Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/04/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Dan Post wrote: >Martin- >Interestijng post, yours. Since I work in a minilab, and have occasion to >help folks out with suggestions, especially travelling, I was concerned to >hear that there are still some problems at major airports. >I had been advising folks to put their unexposed film in a large clear >plastic bag- but out of the plastic cans. I tell them the cans can be put in >checked luggage for later use, and that hand inspection, supposedly, is >available on request. Is this policy of 'zapping' film becoming more >prevalent, in your estimation? There are obviously many airports and regions of the world I know nothing about, but from my experiences the policies at the North American airports and European airports seems to be diverging. With a bit of preparation, politeness and patience it always seems possible to have your film hand inspected at Canadian, US and Mexican airports, even if you carry 200+ rolls of film. In Europe, outright refusal seems to becoming the norm. At Heathrow, someone ahead of me had requested handinspection, and had been told straight out that then he was not leaving Heathrow by air. I met him later again and he had succumbed, and had had his film X-rayed. England, N. Ireland, Germany, Spain and Portugal, which are the only European airports I have visited recently, all required X-ray examination last time I went through them. I think the trend was started by the Swiss, who have not allowed hand inspection for at least 15 years, as far as I know. 'Our machines are perfectly adjusted' is the usual statement. But to give them credit, I've had no film damage from X-rays since the early 70's, even with higher speed film and multiple passes. I believe the technology of the x-ray machines at the moment is such that you will not notice damage on normal photographic emulsions, even things like TMax 3200 or HIE if the machines are adjusted correctly, which they probably are most of the time at the major European and North American airports. Problems could certainly arise if the machines are not adjusted correctly, which seems a lot likelier in some other parts of the world. Last year in Kathmandu, I insisted on hand inspection, but then, due to general chaos, nothing got x-rayed or inspected. That worried me even more.... * Henning J. Wulff /|\ Wulff Photography & Design /###\ mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com |[ ]| http://www.archiphoto.com