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essessem · Joined: 19 Feb 2003 Posts: 48 Location: California

I plan to travel to Europe and shoot some large-format pix next Spring. I'm mainly concerned with how to store and preserve latent negs until I can get back home to develop them. I wonder if xrays are now more or less of a factor, and if so which ASA b/w film I should use, is TriMax better than Tri-X, Kodak better than Ilford, etc.

I think my padded anvil case should work fine for transport, plan to shoot hand-held for the most part (at shutter speed just above lens length in MM, as I learned here), will use a Vivitar 283 & flash meter as needed. In case anybody's wondering.

Thx
Steve S.
SF

Nick · Joined: 16 Oct 2002 Posts: 494

My worry is the guy at the airport going to know what sheet film is? I was going to suggest putting the exposed film in an empty box but will they want to open it?

jdman · Joined: 13 May 2001 Posts: 302 Location: Midwest

Went to Alaska this summer with enough equipment to choke a horse, XL, (2) 220 rollbacks, Sheet film, (2) 35mm with several lens, vivitar flash, battery chargers, extra batteries. Carried it on and the only thing that was searched was me. Shoes, belt, patted down. They did not even give that equipment a 2nd look. Had most of the 35MM developed but the stuff I brought back undeveloped was o.k. Mostly 400 asa. I understand the scanners are stronger for checked baggage. Russ

Les · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 2682 Location: Detroit, MI

From what they tell me you can ask for them to do an explosives check on the film box (where they swab the outside and analize the results)

They also say that 100 speed film is okay if your going through less than 5 check ins.

I've also heard that you can request an appointment with them but I've never met anybody that actually did.

I took a couple of lenses with me in my brief case and they flagged those every time. Searched the case then had to do the shoe test too. At the very least get to the airport a couple of hours early and try your damndest to get a good nights sleep the night before.

Now all of what I said pertains only to the US. What the situation is in Europe is beyond me. When I went on vacation I shipped my film UPS to my destination. Again that was in the States.

I thought about going to England and having my stuff shipped ahead, but never could figure out how I would get around not having to pay duty on my stuff.

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"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

brimc76 · Joined: 08 Oct 2003 Posts: 10 Location: Ontario, Canada

Depending on where you are going to be, what about just getting the film processed at a lab there before you come back? There are professional labs in London and I'm sure if you were to ask on photonet or some other board, you could find an address for a lab on the mainland. Just a thought, if you are worried about getting exposed sheet film back home again. OTOH you may not have any problems at all.

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Brian Mc.