Going to Paris next week for a month. Have shipped my film over to be safe. What is the best way of getting it home safely. I realize that keeping it with me these days means I might have to surrender it to the xray machines. And I really don't want to risk shipping it home. Processing it in my hotel room would be a drag but possible if I could aquire the chemicals. Any suggestions would be helpful. Is there a possibility that I could still hand my film around the machines?

Hi Mia: <BR> <BR>Paris is a big city and 1 hour film processing shops are readily available. If you process your own film and want to bring it back undeveloped, invest in lead shielded film bag(s) here in the states and put the shielded film in your checked baggage. I've been doing this for years with speeds up to ASA400 with no degradation of the film. Also, make sure your camera is empty when you go through security checkpoints. NO ONE will let you hand a camera or film cassette around the gate anymore.

Very important - read this article from <BR> <BR>http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/abou...yScanner.shtml <BR> <BR>(I'll try to paste it all here & follow up w/note below...) <BR> <BR>X-ray Scanners: Travelers Advised to Protect Film and Cameras <BR> <BR>Always pack film and single-use cameras in a clear plastic or mesh bag to carry with you on-board. Never pack unprocessed film into baggage you intend to check. <BR>Security precautions at US airports are being significantly tightened following the tragic events of September 11. Among precautions that travelers can expect will be the increased use of high-intensity x-ray scanners for checked baggage. It is important to understand that placing your camera and film on a standard conveyor for x-ray scanning with other carry-on baggage (purses, briefcases, etc) at security checkpoints in the US will not cause damage to unprocessed film. However, the high-intensity x-ray machines now in use at many airports for checked luggage WILL DAMAGE ALL UNPROCESSED FILM - amateur, professional, or medical. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, therefore, SHOULD UNEXPOSED OR UNPROCESSED FILM OR SINGLE-USE CAMERAS BE PACKED IN CHECKED BAGGAGE. While the FAA on September 20 confirmed that current x-ray equipment used at airport security checkpoints for carry-on items does not harm film, some passengers may be randomly selected to submit their carry-on items to a high-intensity scan through a machine usually located apart from the normal security checkpoints. Eastman Kodak Company advises all persons traveling by air, rail, or cruise ship to pack all film and single-use cameras in a clear plastic or mesh bag for carrying with them on-board and ask for inspection by hand when passing through security checkpoints employing high-intensity x-ray scanners.As in the past, travelers should be wary of all scanners at airports outside the US. When traveling internationally, therefore, always ask for hand-inspection of your film and single-use cameras. <BR>Baggage inspectors are there to help ensure your safety. You can make their job easier by having your unprocessed film out and ready for inspection in a clear plastic, or mesh bag. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

One more link - see also <BR>http://www.f-stop.org/ <BR>---------------------------- <BR>I read an article in my local newspaper's travel section yesterday that referenced the Kodak link posted above. I'm sitting on 12 rolls of film that I brought back from Italy with me on Friday night, and there's a chance that about half of my film was in my checked baggage on the way over to Italy...in the scramble to finalize packing I may have split up my film stash and put some of it in my checked bag - UGH! It goes in to be developed tomorrow and my fingers are crossed that everything will be OK. (I'm positive that *everything* I shot while on my trip was in my carry-on bag on the way home, tho.) One piece of good news: a friend was traveling in Greece from 10/1 until 10/10; she had her photos developed, and they all turned out great, so I called her yesterday after reading the article and asked how she'd packed *her* film for her trip. She indicated that ALL of her film was stored in her checked baggage on both legs of her trip, and "they xrayed the hell out of my luggage, numerous times" because of some ag products she had with her - and all of her photos turned out fine. I feel pretty stupid right about now and hope my film develops OK...I guess I was under the impression that the xray scanners used on checked bags would be the same intensity as the ones they use to check on-board carryons. Don't take ANY chances on this, folks - ALL FILM in should be in carry-on bags to and from your destination.

Because of this problem, I have thought of going digital for future trip photos. Once had some expensive large format black and white negatives ruined by x-ray.

Mia, you know that many parcels are x-rayed when being sent by mail or express service, which would negate the advantage of avoiding xraying hand baggage onto a passanger plane. And if you are worried about bringing undeveloped film back onto a passanger plane you could always buy developing chemicals in Europe, or just get them developed without being printed while in Europe. <BR> <BR>RJD, if you work in large format B&W photography, you will not be happy with the results from digital. Also, I am surprised about your film being damaged (naively I am assuming you used slow film with the large format camera, which is very difficult to damage with xrays). <BR> <BR>Personally I never saw the benefit for lead bags; I assume that they would show up as just large metal objects in an xray, forcing the technician to use a larger and larger dose. If anyone out there uses these bags, could you tell us what the technicians/security people do to inspect them? <BR> <BR>Thanks!

Put the film in you carry-on/hand luggage. As it said in the Kodak statement "It is important to understand that placing your camera and film on a standard conveyor for x-ray scanning with other carry-on baggage (purses, briefcases, etc) at security checkpoints in the US will not cause damage to unprocessed film." I've carried all types of film this way in the past & have friends who've done the same without any problems.

Hi, <BR>I recently returned from Italy. <BR>My luggage-to-be checked went through at least one X ray screening at JFK before I was able to check it. My carry on was of course xrayed as well. This occurred again on a flight from Rome to Venice, and on a flight home from Venice to JFK. <BR>None of my processed and unprocessed 35mm 200 or 400 color print film was damaged. I know that my unprocessed film was fine because I used it and processed it after my return home, and the pictures are fine.

Thanks everyone for your input. I was in Paris last Dec and when asked for a hand inspection they said that I MUST put my film through the machine saying it would not be damaged. Fortunately they were right, then anyway. <BR> I have many options right now so thank you. I'll be working on these roles for the next few months and so want to make sure I can have them home in the best condition possible.

In our travels I've gotten into the habit of having film developed and at least proofed as soon as possible after exposing it. Not only does it reduce the risk of accidental exposure to x-rays, (or, once, complete loss as the camera bag with used and unused film was ripped off) but it also allows you to (a) enjoy the pix right away, and (b) possibly return to the scene of the snap in order to re-take the image in case of operator error (rare) on the first try. The negs and/or prints (or slides) will pack very easily, too.

I used to be very picky about subjecting my film to Xrays. Then I read that the power of the Xrays is now much less, unless you are in some undeveloped country. Now I just run my flim through the xray machine on my carry on and have never noticed any difference in picture quality.

Marc, <BR> <BR>I use a lead lined film bag, just in case. Rarely, including after Sep.11, do I get stopped at security. They don't even notice that they can't see through it on the xray. I could have all kinds of weapons in there. Every once in awhile I get stopped and they just search it by hand.

The x-rays used for carry-ons will not harm film up to about 1200 ASA. <BR> <BR>HOWEVER - the scanners used for checked bags and cargo can very easily cloud film of any speed. it doesn't always, but it can and the effect is cumulative. So if you are going through more than one airport, checked film stands a good chance of being ruined. I take between 20 and 50 rolls of film on every trip - always take it in my carry on and have never had any problem - whether or not it was hand searched.

Thanks again everyone. Carrying it on it is! I spoke to my salesman at Calumet today whose suggestion was to carry on in a lead bag which will either go straight through or be hand searched. Talk about your reverse pyschology!

Mia <BR> <BR>I just returned from Paris on Sunday and had many of the same concerns you did about film. I carried my film (ASA400) on in my day pack going over (yes it went through the xray). When I finished my first roll I was concerned about possible xray damage (I had heard the airports had turned up the power of the baggage xray machines at the gate), so I had the roll developed at a one hour lab in Paris. The pictures were fine. Took my pictures as normal and carried the film on again on the return flight, again no special bags etc. Had the film developed and all pictures came out fine. Hope this helps. Have a great trip!!!