Airport scanners will destroy your unexposed film, says Fuji
Feb 19, 2020
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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In October 2019, it was announced that some US airports would start using new Computer Tomography (CT) scanners. After a recent warning from Kodak, Fujifilm has also issued an advisory for its customers regarding these changes. The company warns photographers not to expose their unprocessed Instax and other film to new airport scanners. Along with the warning, Fuji also introduces some guidelines for handling film when boarding an airplane, because exposing it to CT and X-Ray scanners will destroy it.
In its warning, Fujifilm writes simply that “those machines may provide more damaging to unprocessed film and Instax film than previous generations of scanners.” In order to protect your film, the company suggests that you keep the film in your carry-on baggage, and always ask for hand inspection.
Other than unprocessed film and Instax film, single-use QuickSnap cameras are also subject to the potential damage. Fujifilm has released two PDF documents with more details and user guidelines for traveling with any of these products. In these documents, the company describes what the damage looks like. Note that these CT scanners at airports can cause the same damage to Instax and any other color and black & white film:
“Undesirable effects of new airport scanners on images produced by instant film that has undergone such scanning can include ‘fogging,’ distortion in shadow areas, and generally poor image reproduction after just one pass through these new scanners.”
So, in order to prevent this damage, there are some steps to follow when traveling by airplane. As already mentioned, take your film with you in the carry-on luggage and always ask for hand inspection. Fuji recommends placing the film in a clear plastic bag and showing it to TSA inspectors.
There are a few more tips for traveling with film and protecting it from X-Ray and CT scanners, and you can read more on Fujifilm’s website:
[via DPReview]
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Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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10 responses to “Airport scanners will destroy your unexposed film, says Fuji”
Has this not been a problem for many years? I remember a family deciding to fly back home to Canada in the 1980’s, before getting her photos processed and the whole lot was ruined by airport x-ray.
Duncan CM Smith yep, I remember buying special bags to put film in before scanning 20+ years ago. Must be a slow news day hahahaha…
I still have one of those lead-lined bags.
Yes and no. Film with an ISO greater than 800 is particularly susceptible to X-Ray. Slower films could be scanned a number of times before any issues popped up.
But these are not X-Ray machines. These are new CT scanners, which affect ALL film, regardless of the speed.
Kodak also put out new guidelines and tested their own Portra 400 film with the new machines and saw issues with just a single go through the machine.
https://www.diyphotography.net/kodak-posts-advisory-on-how-to-travel-with-film-through-new-airport-ct-scanners/
CT Scanners use X-Rays, and a lot of them.
I used to carry a roll of Konica 3200 iso film in a ziplock bag of iso 100, 200, 400,… film. So when I asked for “hand inspection” at the airport they would say “thats only necessary for high speed film; don’t worry about it.” I would say, I have iso 3200 high speed; and then they would hand inspect it all.
Yeah I suppose this needs to be taught again. 400 ISO or more, you’re screwed.
Gary McMullen standard scanners don’t affect Iso 400. Only 800 or above.
Why unexposed? It’s the same with exposed. Maybe you meant undevelopped?
Because it’s Instax. Taking the shot and exposing immediately starts the developing process. Unless you’re taking photos while you’re standing in line waiting for the TSA, your exposed images will not be undeveloped. :)