Effect of X Rays at Airport on Digital Material

[peter_j_harvey]

My Son and I are taking a trip at the end of May,via Air Canada. He will be leaving from Atlanta. He plans on using an Olympus E-20 with a fair supply of recording media. My question, "Is recording media affected in any way by X-Rays?". I apologize for flogging a dead horse! Incidentally, I have found a Store in YHZ that will order anything I need, and they say they do Custom B&W and Colour Developing

I will be using A couple of Canon EOS bodies as I need an IS Lens due to "tempus fugiting" I realize this isn't a Leica Question, but I enjoy the erudition of respondents. Also using an Adorama Monopod.

Tnx., Pete H

[godfrey]

<i>"Is recording media affected in any way by X-Rays?"</i>

 

<p>

 

Not by any level of radiation permissible in a baggage scanner.

[bobtodrick]

Be very careful here. No, X-Rays will not affect digital media, but

in a notice in Shutterbug 2 months ago the body governing digital

media quality in the US stated that the new machines already in place

to scan mail for things such as anthrax will erase digital media

completely. It probably hasn't happened yet, but in a followup

article on the web they have said that the US does intend on placing

these machines in select airports as well. I would think Atlanta

would be high on the list, so I suggest you try and find more

information.

[noah_addis]

I'm a working photojournalist and I've had no problems carrying

digital gear through airports in the US, and I've done it many

times since Sept 11th. I travel with D1's as well as Lexar CF

cards. I've also had the cameras and media x-rayed at

courthouses, sporting events, etc. with no problems whatsoever.

 

<p>

 

As with film, I'd recommend carrying the media onboard, instead

of checking it with baggage. And it would be a good idea to check

ahead of time to ensure none of those new machines are in use.

If you're still nervous, pick up a small lead bag, such as the ones

made by domke. They're good to have if the security agents won't

hand check your film.

 

Have a great trip.

[noah_addis]

One more thing. The machines they use at the post office, as far

as I know, are intended to kill the anthrax and other biological

agents by irradiating the packages. If they're planning to use

similar systems at airports, the lead bags probably won't help.

I'm fairly sure that these systems would damage film as well.

[oliver_s.]

I'm afraid we might be confusing two systems:</p> The ones for

neutralising Anthrax germs are basically electron beam emitters, which

happen to damage about anything, including fabric. (Washington D.C.

residents: describe the condition of your mail.) Use that on luggage

(whether checked or carry-on), and the lawsuits will start rolling, no

matter that airports and airlines believe to stand above the law. If

you can't even carry underwear aboard because it gets damaged beyond

repair by the luggage scanner, no-one will fly any more.</p>The

scanners we fear are CATscan systems, e.g. the notorious InVision

CTX5000/CTX5500 models, which are in use for checked luggage in many

airports and are to be installed for carry-on luggage. I'm not sure

what they do to CF cards, so perhaps you should find them at the last

moment in the pockets of your trousers (preferably in that clear

plastic envelopes, to keep lint away). As hiding explosives or drugs

in so small a package is virtually impossible, this might get you a

hand inspection of them.

[nesrani]

I believe that metal detectors are capable of damaging laptops -

presumably this would also affect smartcards and so on?

 

<p>

 

BTW - I travel quite a bit these days, often putting large amounts of

film through lots of carry-on scanners and have yet to have any

trouble. I've more or less relaxed about it now, but the news that

the check-in scanners are to be installed for carry-on as well is

pretty grim.

[joshroot]

I have used virtually 95% digital for my working photography for the

last 18 months now. And have flown many MANY times with smartcards,

microdrives, compactflash, laptops, ect. I have never had any

problems with any of it be caused by baggage checking machines (All

of my gear is in carry-on).