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I never fly with iso 400 film

7 min readMar 31, 2025

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Chickens, 28 mm (f1.4, 1/30 sec, Delta 100, image by author)

Unexposed Iso 400 film is safe to go through conventional X-rays, like at SFO; however, more and more airports are switching from X-ray machines to CT scanners. If not in place already, these will be in every airport worldwide shortly. If not at your home airport, the odds are you will be connecting through a hub that has them.

How these new airport CT scanners affect traditional film is a hot topic on Reddit and YouTube. There is no consensus at the time of writing. There is also no consensus on how to check films among airport personnel in different countries. What are we, the film-carrying public, to do?

You can mail/ FedEx film home and to any hotel once you verify how the carrier handles film. The US Postal Service is exemplary and reliable since that is how I send my film for development across the continent and order new films from around the world. If the lab processing also scans the film, you should be fine. If you are traveling in Europe, check out the sources at end. The old countries appreciate and support old arts and crafts like film photography. Those who can afford the time, inconvenience, and cost to post their rolls (exposed or unexposed) before heading to the airport do not have to read further.

Those who ride a…

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Full Frame
Full Frame

Published in Full Frame

The home of enthusiastic supporters of Fine Art Photography. We respect its history, admire its present form, and look forward to its future.

Dirk Dittmer
Dirk Dittmer

Written by Dirk Dittmer

I am a traveling geek. Graduated from Princeton and now a Professor at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. I love photography, cats, and R.

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