My latest experience of going through airports with my film has made me decide to take ISO800 and above film with me now. Let me explain.

At Edinburgh airport I was informed that all film below 800 ISO had to go through the scanner, and that the scanner was safe for any ISO below that number. I know for a fact that film is not safe below even 400 for regular old fashioned scanners, and for the new CT scanners (which are rapidly being rolled out everywhere) even one single pass is detrimental to the films.

At Paris Charles de Gaulle, they have introduced CT scanners. I managed to get the film hand checked. But it’s not going to work all the time by asking. In Buenos Aires they told me the scanner was film safe (it degrades the film) and I was forced to put it through.

So I think the best plan is to turn up with films that are above 800 ISO and tell them you have very high speed film and need a hand search. I think that might just work.

If you can, buy the film locally at your destination and perhaps see if you can find somewhere to process it for you and post to to your home address.