US Airport security & MF camera darkslides

Since toe nail clippers are being confiscated, I was wondering if any

MF photographers had any problems with their cameras' darkslides. I

ask because, the ones on my Bronica S2A are pretty sharp (and more of

a weapon than the super dangerous toe nail clipper).

 

I prefer to carry on all my photo gear, but it looks like I'll have

to put the extra backs and the darkslide for the back that is

connected to my camera in my luggage.

 

Or am I being way to paranoid?

Seems to me that it is too early to say.

 

My gut reaction is that they are not even going to know that the camera has a darkslide so I wouldn't worry. I also doubt that the darkslide will be a big concern for them, unless you've filed the edges! :-)

 

To be safe you should put the extra backs in your checked baggage, but leave the darkslide in on the back mounted on the S2A: the back is much more visible when the back is off the camera (at least on my RB67 backs) than when it is on.

Yes, you are being paranoid.

Great, now they know to look at darkslides!

Kosta, relax. If security gives your gear a thorough look, remove the back from the camera, open each back as you have to for loading film, and just leave the dark slide in. Wrt checking all film backs but one--bear in mind that these parts are to some extent fragile, that you must not lock checked luggage in the US, and that such backs must look pretty odd on a CAT scan. I'd rather take them with me in the carry-on.

Kosta, your dark slides and backs are still going to be safe in carry-on baggage, but I would be concerned putting them in checked baggage. A recent TSA regulation allows inspectors to break locks off any checked baggage for inspection. On one flight, I was told point-blank by a TSA agent that I needed to remove the locks before cehcking my bags. In spite of the sign behind him that locks were PERMITTED but "may be broken off," I complied with the agent.

 

Of greater concern to me now is checking a bag with camera gear, having it easily accessible to thieves, and losing something valuable. Since the Warsaw Convention limits airlines' liability and reduces governmental liability to zero, the TSA has effectively made it impossible for travellers within the US to protect their possessions.

 

So now I carry EVERYTHING on, and travel light. I left my tripod at home in favor of a beanbag (which I can easily replace) and packed lenses, film, bodies, flashes, filter, etc in a backpack. I try not to grunt under the weight of all that gear ....

Well, I haven't had any problems ever with the dark slides

on my 5x7 film holders at airports checkpoints.

No one's ever asked about my S2A darkslides, and I usually have at least three backs, when I bring the Bronica.

I never knew that there was a dark side to a darkslide!