X-Rays in Heathrow...screw it...what can you do...advice for you!

Hello everyone,

 

I do some traveling with my Contax 645 and shoot 120 roll

film. I usually get a hand-inspection as I have all the film out of

the box, and in clear ziplock bags. Not this time in Heathrow...

 

I have passed through Heathrow before and used the

ubiquitous "it's 3200 speed excuse," but they weren't having it this

time. I took 160 rolls of 120 film, mostly Velvia 100, Provia, and

some Porta 400 VC. I don't like to have film X-rayed, but their

reasoning was hard to refute this time. They said they were not

going to do a hand inspection, and proposed the following

argument, "Do you realize how much radiation your film was subjected

to from Boston-London?" Can't really argue that point, or can I.

Either way, after constant pleading, telling them I would push the

film, yada yada, they weren't having it. I have 6 weeks in Middle

East and Africa. I am just going to shoot as if none of the film

has been X-rayed. This was unexposed/fresh film I am talking about.

 

The customs inspector did say that some people "used" to be

allowed hand inspections with a few rolls of Ilford Delta 3200

thrown in, and proclaming the film would be pushed, as in 800 pushed

to 1600..whatever. All in all, I just wanted some feedback, and to

hear that there will be no deleterious effects to my film after

risking my freaking life in places like Democratic Republic of the

Congo...

 

Regards,

 

Adam

<< They said they were not going to do a hand inspection, and proposed the following argument, "Do you realize how much radiation your film was subjected to from Boston-London?" >>

 

And they are 100% correct. You will be fine and so will your film. Have a great trip!

Heathrow is my local airport. I travel in and out of it at least a dozen times a year with film. I never ask for a hand inspection and I've never had anything that looks like X ray damage.

They said they were not going to do a hand inspection, and proposed the following argument, "Do you realize how much radiation your film was subjected to from Boston-London?" Can't really argue that point, or can I.

 

Well, I think the counter to this point is "do you realize that radiation damage is cumulative, so in addition to the exposure from flying, you are proposing adding more".

 

FWIW, I always travel with Delta 3200 in addition to any film I plan on shooting. I have never been refused a hand inspection as soon as I say "I have 3200 film". But I also haven't been through Heathrow in a while.

The screeners at Heathrow are among the worst. Of course if I had to work at Heathrow every

day I wonder what I would be like.

 

All and all I have had film pass through those machines up to about 10 times in one trip.

Some of the machines were in "developing countries" if you know what I mean. I have seen no

ill effects or fogging even under an 8x loupe. Most of the film was Provia 100 and Tri-X 400.

Cannot comment on Heathrow but no problems at Stanstead or Luton recently. However it would look as if they have got wise to the 3200 "reason" which has been overused/misused to the detriment of those genuinely carrying it.

 

The subject of film damage for carry-on film has been raised many times and so far no one has come up with one single example ( in fact not even with 3200 ) so I now take it as a non-issue.

..."do you realize that radiation damage is cumulative..."

 

Are you certain of this? Exposure to light is certainly not cumulative - have you heard about the reciprocity (failure) effect? Well, the same is true for all radiation if the intensity is low - it's just a matter of wavelength. In the last 5 years or more there has been no documented instance of damage to film in carry-on baggage inspection, in Photo.net in any case.

 

X-ray film would be damaged, but it contains phosphors which generate light when exposed to X-rays. It is this light that exposes the film. These days, the phosphors are usually fixed and ordinary film placed in juxtaposition for X-ray photos, or a digital sensor.

I had film fogged on a trip from europe. Was shooting portra 400 35mm. It was obviously fogging damage and it wasn't to the whole roll. At first I thought it might be a chemical problem, but I checked with another pro who has had the same experience, he took a look, and it the verdict was fogging. Had the film x-rayed 4-5 times give or take over the course of the trip.

Jonathan

 

Was the film in checked baggage or taken as carry-on ?

 

Only part of a roll - which part ?

 

Was it the only roll of film you had with you on the trip ?

 

If it was only part of the roll presumably you still have the negatives ( and prints ) for that roll so could you post some examples of the problem ?

Last time I went through Heathrow I had 56 rolls of exposed 35mm film from the Masi Mara. I asked for a hand search and the very unfriendly security guard said if I want a hand search of my films they will also give me a FULL hand search. Just behind me in the cue was a pro I meet in Africa he had a lot of 120 film he shot on a small island of the coast of Kenya. He also asked for a hand search, gave the bag over filled with exposed Med format film the security guard simply threw the bag into the x-ray machine when he wasn�t looking. Now I try never to fly through or over Heathrow any more.

Scott - sorry to hear of your experience but do not think it is an anti-antipodean thing ( was it before or after we won the Ashes :) ? )but I have to say I try and avoid thiefrow if at all possible. The two most unhelpful ( read aggressive ) airports I have been through are Athens and Dar es Salaam.

 

They main question is was there any damage to your films ?

 

( Just to lighten the mood - I was flying out of JKIA (( Nairobi )) and it was the usual slow and painful process and the flight was hours late. Another chap and I had a wander round and happened to walk behind the chap doing the security scanning and he was sitting looking at a blank screen, the machine was not working ! We were not very popular and there were mumblings about retribution but fortunately the senior police officer on duty thought it was a hoot - fortunately )

<P><I>The screeners at Heathrow are among the worst...</I> I don't know what Paul meant by this. I have been through a lot of airports and I think the security at Heathrow is about the best I have encountered. The staff are not especially photo-friendly, but I value my in-flight safety and security well above the avoidance of some potential unproven damage to films.</P><P>I know the situation as regards check-in screening is not ideal, but let's keep our sense of proportion here.</P>

hi all,

There is a page on the Kodak web site that specifically discusses film fogging and when/how it can occur. Long story short: The "carry-on" Xray machines won't fog/hurt film, even after 10+ trips through, at least as long as the machines are operating at the same levels as the ones in the USA and Britain. It's assumed that most airports operate at the same levels, although I suppose you can't 100% trust everywhere!

 

However, the entire-bag scans (the CAT-type scanner) WILL damage and fog film. These are the ones that happen after you deliver your bag into the hands of the airport and it disappears from your view until you pick it up at baggage claim.

 

the Kodak site is at http://www.kodak.com/cluster/global/en/service/tib/tib5201.shtml

 

good luck!

Jennifer

that why I shoot digital overseas now. I once had 30 rolls of exposed 35mm and in Melbourne and Sydney I begged for hand inpection yet they threw my bag of film thru the xray machine,,,but being true idiots, they never took it out of my $15 X-ray proof/lead lined bag..

 

Now I buy fresh film overseas have my film developed overseas...no issues. 50% of airline checkers are certified idiots, and the other 1/2 are just uncertified.

After an extensive trip and 16 times x-ray exposure mostly in developing countries, I had not a single fogged film (velvia). Even checking with a 8x magnifier (think somebody sayd sth smiliar). As far as I know the "new-generation" of film is pretty "strong".

"but being true idiots, they never took it out of my $15 X-ray proof/lead lined bag.." Of course not, they didnt need to... they just cranked up the power of the X-Ray machine to see right through it. Would you let someone on a plane with a large lump of an unidentified substance?

The "turn up the juice" theory was raised on a much earlier thread.Someone checked and found that the machines were set at a fixed volume and could not be turned up.

 

If they could be you can be sure that the scanning staff would have them set permanently set at the highest level so as not to have to bother fiddling about. Given the apparent quality of the staff employed ( according to many on this thread ) can you see them being allowed to fiddle with the machinery - I doubt it.

Sending film through one airport x-ray machine will have little or no effect. But x-ray is accumulative, so once will cause no harm but two three or four will cause harm. If you are flying round trip and have to make a couple of connections, it is easy to go through security several times. This is the number one reason I changed to digital.

Whilst I believe that exposure to X rays has a cumulative effect, it is misleading to say that only two or three exposures to a normal hand-baggage scanner will have a visible effect on films. I've had 400 ISO films go through machines ten times and more with no effect. I don't know what the limit might be since in years of carrying film round the world I've never reached it. You can pretty much put the film on the belt and stop worrying.

<< They said they were not going to do a hand inspection, and proposed the following argument, "Do you realize how much radiation your film was subjected to from Boston-London?" >>

 

If they are so confident that the X-ray machine is harmless/equal to the radiation received while flying at high altitudes, I'd counter, "Would you put yourself through the X-ray machine then?"

When I travel over the Atlantic I routinely have had 6 exposures from carry-on x-ray machines ... I recall that regular film was tested by Kodak to be unaffected by 20 exposures to these scanners. It's silly to suggest that 2-3 scans would somehow have a visible effect, please show some evidence. Also, I've been told that the cosmic rays at high altitude do cause more damage than the scans.

 

In any case my film has always come out fine and undamaged. Using that as a reason to use digital instead of film is quite funny.

One urban myth leading, perhaps, to the start of another ?!

1) I put my film in double-bagged X-ray bags in hand-carried baggage and just let it through the X-ray machine. No problem.

 

2) I forgot to protect one roll of film one time (ISO 200) and it was fogged, so screw the "film safe" B.S. This was not in Heathrow, some other airport.

 

3) Twice I put the double-bagged film in CHECKED luggage and it came out fine; this can circumvent any hand-carried inspection hassle. You can triple-bag it if you like; I am not aware of the inspectors opening my checked luggage and inspecting the X-ray bags (and they couldn't as my checked luggage was locked). Probably can't do this in the States as I understand they want all luggage unlocked.

Angus - do you have any examples of the fogged film ? As I understand it they have keys that fit nearly every known luggage lock but again this could be urban myth.

 

F Thaon - ever tried Schiphol or Athens or Charles de Gaulle or Malaga or .............. if it is big it is nearly always awful.

At least in the US if you put in lead bags in the carry-on bags they will ask you to take it out and so the hassle only increases in my experience.