Airmailing film stock

[canfred]

I whish to purchase some Kodak Ektachrome. These are not available

here in Australia so I need to import. B&H advised shipping is not

safe from X-ray. Does anyone have experience or know of a safe

shipping method.

Thanks

[dai_hunter]

I have noted this before, though some here dispute me on this, that the US Postal Service is KNOWN to own a number of high energy electron beam mail sterilisation systems installed after the anthrax incidents. These are believed to be installed and used at nodal points in the mail distribution system. Their use, location or extent of use is completely unknown in any detail. Thery may be used on letter and small packet mail but other applications are neither documented nor excluded.

 

According to the Smithsonian Institution and through tests they conducted, or that were conducted on their behalf, these systems, if and when used, are capable of doing (at least) the following: altering pigments on artwork; altering the colours on/in glass and natural mineral crystals; fogging film beyond use; damaging photographic negatives, positives, and even prints; creating sufficient heat to fuse multiple pages of Xerox type documents (toner based printing); creating sufficient heat to distort trannys and plastic mounts; damaging solid state media (e.g. hard drives and camera cards); damaging data contained on data CDs... and other effects both at the atomic level and through process generated heat.

 

Further, electron beam systems aside, the extent of general mail x-ray surveillence, by postal or customs authorities, is a complete unknown in the US context or in respect of any other particular country.

 

The alternative is shipping via the air freight / parcel services - UPS; DHL Worldwide; Emery; or others. B&H should be able to recommend a method of shipping they are confident of, as well as clearly marking the nature of the package contents to attempt to avoid damage to photographic media.

 

Hunter

[con_progin]

have ordered a few rolls of reala thru b&h after they assured me ,that if i ship thru ups, it wont get x-rayed.have yet to develop any.here's hoping...

[canfred]

Thank you Dai & Con, the exact reply from B&H was this:

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the safety of film shipped overseas from X-Rays.

For U.S.A. orders the carriers do not usually xray packages but will do so from time to time for security purposes.

At this time B&H cannot offer a film shield to protect the box contend.

This is the exact reply to my inquiry.

I have since found relevant information and instructions on the Kodak site. Basically X-ray is certain to destroy any light sensitive material. Also as Dai pointd out some electronic goods are not safe either. It seems even inside the U.S.A you may run the risk getting your precious film exposed before you load it.