[Leica] Thoughts about cameras and the new aviation rules

["thomas schofield" <tdschofield@msn.com>]

A year or two back there was a Popular Photography article on a new type of 
scanner that is designed to find plastic explosives & guns, which would fog 
film.  I am not sure if it was for passenger or checked baggage use.  I'll 
look for it, and provide further info if I can find it.

Last year I checked, and was told that Federal Express did not x-ray 
packages, and was thinking of sending my exposed film from Paris to Fuji in 
mailers all in one Fed Ex box, but ended up using the lead lined bag 
instead.  It worked fine.

Tom Schofield


>From: Greg Locke <locke@straylight.ca>
>Reply-To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>Subject: Re: [Leica] Thoughts about cameras and the new aviation rules
>Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2001 21:43:18 -02-30
>
>At 07:38 PM 9/16/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>>I always put my film in lead bags when going through airports. When I'm
>>carrying 1600 and 3200 I double-bag it. On some trips I've had to go 
>>through
>>three carry-on xray screenings per flight, with a total of 12 or 15
>>screenings before returning. No signs of trouble-- yet.
>
>I would like to add that all airport x-ray machines are not created equal.
>
>My experiences have been that the ones at large European airports the
>machines (Seimans which say "FILM SAFE" on them) are new design and minimum
>required dosage. I have never had problems with a couple of doses to carry
>on bags or checked luggage being x-rayed.
>
>I took 300 rolls of Fujichrome (100 carry on, 200 in checked luggage) from
>St. John's to Toronto to London, Amsterdam and Nairobi without any
>noticeable problems.  All filmed was shipped back to North American
>magazines via courier or helpful airline pilots and was not subjected after
>being exposed.
>
>HOWEVER!!!  many machines in US airports are old or not maintained well and
>they spray massive and excessive doses of xrays.
>I have had film fogged in US airports.  Remember the effects are
>cumulative. Exposed film is more susceptible. If you cannot ship it home by
>courier, at least, try to have it processed locally.
>
>as a side note...
>
>In Amsterdam, a security officer came to the departure lounge and asked for
>me then requested I follow him. I was spooked.
>He took me down a few back hallways and staircases and out on to the ramp
>right under the plane. My bag was sitting on the ground. He asked me to
>open it and remove the contents.... it seems their xray machine could not
>discern the tangle of batteries, chargers, bricks of film and wires in the
>middle if the case. ...and the best part was that he was VERY polite, calm
>and human.  Not the overbearing, paranoid Rambo's you find in Canada/US
>airports. But then again, he was Dutch. :^)
>
>I'm not so much worried about ruined film as I am about the "pain in the
>arse" of having to spend a day at the airport for a domestic or regional
>flight because I have to travel with cameras and computers.
>
>
>Greg Locke
>St. John's, Newfoundland
>http://www.greglocke.com
>-----------------------------------------
>PictureDesk International .....news pictures ONLINE!
>http://www.picturedesk.org  and http://www.newscom.com
>
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