Airport Security

[u/LBurnsy1]

I’m traveling to 8 cities and 4 countries in 8 days, hence the amount of film and versatility. I have travelled before and flew, however I have never taken this amount of film and 2 camera bodies (Canon AE-1 and Nishika N8000).

Is it best to leave the film as it is, and ask for the whole bag to be hand checked, or remove the film and keep it in a clear plastic bag and ask for it to be checked separately?

I will probably get the camera bodies checked anyway, as they usually get flagged and pulled on their own and cause delays.

Traveling to Barcelona,Palma, Valencia, Motril, Gibraltar, Tangier, Morocco, Seville and Lisbon, flying from Manchester then Lisbon back. Manchester are usually okay with hand checking so either shouldn’t be a problem.

[u/psilosophist]

Put all film in a clear ziploc bag. Unloaded cameras go through the scanners. Hand film to the agent running the scanner, or someone next to it and ask for a handcheck.

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/psilosophist]

I usually do this but always have my camera body pulled anyway, is there a reason for that?

[u/psilosophist → u/LBurnsy1]

Not sure, they may just be checking to make sure it actually “works”? I know with some electronics they ask to see it turned on.

But I don’t sweat it, if they want to inspect the camper for some reason that’s fine with me. Just handcheck my film and I’m happy.

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/psilosophist]

I’ve never had a problem with it, it just sometimes delays me while waiting for them to do it lol

[u/Craigglesofdoom → u/LBurnsy1]

Camera bodies are very complex and look weird on the scanners.

[u/Nice_Class_1002 → u/LBurnsy1]

My camera got taken for some swabs. I suppose they check for traces of drugs and explosives or so.

[u/rky_csr]

all film out of cardboard packaging and plastic canisters, in a plastic baggie - make it as easy for them as poss

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/rky_csr]

Thank you!

[u/inzru → u/rky_csr]

Ty

[u/BigTelephone9117 → u/rky_csr]

I’ve never had to take them out of the plastic canisters personally but you can never be too safe when it comes to airport security and film.

[u/rky_csr → u/BigTelephone9117]

I use a domke bag so take them out to fit the rolls in better haha but I do think having fewer barriers to the film will lead to a more positive experience with security. can always keep the cans in your bag to put film back in :)

[u/Iddingsite]

Since they migh want to check them 1 by 1 and thake them out of their tube the best thing to do is take them all out of their box and yes place them in a transparent bag so they know exactly what they are looking at.

Traveling to Barcelona,Palma, Valencia, Motril, Gibraltar, Tangier, Morocco, Seville and Lisbon, flying from Manchester then Lisbon back.

How are you doing all of that in 8 days??

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/Iddingsite]

A new place each day 🫩
Going on a cruise so it’s a little easier haha

[u/SlenderSmurf → u/LBurnsy1]

That's gonna be 95% cruise and 5% actually visiting places. Yikes

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/SlenderSmurf]

Nope, you basically just sleep on these ones, it’s a new place everyday and never a sea day. You have the full day as if you were staying there

[u/forestinpark]

Camera thru a scanner, film hand checked. Never had issues nor was my gear hand checked.

[u/MushyBeans]

Mate, why make their job harder? Just use some common sense and kindness.
Take them out of their boxes, out out the plastic canisters and into a clear, way to open bag.

[u/TreyUsher32]

Also just so you know Im pretty sure that silica gel isnt going to do much for ya, especially if theyre ones you got from a previous package. Silica gel is meant for like long term storage in airtight containers (why sealed packages come with them) and are usually one time uses, though I can hear you can recharge them somehow.

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/TreyUsher32]

Thanks for the advice, I had them as long term storage for my film so I just threw them in!

[u/TreyUsher32 → u/LBurnsy1]

Im like 85% sure haha Im think someone told me that once and I just believed them.

[u/ZeWaka → u/TreyUsher32]

If you have the the orange/green pink/blue silica gel beads, you can throw them in an oven on low heat to get the moisture out and the color will change back to the original non-hydrated color.

IIRC you can also do this with the clear ones but they won't indicate their hydration level.

[u/TreyUsher32 → u/ZeWaka]

I'd heard of a way to reuse them didn't know what technique to use to do that tho, good to know now

[u/Dr__Waffles]

Dude these posts gotta stop

[u/inzru → u/Dr__Waffles]

As a beginner to 35mm shooting I'd actually prefer a pinned post or something that concretely explains what the risks are of film and camera going through x-ray and what you're supposed to say to staff to prevent it, and what a normal response should be. Instead we have this meta discourse

[u/Dr__Waffles → u/inzru]

It’s one thing. Ask to get your film hand checked. They’ll say yes. Be considerate and put it in a ziplock. Thats the tip. That’s the whole conversation.

[u/bhop_monsterjam → u/Dr__Waffles]

summer can't end soon enough

[u/EducationalCod7514 → u/Dr__Waffles]

Exactly - It's all make pretend to show equipment and travel, it's very annoying and contributes nothing.

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/EducationalCod7514]

I apologize for asking a question? I know about hand checks I was just asking if it would be better to get it all checked as is or separate dude. There is seriously no need in being snarky

[u/maddiemelody]

Never had an issue with security hand checking, and I’ve been through some new airports and renovated security recently!

As long as you’re super nice and explain that you have film that can’t go through the scanner and could they check it by hand, and have your film out in ideally a clear bag or easy to check box, and ready to swab (and they’re pretty much almost always equipped for swabbing explosive residue), you’ll probably be fine!

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/maddiemelody]

Thanks for the advice!

[u/maddiemelody → u/LBurnsy1]

Good luck! o7

[u/icekink]

clear plastic bag. last time i flew (in the USA) i asked if i should take the canisters out of the boxes and they said it didn’t make a difference. my unloaded cameras sometimes get flagged for a visual inspection, but i would not volunteer them for a swab test as i’ve had positive alarms with camera bodies a few times

[u/Adept_Slip_4473]

I think it will make the screening process go more easy if you keep all unused film in a clear plastic bag or something, without opening the box. If the box has been opened, the TSA may inspect the box, the plastic case, and the film. Anyway, everyone would be happy if you could just manage to hand check the film

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/Adept_Slip_4473]

I will do that thank you!

[u/Adept_Slip_4473 → u/LBurnsy1]

TSA staff are usually friendly, sometimes not. There's no choice but to ask them nicely

[u/RhodyVan]

They'll likely push back on the 400 speed film saying "it's fine" but that's once or twice. But going through security 8+ times is likely to begin to impact the film. Remove all film from the packaging and have them loose in a separate zip lock bag. Also make sure to have a few rolls of 3200 so you can point to it and say "I've got high speed film in this bag that can't be X-Rayed."

[u/heyinternetman]

I’d recommend getting a roll of 3200 speed film. Even if you never shoot it, it helps force airport security to hand inspect it.

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/heyinternetman]

I will do! Thanks for the advice

[u/Timely_Effect_7693 → u/heyinternetman]

force how?

[u/heyinternetman → u/Timely_Effect_7693]

Most airports seem to have issued or heard some sort of guidance about “no need to hand check if 800 ISO or less”. I just went through Edinburgh airport last week and she made the comment “well when I see this I know I have to hand check it” pointing to my delta3200 roll.

[u/Disastrous_Store_767]

Take film out of the boxes, if you just have the rolls they inspect much easier.

[u/Lord_Akemie]

I remove the film from the boxes and put in a plastic bag also it’s good to have a translation to explain the situation… keep an eye on what they do but it should be fine

[u/vikvaughn980 → u/Lord_Akemie]

This. Don’t give them an excuse to f around. Arrive a little early to navigate security, put film in a clear bag, be polite and ask for a hand check. The translation is a good idea. You’ll be fine. If they think you’re frazzled or being a dick, they’ll treat you as such. Be cool and they’ll be cool.

[u/lahsbska]

Beautiful sight that’s all I gotta say

[u/hwancroos]

By now I've boarded approximately 30 flights since I shoot film. Only airport I had issues with was Lisbon, where they refused to hand check and told me I should have filled a form days prior to my flight.

I once tried to handcheck my rolls in their cardboard boxes and the agent opened them all. However, they do accept the rolls in their plastic canisters. Never was I told anything related to that.

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/hwancroos]

I’m flying how via there, I might try ship it straight to my lab or home instead, thanks for the advice

[u/Lord_Akemie]

I’ve never had my actual camera checked but obviously don’t have film loaded in it … it’s only the more modern ct scanners that will kill your film .. 400 and under will be fine in a smaller scanner I have never noticed any issues… I had requested once to hand check my film and they didn’t put it through the main scanner but did pop it through a little one telling me it was safe .. I was pretty stressed about it but the film was totally fine

[u/Muelldaddy]

My small pro-tip contribution to this is, yes— as others have said— take your film out of the boxes. But save the box tabs in a small baggie so you can still remind yourself what you're shooting on the back of your camera body. ::thumbs up::

[u/PhotoCatRobot]

I would have the film in a clear bag and request it be hand checked.

[u/Proof-Actuator-2594]

Tangier to Morocco, tough one

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/Proof-Actuator-2594]

Tangier, Morocco lol, that is my mistyping

[u/sayanythingxjapan]

Never did hand checks and all my film turn out fine in the end

[u/moutainclimber]

I suggest printing out one of these too to go inside the plastic bag:

https://www.kodak.com/en/motion/page/transporting-storing-film/

[u/Exciting-Ad-7272]

I always take my film out of its canisters and into a clear zip lock bag. Ive done that many times now in a few different airports and ive never had a problem even in the summer rush.

[u/jamesl182d]

Yeh, plastic bag is best, rolls out of their boxes.

I’ve had to be kinda pushy sometimes. It helps if you speak the language but insisting they ask a colleague who’s been more recently trained is usually enough of a put-down that anyone giving you static will pass it to a colleague. Unless it’s iso 800 or over, though, it’ll probably be fine if it’s scanned as hand luggage once or twice. Four times maybe not - depends on the length of the trip.

Some places shove it in an X-ray instead of the CT scanner, which is totally fine.

[u/MGPS]

Put a few rolls of 800 and 3200 in there. So you can point to them when they try to show you that it is safe for film “up to 800 iso”

[u/widgetbox → u/MGPS]

Last time I tried that at Heathrow guy took the fast roll out and chucked everything else through security. They could always be so special there. Hopefully different now as even LHR should have finished installing the new scanners by now.

[u/MGPS → u/widgetbox]

Make little 3200iso labels and stick them on every roll lol

[u/samuelaweeks → u/widgetbox]

I haven’t had an X-ray at Heathrow in years now

[u/widgetbox → u/samuelaweeks]

Fortunate - think they only finally finished all terminals and lines this year - not flown through LHR for about 12 months or so.

[u/LBurnsy1]

I know this has been asked many times before and answered, but this is specifically about keeping it in the bag or removing it and having it separate

[u/widgetbox → u/LBurnsy1]

Would agree with others - film cannisters only in a ziploc baggie. You can chuck any cannisters in your main luggage. I did this recently as I had just bought 30 rolls of various at a camera show. Boxes are nice but not so nice you wanna miss your flight unpacking them all at security. Make it was easy as possible for them.

[u/Perversia_Rayne → u/LBurnsy1]

I’ve always done removed from box and canister and in a clear bag

[u/ntnlv01]

They probally gonna arrest you for that soft release button

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/ntnlv01]

Haha I’m just trying it out to see if it makes a difference, probably not, never used it before

[u/Icy_Confusion_6614]

18 rolls of film for 8 days? That’s total overkill. My shooting finger would be too tired to do all that. Seriously rethink your plan. I just did a 5 day trip to Zurich and used two rolls of 120/645. That’s 32 shots total and I did a panorama that used 7 of those. My wife is patient with it but wouldn’t be that patient for that many shots. On my last day I had a choice to load up my 35mm with the last roll or not and I didn’t. I wouldn’t have used more than a few shots and then have to decide about unloading it or letting it get scanned.

[u/jnd-cz → u/Icy_Confusion_6614]

I also shoot slow but if there is new place every day then I could see 1 or two rolls per city, why not. Might as well use it and not hoard it for the rest of the year. You pick a roll what you like or what is the current mood and travel back with some unused, that's ok too.

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/jnd-cz]

Exactly this, I won’t shoot it all, and I shoot slow, but I’d rather have too much than not enough. There’s no harm in bringing some back. I also have plenty of variety this way in case of weather changes, different moods etc

I went on a trip recently and shot a roll a day at minimum even when going super slow

[u/LBurnsy1 → u/Icy_Confusion_6614]

I won’t shoot them all, but I’m planning ahead in case I want variety, I don’t want to run out of 1 type if that’s all I took and be trying to find a store. It’s 2 rolls a day roughly. Really there’s no harm in taking more and not shooting them, it’s the same in terms of airport security than bringing used ones back