[Leica] now x-ray damage

[benedenia at gmail.com (Marty Deveney)]

On Sat, Nov 19, 2011 at 3:57 AM, Chris Saganich <csaganich at gmail.com> 
wrote:
> My sister in law lost a roll to the baggage scanner. ?They increase X-ray
> intensity when they see slightly opaque objects. ?The instruments used for
> carry-on don't have that capability, at lease they didn't, who known if
> that changed in the past few years.

The CTX-5000 and similar scanners used for check-in luggage are
automated - the machine automatically switches to a high-intensity
narrow beam, thin swathe scan when faced with certain sizes, shapes
and densities of material.  They are principally used for detecting
certain classes of explosives.  Almost all the scanners used for
carry-on can be operated at a variety of intensities, but can not a
change the scan pattern.  Most countries' security services have a
standard operating intensity, with an increase only allowed under
certain circumstances.  Some countries have a set intensity and it is
not permitted for the machines to be operated at any other intensity.
I have had film fried by carry-on luggage scanners in developing
countries due to some over-keen inspection.

> A few years ago I made x-ray safe film
> cans by wrapping normal film cans with .5mm equivalent leaded vinyl I have
> around the shop. ?What happens at the domestic airport is one of three
> things. ?It goes through without notice, ?It goes through with the
> question, "Do you have film in there?" ?I say yes and that's it. ?Or
> three, ?My bag and film cans get the swab test. ?Only once has there been
> an argument about the necessity of leaded film cans and film speed. ?I
> reuse old cans and twice I had to explain that the film inside the can is
> different from the can label.

This works in the US, but I travel in all sorts of places.  I don't
use lead lined bags because in some countries denser material is just
"looked through" by increasing the scanner intensity.  When travelling
it is hard to get information about what many countries approach to
this situation is.  I just try to get a hand inspection and where
impossible let the security people scan my film.  This has had
variable outcomes over the years.

> Prior to the full body x-ray scanner I would roll all film in plastic
> containers (or just bring 120) and line my pockets in preparation for the
> metal detector. ?I learned from my people in the hood that baggy pants and
> a long shirt will conceal most anything you desire. ?The X-ray full body
> scanners make this tactic impractical. ?Once I went through one holding all
> my film in my hand, (4 rolls per hand), because I knew the Compton
> scattering effect creating the scanner image would be mostly attenuated by
> the thin metal cans. ?I haven't tried that again yet, maybe for the
> Christmas trip to CA.

Have all the US airports now got full body scanners?  They didn't when
we were there last year.

Marty