Is It Safe To Put Your Camera And Film Through TSA X-Ray Machines?

A trip to the airport is both exciting and nerve-racking for most travelers. Dreams of sandy beaches and bustling metropolises are often perforated with visions of missed flights, lost luggage, and the dreaded airport bar tab. One particular stress point is the security baggage line, where horror stories of odd TSA confiscations, discarded hygiene products, and damaged luggage are as common as the water bottles mounting in TSA's waste bins. 

For most travelers, getting through TSA is a combination of stress management and instruction obedience — you're just hoping to get to the other side without unpacking your entire luggage or forgetting your laptop in the X-ray bin. But what if we told you that there's more to this process than knowing what electronics you can take in your carry-on? And that one particular mistake could cost you all your beautiful vacation pictures before your trip has even begun? Sounds dramatic, but this is the risk you run whenever you bring your camera and its film onto a flight.

The primary concern for travelers toting film cameras is film fog. And no, we aren't talking about the smoke machines and dry ice used in the latest horror flick. Film fog is the effect that occurs when radiation from an X-ray machine deteriorates the quality of a film, causing colorful streaks or blurring to appear across the pictures. The reason film fog occurs goes back to the same chemical reactions that make film photography possible in the first place.

The film captures an image because it is coated with a gelatin emulsion littered with silver halide crystals — microscopic compounds formed by chemically combining silver with halogens like bromine, iodine, or chlorine. Halides are extremely sensitive to light, so when your camera shutter opens and allows light to hit the film, it sparks a chemical reaction that produces the latent image. Color photography has three layers of emulsion, each with a light-sensitive dye that only captures a particular color. Although silver halides are the reason film photography is possible, they are also extremely sensitive to other forms of radiation, meaning they can be easily damaged by X-rays or UV rays. Hence the infamous fogging effect, in which an X-ray may ruin the quality of the film.

So how likely is your film to experience fogging when going through TSA? It depends on the situation. For the most part, the X-ray machines employed by TSA don't produce enough radiation to damage your film camera with a single exposure. However, this damage is cumulative, so your film may be distorted if you go through several airports. Unfortunately, storing your film in your checked luggage isn't an adequate solution — the X-ray machines used on checked bags are much more powerful.

Recent developments in airport security technology have further complicated things for film buffs looking to hop aboard their next flight. In particular, the proliferation of Computer Tomography (CT) scanners makes it far more likely that your film will be damaged on your way to the boarding line. Employing the same technology as medical CT equipment, the scanner creates an image of your luggage by rotating the X-ray mechanism around the bag. Unfortunately, this drastically increases the radiation exposure to your film. According to Kodak, CT scanners will damage all unprocessed film. 

Another factor to consider is the type of film in your camera. A NASA study found that the degree of film fog produced by radiation waves differs depending on the film type. For instance, positive and low-speed films (below ISO 800) were far more resistant to radiation than their negative and high-speed counterparts.

So, what is the solution for photographers looking to document their next adventure? It's a relatively simple one: Pack your undeveloped film in a carry-on and ask for a hand inspection. While this is inconvenient for both you and the TSA agent, it will save you a massive headache down the line when you arrive home and take your photos to be processed. Taking this extra step becomes increasingly important in light of the increased use of CT technology in airports. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that your request will be honored by the agent on duty. To make it easier on the agent and yourself, store the film in clear plastic bags. 

But what if you want to bring a digital camera on your travels? For the most part, modern digital cameras are built sturdy enough to withstand the radiation from CT and X-ray scanners. However, radiation may damage your camera's sensor, especially if you're rocking an older DSLR model. Lenses have also been known to incur damage from bouts of intense radiation, but such issues are rare. Ultimately, your digital camera is much more likely to be damaged due to improper packing and rough handling than radiation.