Digital BW, The Print

I can add a little bit to this discussion having just returned from 
three weeks in Europe.

Portland OR PDX arrived with 75 rolls of film in plastic cans packed 
in a small soft side cooler with the 800 1600 and IR packed in a 
baggie if need be. Told the screener I had High speed film and would 
like a hand check they placed the cooler on top of the Xray machine 
we went thru they walked us over to a table a nice lady opened the 
cooler moved a few of the rools around opened a few of the cans ran a 
swab around every where in the cooler and across some of the film 
cassettes. Put the swab in a sniffer and smiled and sent us on our 
way.

Chicago IL 2 hour lay over didn't leave the secure part of the 
airport no checks just boarded the next plane.

Heathrow London, Made it through customs in about 1/2 hour very nice 
people no checks.

Leaving London on the Chunnel Train Screener about 40 rolls exposed 
and balance unused would not hand check said anything under 3200 ASA 
had to go through no exceptions said she could show me the Kodak 
Bulletin I figure why agrue and put the stuff through the machine.

Arrived Brussels for transfer No check only customs took less then 
1/2 hour.

We left Germany from Frankfurt airport 80+ Rolls exposed still in 
very swelled up little cooler NO HAND CHECK ALLOWED high speed 
included all film had to go through scanner. After going through the 
scanner we were taken to a side room with a sniffer and all the 
camera gear in both bags got wiped the film was checked simular. The 
agent was pleasent and matter of factly. When do he wished us well 
and we boarded.

Arrived home customs 1+ hour (long lines) took film to local pro lab 
and everything can out just fine Slides Prints B&W. I didn't use the 
IR but the two rolls of 1600 Neopan I shot came out exceptional and 
are some of the best negs from the trip. SO two passes thru XRAY did 
not do any noticable damage to my 1600 ASA film.

But I still would without being a butthead try to limit the number of 
times any film is Xrayed just to be safe. The operators have NO way 
to DIAL UP the machines but they can run things through mulitiple 
time In Portland they said that if they could tell what something was 
the second time thru it would be hand checked as that was their 
policy and they found it just as fast.

DO NOT LOCK YOUR BAGS they will cut the locks on check luggage to 
check if they want we used nylon wire ties as they were sercure to 
keep the bags closed and would stop any pilfering we would also know 
if they had been opened as we used colored ones and if they open your 
bag offically they tag it so if no tag and cut wire tie then a thief 
would have done it and we would know as soon as we picked up the bag. 
THAT is good as once you leave the airport making a claim is MUCH 
harder. I carried a couple of extra ties in my bag and it worked real 
well we did see a couple of bags that had had their locks cut. They 
were tagged.

BE NICE to the people and they will be nicer to you BE a GROUCH and 
get back what you project.

IMHO Mark W.