At 02:59 PM 7/23/2002, TL wrote:
>Put the films in hand-carry on bags and for extra protection, put
>them in lead bags called FilmShield that are sold in most camera
>stores.
>If you must put them in checked-in bags, double or tripple up the
>FilmShield bags. Unprotected films in checked-in bags might be
>severely damaged as they are scanned by high powered machines.
>TL
See http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib5201.shtml for more
definitive information.
My experience has been that the lead bags are not worth the cost. It's
better to remove the film from the box, put it in ziploc-type bags and ask
for a hand check, particularly if you have film faster than 800. Passing
slow speed film through the carry-on scanners a few times should not harm
it; but if I was on an assignment or a once-in-a-lifetime trip, I wouldn't
take any chances. I once got a hand check in Paris--notoriously difficult
to do--by adding in a few rolls of 3200 speed film.
What you should NEVER, EVER, do is to put unprocessed film (single-use
cameras, cameras with film in them, etc.) in checked baggage. The new CTX
scanners WILL ruin your film. If you are told that your carry-on baggage
must be checked, remove all film and stuff it in your pockets and try to
get a hand check. (By the way, post-9/11, I am told that too much
insistence or agitation may get you detained.
If buying and/or processing your film at your destination is a viable
option, that is an excellent way to avoid film damage. Another possibility
is to ship the film to your destination via a courier that will not either
X-Ray or anthrax scan the packages (even processed film can be ruined by an
anthrax scan).
If you are a professional taking several hundred rolls of film to a distant
location, the last two alternatives may be superior to the option of
carrying it with you.
Stan
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Photography by Stan McQueen
http://www.smcqueen.com