# Can airport X-Ray machines damage film?



## BryanR (Sep 11, 2008)

I'lll be going to Texas for a few days this weekend and i'll be bringing a few rolls of Kodachrome and some 100 ASA film. Has anyone ever had a promblem with an Airport X-Ray machine damaging your film? 
I did a little research and some say its fine and others say its not. The airport says that there X-Ray machines wont damage anything under 1600 ASA. Whats your thought about this?


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## obmd1 (Jan 17, 2005)

what is this 'film' you speak of?


(you are correct 100ASA is not exposed by x-ray.)


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## BryanR (Sep 11, 2008)

obmd1 said:


> what is this 'film' you speak of?
> 
> (you are correct 100ASA is not exposed by x-ray.)


Ill have a few rolls of Kodachrome 64 and a few rolls of some Kodak 400 ASA and a roll of Kodak Tmax 100 ASA.


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## chicagofan00 (Feb 10, 2008)

BryanR said:


> I'lll be going to Texas for a few days this weekend and i'll be bringing a few rolls of Kodachrome and some 100 ASA film. Has anyone ever had a promblem with an Airport X-Ray machine damaging your film?
> I did a little research and some say its fine and others say its not. The airport says that there X-Ray machines wont damage anything under 1600 ASA. Whats your thought about this?


I always thought it was safe to have them go through the Xray machines for carryon luggage but not for checked luggage. Not 100% on that though.


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## Snareman (Nov 24, 2006)

I'm with the baby doc. I do have some vague recollection of something called film from my childhood. I didn't know they still made that stuff though... :dunno:

I thought anything faster than 400 was safe.


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## BryanR (Sep 11, 2008)

I am back from my trip and it was a success. I kindly asked the people working at the airport to hand check my camera's and film. They took them off to the side and rubbed a solution on them, they didn't have to open the camera's either so there was no need to use an x-ray machine.


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## Snareman (Nov 24, 2006)

BryanR said:


> I am back from my trip and it was a success. I kindly asked the people working at the airport to hand check my camera's and film. They took them off to the side and rubbed a solution on them, they didn't have to open the camera's either so there was no need to use an x-ray machine.


Glad things went well. Guess they didn't find any bomb residue 'eh?


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## BryanR (Sep 11, 2008)

Snareman said:


> Glad things went well. Guess they didn't find any bomb residue 'eh?


I guess not. Not really sure how they could tell nothings in the camears, I could have been hiding 4oz of liquid in there


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## Snareman (Nov 24, 2006)

BryanR said:


> I guess not. Not really sure how they could tell nothings in the camears, I could have been hiding 4oz of liquid in there


Did they shake it? :dunno: Mabe they'd of heard the liquid slosh around.


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## thebmw (Oct 19, 2006)

Just curious, why are you still using film?? Even the pros have switched over.


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## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

Snareman said:


> I thought anything faster than 400 was safe.


Usually it is anything _slower_ than 1000 or 1600.


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## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

thebmw said:


> Just curious, why are you still using film?? Even the pros have switched over.


Can't answer for the OP but I occasionally shoot film because my best cameras and lenses only work with film.

I've got a beautiful 400mm Nikkor that only mounts on my F.

Sooner or later I'm going to get a semi-pro dslr. Nikon's that really work with my AI-S lenses are kinda pricey.


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## thebmw (Oct 19, 2006)

Andrew*Debbie said:


> Can't answer for the OP but I occasionally shoot film because my best cameras and lenses only work with film.
> 
> I've got a beautiful 400mm Nikkor that only mounts on my F.
> 
> Sooner or later I'm going to get a semi-pro dslr. Nikon's that really work with my AI-S lenses are kinda pricey.


It is costly to upgrade, but the quality of current digitals, and dare I say even some point and shoots, are better than any film camera out there. The reason: the film is the downfall. It does not have the clarity and resolution of the digitals now...so it doesn't even matter how good your camera is. The film is the weakest link.

If you look at some of the pics the OP has taken that have been scanned and posted, they are grainy. Now they are beautiful pics and he has done a great job as a photographer, but the quality is limited by the technology. Look at his pics vs other digital pics on this site and you will see the difference.


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## thebmw (Oct 19, 2006)

Andrew*Debbie, what the weather like in llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio?


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## BryanR (Sep 11, 2008)

thebmw said:


> Just curious, why are you still using film?? Even the pros have switched over.


Ive switched over to digital years ago, but still love and enjoy shooting film. There is something about film that you cant get with digital. I shoot with cameras that were made in the early 1900's and love it, its more of a style choice. I will continue to shoot film until it disappears which I cant see happening anytime soon.


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## SoCaLE39 (Nov 19, 2004)

Ive also heard that anything below 800 iso is safe.


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## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

thebmw said:


> It is costly to upgrade, but the quality of current digitals, and dare I say even some point and shoots, are better than any film camera out there.


For 35mm I can only agree. With the death of Kodachrome the only reason to shoot on film is if you want pictures that look like they were shot on film. I'd argue there are still reasons to shoot large format film, but that has more to do with art than technical quality.

We've got an inexpensive Canon point and shoot we use most of the time. My Nikons just sit in their cases. They come out when I need my 24mm, 200mm or 300mm. And that is almost never.


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## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

thebmw said:


> Andrew*Debbie, what the weather like in llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio?


Mae'n ofnadwy. About all I can say about the weather in Welsh. The full place name is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Locals shorten that to Llanfairpwllgwyngyll or Llanfair PG.

We've had gales and severe gales for the last few days and the forecast looks to be more of the same. At the moment it is raining with wind gusts of 40 to 50mph.

Despite the storms, this is one of the best places in the world to live. Overall the winters aren't too bad. Spring and Summer are amazing but it never gets warm. You learn to deal with the rain. It rains less on the West side of Anglesey (where we are) than in the rest of North Wales. We are in the rain shadow of the mountains. Many days It will be sunny at home and I can look out our bedroom window and see it raining in the mountains. Capel Curig just a few miles to the south is one of the wettest places in the UK.

I've posted snap-shots before. Here are a couple. All quick snap shots taken with that inexpensive point and shoot camera. The camera is capable of better. I wasn't even trying.

More snapshots here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/andrew.debbie

Menai Bridge from Church Island.










View from our bedroom window:


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## Snareman (Nov 24, 2006)

Wow, and here I thought you were making that up or just hit a bunch of random keys on your computer. Who knew that was a real place?? :dunno:










And the prunounciation
http://www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk/soundfiles/llandad4.wav


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## thebmw (Oct 19, 2006)

Snareman said:


> Wow, and here I thought you were making that up or just hit a bunch of random keys on your computer. Who knew that was a real place?? :dunno:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So did I!


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## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

I'm taking a Welsh course partly so I can learn how to say my address.

Lle dach chi'n byw rwan? (Where do you live now)
Dan ni'n bwy yn Llanfairpwllgwyngyll.

Some other local names. 
Almwch 
Llanerchymedd 
Trawsfynydd 
Betws y Coed 
Rhosneigr 
Rhostrehwfa
Pwllheli 
Llanfihangel yn Nhywyn


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