[Leica] security scanners and Fuji glass long

[richard at richardmanphoto.com (Richard Man)]

Fuji LF lens have always been the unsung hero..

On Fri, May 18, 2012 at 12:34 PM, Bill Lawlor <wvl at comcast.net> wrote:

> In 1999 I took a sabbatical and bought a 'round the world ticket. In a
> hand satchel I carried Reala 120, 35mm APX 100, 400, Kodachrome, Agfachrome
> and such locally purchased film I needed. I don't remember how many rolls I
> carried, bur it filled a gym bag. My plan was to hand the gym bag to
> security with a request for hand inspection. It worked once or twice. My
> film bag was scanned as carry-on at least 40 times. Most of the scans were
> in SE Asia and India. Some of the scanners looked like the were built by
> William Roentgen.
>
> Half way home I sent exposed film via UPS to my home with request that my
> wife would freeze it. I finished my adventure in many european
> countries.The only incident was departing Paris. Security wanted to inspect
> my cameras. I made sure theywere unloaded beforehand. Out came the M6, Fuji
> 645S, a couple of Minox 35s, and a Ricoh GR1. The inspector ammounced the
> the Fuji was not a camera! He called the supervisor who agreed. Never saw a
> camera like that. Opening the back only reinfoced his suspicion because
> film (35mm I suppose) wouldn't fit in there. I had a few rolls of exposed
> 120 in my pocket (plastic spools) When I showed one to the guy
> he must have thought it was expolsive and summoned the nearby Gendarme
> who, had once owned a Rolleiflex, and the situation was "defused".
>
> On arrival in California I steeled myself for toasted film. First I
> selected unexposed but multi scanned rolls from my gym bag. I sent the
> color to the laband developed the B&W myself. To my great relief all the
> film was undamaged. I even compared it to film from the same batches that
> didn't travel with me. Not so much as a shadow when compared.
>
> I count myself very lucky.Who knows how I would have fared with today's
> scanners?
>
> On wall is a framed 8X20 reala print made from a very small crop from the
> EDGE of the Fuji  60mm/4 645S neg. The resolution is awesome. All the
> bathers on the Ganges are crystal clear.At that magnification my Mamiya 645
> 80/2.8 images are junk. I thought it was a bad lens and tried another
> one-no better. I really regret selling the Fuji.
>
> If you got this far, thanks for your patience
>
> Bill Lawlor
>
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-- 
// richard <http://www.richardmanphoto.com>