Reply to Do airport x-rays harm film??

Most airport X-ray equipment will not significantly affect film - when working correctly - as reported BUT!!! one model, the InVision CTX5000 CAN all but melt your film. This is used to examine checked baggage at a number of larger airports around the world. It operates in two modes. A normal scan will not affect film, but if during the normal scan a suspicious object is detected, a special high intensity scan is used. It operates much like a medical Computerized Tomography (CT) scan, and can very definitely do in your film. Use of a lead bag to protect the film will greatly increase the risk of the high intensity scan being used, as it may block the normal scan, and be interpreted as a suspicious object. You are probably better off carrying the film with you unless you have very large amounts, in which case you will need to request special handling by the airline before checking baggage or going through the gates. If you can get properly cared for film in India, or once exposed get it reliably processed there, you can avoid the problem. To make matters more interesting, the FAA has apparently just approved a new model machine called the CTX5500. I don't know the differences, or where it will be installed, but I doubt that is benign where film is concerned. Richard Newman

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