Travelling with Film

From: Friends of Arizona Highways

Here's a reminder for those of you film users who are flying this holiday season. New X-ray levels post-9/11 mean that sending undeveloped film in checked luggage will definitely lead to fogging of your film. Even the X-ray station at the entry to the boarding areas can have a detrimental effect. Here are some steps to take to be on the safe side, and some other advice:

At home, remove film from any packaging like paper boxes, foil wrappers and plastic canisters.

Put the film in clear, sealable plastic bags.

Make sure there is no film in your camera or pre-loaded in film backs or film holders in case security insists on putting them through X-ray.

Arrive at the airport a little bit early.

When about to go through the metal detector ask for a "hand-check" of your film. A hand-check means that airport screeners will visually inspect the film and may swab it to make sure it doesn't contain explosives. The goal is to make that process take as little time as possible for both you and the screener.

Some screeners may insist that films between ISO 50 to ISO 800 can safely go through X-ray. Having one roll of 1600 or even 3200-speed film, which is more susceptible to fogging, will almost ensure a hand-check of all film. X-rays are also cumulative, so if appropriate you can tell them the film has been through or will need to go through multiple X-ray machines.

The obvious goal is to minimize X-ray exposure, so if a screener is particularly testy and is reluctant to hand-check your film, tell them politely that the TSA regulations require them to hand-check ANY film that they are asked to hand-check. Being non-confrontational but knowing your rights is your best bet. Think about putting a copy of the TSA regulations regarding film in your pocket so you can be in a stronger position (see the link below). Some of the slower speed films might be able to go through X-ray machines up to 5 times before showing noticeable exposure, but it is always best to keep your film away from X-rays.

Try to get the film processed before returning home, or ship it home via a shipping company like FedEx or UPS. Or simply repeat the steps above and ask for a hand-check on your return flight.

Hand-checking is more common domestically. International destinations may not offer that option, so if flying overseas you may want to ship your film ahead to your destination.

Traveling alone can be difficult because screeners often insist on sending your other bags through X-ray while your film is being hand-checked. So one of your carry-ons and your shoes could be waiting unguarded while your film is being examined. Don't forget to keep an eye on your other items so no one walks off with them.

And of course one bonus of using digital cameras is that digital users don't have to deal with hand-checking, since memory cards are unaffected by the X-ray process.

If you're curious about what the Transportation Security Administration's advises when it comes to transporting film, you can visit here:

http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1035.xml