flying to Mongolia via Beijing with film

[sallymack]

Has anyone gone through the Beijing airport with film, lately? I'm taking a trek to the Gobi Desert in

Mongolia this fall, will be flying from the U.S. to Beijing to Ulaan Baatar.

 

I have a lead-lined bag for film, wondered about the "safety" of my film in Beijing and Ulaan Baatar.

Travelling in the U.S., I've never had a problem with having film hand-checked, so I'm not worried about that

but I've also never been in LAX.

 

I'll be flying (probably) from SFO to LA to Beijing to Ulaan Baatar.

 

What was your experience traveling with film to Beijing?

 

Thanks. --Sally

[allenahale]

<p>I found that travelling with a lead lined bag definitely gets people i.e. "security" interested in what you are carrying and who you are. I found that requesting a hand check of film is not usually a problem - I assume you will be using 35mm so - take the film out of the boxes and plastic containers before hand and place them in a plastic ziploc bag. There is no concern about xrays in LAX or Beijing however I have no experience in Mongolia. Sounds exciting and I suspect this is an organized trek - so what do the organizers recommend?</p>

[sallymack]

Thanks, Allen. What do you mean by "There is no concern about xrays in LAX or Beijing." I've

never had a problem when asking to have film hand-checked in the US. Are you saying it's the

same kind of situation in Beijing?

 

Since I'm taking my Hasselblad, I'll be using 120/220 roll film.

 

Yes, it's a tour. The organizers say that "some films" can be hand-checked in Beijing but

couldn't give any details, "some films" may mean "all." They checked with colleagues in Ulaan

Baatar who said that ALL films have to go through the scanner but recommended that I request

a hand-check when I get there.

 

It is exciting, a trek to the Gobi Desert! --Sally

[leslie_cheung]

<p>FWIW I have no experience at the Beijing airport. But from other airports in China, the guards either don't give a crap or they won't bulge at all (no hand check). That is my experience. It shouldn't matter if the film are ISO 400 and under.</p>

[sallymack]

Thanks, Leslie. It sounds like one takes one's chances and hopes for the best. . . --Sally

[rick_wong]

<p>I have stopped using film the last few years. still have my blad. As for Beijing it is a modern airport like the states but unlike the states they mostly speak chinese and if you do not know how to ask for a hand inspection they just might take your bag of film and put it through the scanner anyways. If this is not a photo tour your guides at the airport might not understand why you want a hand inspection because they are told it is safe for fim and most people donot use film any more. <br>

As for leads line bags I use to use the lead foil bags until I found that if they cannot see into the bag they will up the power until they can see through the bag and well expose the bag longer to study the content. Next time watch how the operator run the scanners and how much detail shows up on the screen. If all your film is in a clear ziplock bag and nothing else. Just hand it over to them like you do not know what to do with it and you might have a 50 /50 chance they will not send it through the scanner but if they do it will most likely just travel through without stopping.<br>

If you plan on using the subway at some stations they have x-ray scanners that you must send your bags through. Another thing that is diffrent You will have a window of time to check in and go through inspection. When there is a problem they do not send someone out to talk to you instead take you to the main office which means at another part of the airport. (happen to my wife because she had a few bottles of water in her pack and the wanted to question her why she had so many).</p>

[allenahale]

<p>My experience was about 10 years ago and I was using 35mm film. I had something like 40 rolls of various speeds from 100 to 1600. I took them out of their boxes and tubes, and carried them around in a couple ziploc bags. I hand carried them and when it came time for me to place my carryon to be x-rayed, I showed the two plastic bags, and pantomined that I did not want them to go through the machine but to have them hand inspected. My request was granted without any problem. Beijing is actually much more modern than many US airports ie. JFK, Dulles, so even back then I was most likely being too cautious. The scanners in Beijing are modern like the ones at US airports and running your unexposed film through them should not be a cause for concern.</p>

[soeren_engelbrecht1]

<p>I just came back from Beijing a few weeks ago - I let my film (Kodak BW400CN Professional) go through the airport scanner - no problems. As said in the above, unless you are shooting 3200 ISO, don't worry. And in modern airports like Beijing, even less. I'd google some images of the Ulaan Bataar Airport to see what it looks like, if I were you. Could be up-to-date, for all that I know :-)<br /><br />The Gobi desert sounds to me like color film ??<br /><br />Incidentally, when in Beijing, I carried my camera(s) in a Lowepro Belt Bag (The Sideline Shooter) and after a couple of days didn't bother to take it off and pass it through the X-ray machines in the Subway anymore. Nobody complained.<br /><br />A small series of my BW shots from Beijing: <a href="http://www.imagepro.dk/China_2012">http://www.imagepro.dk/China_2012</a> <br /><br />Finally, the shot below was taken on Fuji Neopan 1600 that was scanned in Copenhagen, Trondheim, Mosjoen, Trondheim, and Oslo - all within 48 hours, and not a trace of any problems. <br /><br />Have a great trip !!<br /><br />Soeren<br /><br /></p><div></div>