been interested. All photo equipment ( lenses, cameras, filters, memory, etc) in carry on or personal equipment bag. either personal or carryon bags have been occsionally handsearched in my presence, but nothng was ever disallowed. I am usually dressed in jeans for long air flights, say nothing, smile and in the USA have yet to be actually questioned. In Africa and Egypt they often say something, but when it is clear that I do not understand, they give up. I know two TSA agents currently: both had decent jobs but were downsized and took the TSA position as a stopgap to make expenses. These two are intelligent, educated ( both were aircraft engine mechanics)who could not move elsewhere. they say there are a few like them at LAX, but most are low level workers they have nothing in common with. The pay is quite low.</p>

Beware of the scanners at the Genghis Khan International Airport in Ulan Bator, Mongolia.  They start with the assumption that you're trying to sneak something past them. DO either have a translator or speak Mongolian. Mongolia's also the only country I've had trouble getting my film hand-checked.<br>

<br>I always carry-on camera and lenses, put my tripod in checked luggage, having purchased the smallest hard-bodied suitcase I could find in which it would fit. I go back-and-forth about the tripod head, sometimes check it, sometimes carry it, have had to explain a couple of times what it is but no bother otherwise.  <br>--Sally

<p>The United Kingdom absolutely will not hand check anything, if it going in a plane cabin it is going through the X-Ray machine. But I never did have an issue with film damage because of X-Rays via carry on machines.</p>