Disposable Waterproof Camera + Xray machines

[misgnomer]

Will a disposable waterproof camera be ruined if it goes through the Xray machines? What if it goes in checked luggage?

 

Thanks :)

[cruisinbuddy]

Put them in your carry on and there'll be absolutely no problem. Put them in your checked baggage and you stand to lose your pics. There are signs at the airport stating this. I've never had a problem.

[CPT Trips]

Many waterproofs are 400 or 800 speed. Checked luggage will get it zapped for certain. I have had several cameras really fogged by the combination of multiple xrays it will be subjected to with air travel and ship boardings. I won't spend the money again until the ship allows a hand inspection of the camera rather than requiring it to be xrayed.

[bluesea777]

I use 400 ASA films all the time and have never had any problems having them in my carry on bag. I have a little zipped soft case to hold all my films when I travel - new and used films. I just put the case in my carry-on.

[Cruisin'Kim]

We put disposable waterproof cameras in our carry-ons all the time without any problem.

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Kim.

[pms4104]

It might be a good idea to request hand inspection at the airport, as multiple passes thru those machines will cause fogging regardless of the ASA rating. TSA used to insist to me that my low-speed film would be okay, but I always requested and got hand inspection because of the multiple-pass issue. DO NOT put in your checked luggage, as that dosage will fry your film for sure.

[ab0si]

As Camp said .... try to get it hand inspected.

 

The fact that the camera is disposable is not important.. nor the fact that it is designed for underwater use. The facts are:

 

1) Any unprocessed film is sensitive to X-rays .. from a machine, from what filters through the upper atmosphere when flying at 35,000 feet, from Superman's X-Ray vision (hmm, can one sue Clark Kent for this?).

 

2) The effect is cumulative.

 

3) The faster the film (the higher the ASA number) the less radiation -- visible light, X-rays etc is required to impose an image .. whether this is an image you want or whether it is streaking from X-Rays.

 

4) None of this means that a single or two exposures to the security line x-ray machines is going make the film unusable. There are all sorts of variables (length of exposure, settings of the machine, focus of the machine, how close to the source the film sits, what the X-rays ned to penetrate to reach the film, temperature, the exact emulsion, later exposure and processing, how old the film is, etc.

 

the bottom line is simply: minimize exposure. The less, the better the chance of minimal problems.

 

Paul

[misgnomer]

Thank you so much for the replies! Really appreciate your help.

 

thanks,

Naomi