How to bring a Pentax 67 safely onto a plane? Security Isuues too.

[stemked]

Hello. This June I will be traveling to Maui and am planning to do

some photography with a Pentax 67, 135 macro and 55. The tripod won't

be a problem, but I imagine the 67 will. To begin with I have never

traveled with this camera. I really don't want to send this camera

into the hold, but realize I may no longer have a choice. How do

Y'all travel with the camera and bring it back in one piece? Also

I've heard that pre-Sept 11 when people did bring the camera onto the

plane that they were asked to work the camera. Obviously, since the

67 shutter only works with film in it, should I have it pre-loaded

with film or can I expect that the camera back will be opened too?

Any other advice, esp. about cases or containers I should consider

would be very helpful.

 

Thanks.

 

Doug

[kevin_lackey]

I'd hand carry it for sure! Even if they want to open the back, the price of a roll of film is nothing next to the cost of repair/replacement.

 

Put a polaroid back on it and hand the picture to the guard, they'll like that! ;-)

[roger_michel]

ask the airline what the dimensional limits on carry on baggage are and then ensure your camera bag is smaller. do not put film in the camera. if you can open back and show innards, that will satisfy the guard. the pentax 67 is not such an odd looking beast that you will have much of a problem. you might want to carry some film just in case you are called upon to operate the beast. i routinely carry a linhof master tech on planes. there's never a problem. the big issue is whether your carry on is too large.

[roger krueger]

If you have it on a neck strap it will probably be considered a "personal item" like a purse or briefcase - I've gotten away with this with my Mamiya Press + 150mm lens twice since 9/11. Splurge on a nice neck strap - a monster camera on a thin neck strap is bearable for about 30 seconds.

[ahaohio]

Lucky bastard :-)

 

I travelled to Maui in November with a bag full of photo gear and film as my (only) carry-on. I had one digital, my Nikon system, one submersible camera and my Mamiya MF. I was not asked to "work" any of these cameras. Basically no questions asked. As long as it all got through the x-ray machines everybody seemed completely happy. (Avoid 3200 ISO rated film - could be damaged by the machines).

 

To be completely certain of no surprizes: Check with the airline. I travelled from San Francisco with Sun-Trips.

 

And you should have plenty of photo ops on Maui. I have never shot so much Velvia in a week before.

[david_willis]

I flew a couple of weeks ago, and will be again tomorrow. These trips were within the continental US, so YMMV. I'm bringing my 4x5, 2 Nikon 35mm bodies, 4 lenses, flash stuff, etc. I pack my tripod in a duffel bag with my clothes and check that. I carry on one of the small Tamrac photo day packs (my personal item) and a Jansport 40 liter backpack (my carry on). The Tamrac has my Nikons, lenses, and flash stuff. My 4x5 is in the Jansport wrapped in a dark cloth. The lens is in a Calumet wrap also in the Jansport. I run everything through the X-Ray machine. I sent all my film Fed Ex before I left and will be shipping it back today.

 

The first time I flew with the 4x5 (pre 9/11) it had to go through the X-Ray machine twice on the first leg of the flight--the second time seemed like an eternity and I hadn't sent my film, but it wasn't fogged. They did a visual search and also a search with the explosives sniffer. I haven't had any problems since then.

 

Either buy your film there or send it to yourself ahead of time. Carry the cameras on.

 

DW

[tom_bowling1664874721]

I wonder what will happen when someone asks me to open the back of my Sony DSC-S85. Looks like a point and shoot, but there's nowhere to put the film.

[tom_bowling1664874721]

I wonder what will happen when someone asks me to open the back of my Sony DSC-S85. Looks like a point and shoot, but there's nowhere to put the film.

[vijay_nebhrajani]

I just came back from a month long trip to India - I checked in my Nikon gear, and I carried my MF stuff (Rollei) in the cabin. I was not asked a single question or asked to open the bag and show/work the cameras. I must have taken 25 flights in all, and flew through Europe, where they are more paranoid about security than here.

 

Of course, YMMV. IMHO, there is little to worry about.

 

Regards,

[rich long]

By the way, you CAN work the camera without film, although you probably won't need to at the airport.

 

Open the door, put your thumb on the top center of the film advance/frame counter and rotate counter past about 3 or 4 by pressing down and turning your thumb (no need to move the film advance lever). Hold the counter in place while you close the door. Now you can cock the shutter and fire it all you want until you open the door again. (This method is described in the P67 manual.)

[skygzr]

I've travelled twice since Sept 11, both times with a Pentax 6x7 stuffed into a small camera bag. No on ever asked be to open the camera or make the shutter click.

 

If you're concerned about making the shutter "go", why not put a roll of backing paper in the camera, just like it was film? You can even take it out and use it on the return trip.

 

Happy trails!

 

- Kevin

[kmcgrew]

Don't take pictures anywhere near the security stop. You could be arrested, you may have your camera confiscated, and even if neither of those happen there's a good chance you'll have your film confiscated. My solution to the issue of schlepping gear has been to buy a pelican 1620 to put my LowePro AW Nature Trekker into. I'll lock that and check it as baggage. My first trip is a domestic one Thursday next: Seattle to DC. We'll see how everything fares. I used to carry on, but when the security guard at SFO started opening my paper boxes of 35mm film but couldn't speak enough English to explain why, I gave up. Tripod goes with the clothes, I'll carry the film and laptop, everything else gets checked.

[kinesisphotogear]

The max. carry-on size for most domestic airlines is 14x9x22". For many links and addtl info on this topic visit

<A HREF="http://www.kinesisgear.com/survey.html"> this page</A> on my site.

[roberto_manderioli]

I have travelled to the US with my 4x5 Wista plus a small Nikon system stuffed in a Nature Trekker after 11 Sept. No problem generally speaking, in Chicago I had to remove every bit from the bag and had a little discussion because they wanted to open the 4x5 film cases!!

But if one behaves gently it is always easier to cope with people.They are only doing their duty to protect you after all. I would not be worried too much for a P67 system. Consider the Lowepro Nature trekker is close to the limits, I wouldn't try a larger backpack.

I would never ever check my cameras, but this is just a personal

attitude....

[mark_hubbard]

I'm a 6' 3", conservative-looking, middle-aged white guy in his early fifties, with a grey beard and short hair, dressed in tan chinos and a button-down blue oxford shirt from Lands End, who was searched 3 times at the San Francisco airport in August, including being asked to remove my shoes once and having my little day-pack swabbed for bomb-making residue twice. And I was just going to Denver!

 

When I came back into Alaska after being in Whitehorse, Yukon for a week (on a Buddhist retreat, mind you), a customs officer asked me how much money I had on me. How would I know? Maybe $250. Was he worried that I didn't have enough money or that I might have too much? Where would anyone get money in Whitehorse? Or spend it, for that matter? The whole experience of airport security was frankly bizarre -- and that was a month before September 11.

 

My advice is to wear cowboy boots to Hawaii, which go well with the Pentax 67 but look kind of stupid on the beach. And don't carry a lot of battery-operated devices like I did (digital camera, 2 portable fans, a white LED flashlight, recharger with accompanying wall wart, and 12 NiMH AA batteries). It apparently makes them crazy.

 

:-)

[shoshana]

I have flown a lot since 9/11 and the only gear related problems I've had were caused by my 16 pack of AA batteries. No matter which bag I put them in, that bag was the one gone over with a fine tooth comb. I started yanking them out and putting them in a basket to go thru xray by themselves, and was told several times I couldn't bring them aboard as carryon - they needed to go in checked luggage.

 

But after patiently explaining that I had no checked luggage, eventually I was let thru but had to undergo the whole patdown routine...

 

So now I just put them at the top of my camera bag, and when security goes bananas, it's easy to open the bag and show them the batteries.

 

'shana

[derek_laird]

Doug Dont worry!!!

I am a brit who visited the south west twice in 2001 before and after

sept 11.

from Edinburgh via London and LA to Vegas, i carried a lowepro trekker

with 67 body 45 55 90 165 lenses, not to mention 3 lenses for a 5by4 i

was sharing with my mate, if you include all the extras such as filter

kits and extra film etc, etc i was never asked to open the the bag

once!! even considering i was way over the weight limit!

Been going to the states to photograph for the last six years and only

opened my bag on one occasion (Chicago)

Security looked tighter at LA this November, but a couple of (kids)

dressed up in combat gear mooching around the airport with large

rifles didnt make me feel any safer!

Why should a pentax 67 be a problem anyway? just have a nice trip and

take load

[robin_coutts]

I too have flown in Europe with my Pentax 67II, 105 mm 55mm and 165mm. I put all the other stuff (extension tubes etc) in the suitcase. The camera and lenses fit nicely in a Lowepro Orion Trekker. This is aircraft carry-on-able. The camera and 105mm + one other lens + wooden hand grip fit in the base compartment. The other lens plus personal affects fit in the top. I put film in my pockets and have had no problems.

 

good luck

 

Robin