Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/04/15

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Flying with film
From: Nathan Wajsman <wajsman@webshuttle.ch>
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2002 23:16:43 +0200
References: <l03102802b8e0dc2e890a@[192.168.1.81]>

Bill,

I have followed this thread with some bemusement. Why? Because it crops up here
and on the Rollei list from time to time, with the issue taking on First
Amendment proportions. The reality is as follows:

1) You will NOT get your film hand inspected at either Heathrow or Istanbul,
period. You want to fly? Then you send ALL your carry-on luggage through the
scanner. And I am personally happy that it is this way--I am a lot more
concerned about arriving at my destination in one piece than about some
photographer's fear of getting his film fogged.

2) The good news is that despite the collective neurosis gripping the photo
lists from time to time, nobody seems to actually have experienced and proved
damage from CARRY-ON scanning of film. There is a lot of confusion about this
issue, but the bottom line is that the warnings on Kodak's web site and
elsewhere apply to checked luggage, not carry-on. If a LUGger has actually had
film ruined by carry-on scanning, I would love to see the scans.

I am a frequent flyer. On average I fly somewhere once a week. I always have a
camera and some film with me. I have been through carry-on luggage scanners
with all kinds of film at Zurich, Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Munich, Copenhagen,
Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Athens and other airports this year. The film
includes Delta 3200, Kodak High Speed Infrared, Kodachrome 64 & 200, and
numerous 100 and 400 B&W and color negative film. In some cases the same roll
of film has been through the scanner 4-5 times. I have not detected any effect
on the film, ever.

I have noticed that security procedures at many airports have been tightened
since Sept. 11, and I am grateful for that. Right now the place where I am most
nervous about flying is the good old US of A, considering the still lax
standards of inspection by the underpaid illiterates manning the checkpoints.
The remote possibility of film fogging from scanning pales in comparison.

3) I have never been to Turkey but have friends who travel there frequently,
and from their stories it sounds like one of the most wonderful places to
visit.

Nathan

Bill Lawlor wrote:

> I am going to Turkey in June. I know I can get hand inspection in San
> Francisco, probably not at London Heathrow. Does antbody have experience at
> Istanbul airport?
>
> Further, I will appreciate any tips or suggestions about travel in Turkey.
> Thanks, Bill Lawlor
>
> --
> To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html

- --
Nathan Wajsman
Herrliberg (ZH), Switzerland

e-mail: wajsman@webshuttle.ch
mobile: +41 78 732 1430

Photo-A-Week: http://www.wajsman.com/indexpaw2002.htm
General photo site: http://www.wajsman.com/index.htm


- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html

Replies: Reply from "Steve Barbour" <kididdoc@cox.net> (Re: [Leica] Re: Flying with film)
In reply to: Message from Bill Lawlor <wvl@infinex.com> ([Leica] Re: Flying with film)