New (as of 2019) airport CT scanners

[Samuel Dilworth]

First they came for the film photographers …

 

[BrianShaw]

It likely depends on the respective legislation.
I cannot imagine being successful with such claim in Germany. And even then, at best here one would get the cost of the roll of film replaced.

At best... same here. More likely, the claim of “willful destruction” would keep any such case from getting any kind of serious consideration... no malicious intent. Even wanton destruction probably would be dismissed before any serious consideration.

 

[Agulliver]

Do we have a definitive list or airports worldwide with these new hand luggage CT scanners?

 

[AgX]

What benefit that would have? If positive you likely would evade that airport. If negative, you cannot be sure that after booking or before returning there would not such scannner be installed.

 

[Huss]

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/faqs/

ADVICE FOR AIRPORT X-RAY SCANNERS: FILM & PAPERS
We are working with the DFT and Heathrow airport in the UK and will shortly be updating our information relating to the new CT type x-ray scanners being installed at major airports worldwide.

Based on our initial testing it is almost certain the new CT type x-ray scanners for cabin baggage will be deemed unsafe for any of our ILFORD and KENTMERE film products irrespective of ISO speed rating.

You must therefore ask for hand inspection of your films if the airport is using one of the new type scanners. We will be issuing more specific advice as we complete our testing and evaluation.

 

[Agulliver]

What benefit that would have? If positive you likely would evade that airport. If negative, you cannot be sure that after booking or before returning there would not such scannner be installed.

The benefit is that one can make informed choices. A list that is up to date and which includes airports known to have them "on the way"....

We can perhaps choose which airports to use where a city has more than one. Or not to take certain journeys at all.
We can choose not to take film on a trip at all and to shoot digital instead.
We can choose to mail/courier film to a destination
We can choose to buy film at the destination and process it there or mail it home
We can choose to cut out one set of scans by either buying film at the destination and flying home with it (perhaps CT scanners only at the home airport) or to take film on the journey and process it at the destination.
We can choose to take a risk with lower ISO film
We can choose to request a hand inspection.

Having the knowledge in advance means we can all make those choices armed with the correct information. There's little point in worrying if we know that the airports we are going to encounter on a trip don't use the new scanners. On the other hand, if I know that Airport X has them and that I am going to use Airport X soon....I will probably choose to take lower speed film and allow extra time so that I can request a hand inspection and have the time in hand to do so.

None of these options guarantees no risk. Hand inspections may be denied, for example. But few activities have no risk. flying itself carries a tiny but finite risk in itself. Having the info helps inform our choices.

I happen to be flying from London Gatwick to Funchal in 17 days. As far as I can tell neither airport has the new scanners. An accurate list would be useful so I can know for sure. And also make a decision about a possible trip elsewhere in October.

Wondering if the next photo films will be specifically insensitive to X-rays if that is possible...

 

[pentaxuser]

Wondering if the next photo films will be specifically insensitive to X-rays if that is possible...

I am wondering if films can even be made this way and how long before we see any and what might it cost . There is a simple solution right now with very little cost to anyone . The Government in the U.K. require all UK. airports to offer a hand inspection. The EU do likewise. The U.S. already appear willing to offer this anyway.Yes it doesn't cover the world but quite a large part of it and at a stroke

A big enough revival in film might persuade all countries to adopt hand inspections but realistically that may be a long way off.

pentaxuser

 

[acroell]

A list of airports would be in flux for quite a while, and in need of constant updating. Using Ilford's list, here is a rogue's gallery of our CT nemeses, at least as of now, for identification.

 

[AgX]

The Government in the U.K. require all UK. airports to offer a hand inspection. The EU do likewise.

You mean there is a EU regulation giving one the right to reject X-radiation and gain a hand-check instead?

 

[acroell]

You mean there is a EU regulation giving one the right to reject X-radiation and gain a hand-check instead?

I think he means this could be a future solution - pentaxuser said "The UK government require..." not "requires", a small but important difference.

 

[pentaxuser]

AgX Really I should have recognised that no matter how good a person's understanding is of English and your is excellent, it is not your native language and it would have been better if I had said the government should require. In the context of what I proposed as a solution to the problem of scanners is that the word require means that the solution is that the government require( the meaning of require here is insists or makes a requirement of as in passing a law)

pentaxuser

 

[Agulliver]

Yes, that's one solution...if governments worldwide can be persuaded to insist that all airports offer hand inspection of photographic material upon reasonable request. Also if airports were to update their own websites regarding scanners that would be helpful.

 

[ITD]

When everyone was taking their Instamatics on holiday with them there was a possibility of that happening. Now that we’re such a niche crowd I think it’s very unlikely to happen that way. Hopefully Ilford can assert itself sufficiently to get the change made at UK airports for a start. I have to wonder if they even have a business in the future if no-one can take film with them on their travels.

 

[AgX]

Also if airports were to update their own websites regarding scanners that would be helpful.

Last year I checked the websites of about half a dozen security scanner manufacturers and not one even hinted at film in any form at all...

 

[BrianShaw]

Last year I checked the websites of about half a dozen security scanner manufacturers and not one even hinted at film in any form at all...

Last month either...

It’s not a very noticeable concern anymore.

 

[lauffray]

I think

The benefit is that one can make informed choices. A list that is up to date and which includes airports known to have them "on the way"....

I think alongside that airport list we could maintain a list of reputable labs/shops in cities around the world, as a travelling resource. "Security" being a blanket excuse to justify anything these days, I don't see airports accommodating us few dinosaurs travelling with film

 

[BrianShaw]

”I think alongside that airport list we could...”

• Who, exactly, is, or should be, the “we”?

 

[lauffray]

Who, exactly, is, or should be, the “we”?

Us on this forum. There is no "should" and certainly no need to sound so annoyed, this is merely a suggestion

 

[Huss]

Yes, that's one solution...if governments worldwide can be persuaded to insist that all airports offer hand inspection of photographic material upon reasonable request. Also if airports were to update their own websites regarding scanners that would be helpful.

We are such a small user base in the scheme of all travelers that they process that this really would not be a big deal. How many people per flight do you think carry film? 0.001%? (pulling that out of thin air).
LAX (Los Angeles) and other US airports I have used have been very accommodating so what can't others?

 

[BrianShaw]

Us on this forum. There is no "should" and certainly no need to sound so annoyed, this is merely a suggestion

I’m not annoyed. What makes you think that.. are you a mind reader? It’s just that so often ideas are proffered with no implementation plan.

 

[pentaxuser]

Last year I checked the websites of about half a dozen security scanner manufacturers and not one even hinted at film in any form at all...

It's time they read Photrio and realised there is a very large film revival

pentaxuser

 

[Agulliver]

I’m not annoyed. What makes you think that.. are you a mind reader? It’s just that so often ideas are proffered with no implementation plan.

The USA has long had laws which guarantee travellers hand inspection of their baggage on request. I don't think this right exists elsewhere. I've also found in recent years that younger security staff around Europe don't even know what film is. Security bods tend to be a bit suspicious of items when they don't know what they are. In the states I've had been taken aside and had my entire bag searched because the TSA operative didn't know what a Mini-Disc player was....

 

[perkeleellinen]

We need to accept that airports are a major hazard to film photography and we need to work through how to mitigate.

I imagine a website where you input your destination and the results show local shops that stock film, local places able to mail film to hotels and hostels, rapid turnaround labs or labs able to post films back to your home country. If there is local supply buy local, of not consider overland travel, mailing film to your destination or taking up painting...

 

[lauffray]

I imagine a website where you input your destination and the results show local shops that stock film, local places able to mail film to hotels and hostels, rapid turnaround labs or labs able to post films back to your home country.

That's what I was suggesting a bit before, us here could start a list of such places, each person would update that list based on where they live. Is there any interest for that? If the list really takes off I could turn it into a searchable website

 

[perkeleellinen]

I missed your post, sorry. Yes, I'd be happy tp contribute with UK data. We could add things like typical turnaround times for labs.

I think Ilford has a find a darkroom thing on their website that uses a map. Could that model work? Thinking big - would Ilford and Kodak fund a webpage?