Istanbul and Athens: medium format film development?

I will be traveling to Istanbul and Athens this December and will be shooting lots of 120 C41 and B&W. I

REFUSE to suffer the x-ray machines, and would like to know a good source for processing in Athens and

in Istanbul that will do one-day work. Could anyone point me to places in these two cities?

 

Or do I need to forget the film and buy a digital?

 

Last year, I went to France and England, and much of my film was slightly fogged (some very fogged)

enough to be annoying and to make me regret not spending $$$$ on a good digicam.

 

 

Input?

 

 

thanks

George, my wife is a fine art photographer who shoots predominantly in Greece with a

Hasselblad Film Camera. I've forwarded your question to her. I hope she'll have some good

ideas. One thing I know: traveling through Frankfurt or London is fine - they do hand checks

of film. Avoid Vienna at all cost.

David

I always use an xray bag rated 40xpf good enough even for checked luggage. Although I always bring it on as carry on. Never had a problem in various countries and brought the same film through different xray machines multiple times on different flights. Do expect them on occasion (50%) to go ahead and hand inspect your film. Never had any fogging issues or major airport hassles using a lead bag. You can find them at B&H.

Where can I find an XPF40 bag? The strongest I've seen is XPF20.

 

When I was in Europe last year, they never once went through my bags to see inside my lead

bag (now lost), and I read that they are not able to up the power on those checking machines,

so I doubt that they even saw anything...scary. I just want to make sure my film is safe (and I

want to shoot with Delta 3200). Perhaps I will fabricate some means of attaching the film to

my body instead.

George

I was in Greece this September and went through Athens' airport. Though i can only speak for B&W film, i did not have any problems with fogging upon my return. I also went through Frankfurt and can definitely tell you they do NOT hand check film despite my many protests. everything including your belt must go through their machines. not only that, but they took me aside to a private room and checked my camera for explosive residue. this is due partly to the scare about the liquid explosives in the summer. Good luck explaining to a customs agent about the intricacies of 120 film's paper backing.

despite the mal-treatment, my film which was iso 100 and 400 made it out just fine. best of luck

A lead film bag is a solution looking for a problem.

 

X-Ray machines used for checked luggage are varaible power, if the operator sees a black spot, the juice is turned up until a proper view is attained. Some airlines warn you not to put film in checked, I don't and wouldn't.

 

One PN member tried passing some 3200 ISO film through carry on X-Ray machines-no fogging.

 

I've shot 400ISO film X-Rayed 9 times, no fogging.

 

It's basicly a non issue (not to say that is a 100% true rule though!), just my and many other's experience.

 

As far as a where can you find a 40 lead bag, you pay the postage, you can have mine, it weighs as much as 4 G2 lenses, I'd rather carry them then useless lead.

I carried a lead bag last year and it did save my film since I kept much of it in the bag and

carried the 3200ISO through in my pockets. I think that my NPZ800 would have been fogged

had I not used the bag.

Hi George,

 

Istanbul shouldn't be a problem. The Sirkeci area (just up from the ferryboat docks and north of Sultanahmet) is full of photo shops, most still selling film (!) Try the street that curves off to the east above the Sirkeci railway station. It carries the trolly line up to Gulhane, Sultanahmet, etc.

 

Bring some sunlight with you. Haven't seen any for weeks ;)