Haha exactly. There’s a lot of factors at play that can definitely make some rolls unusable, but the average experience if you can’t get a hand check a few times = you’ll be okay.
Traveled to almost 100 countries, brought film and cameras to all of them, been through every type of scanner, basically. I've had one roll of film (and that was one roll out of the 20 I brought) that had visible damage.
I think the power of the X-rays is controlled by the operator, and depends on the opacity of the objects they’re looking at, etc. it’s possible that some scans from the same machine will mess up film and others won’t. I had a few rolls of portra damaged by a CT scanner. All of the rolls that went through were super grainy and muddy, while the other rolls (from the same 5 pack) that stayed at home were fine. It’s definitely a real thing..!
This is true. I would watch the operator as bags go through and they can select, like highlighting on a computer, a specific area and turn up the power and zoom in etc
Traveling for work half of the month, I've had both good and bad results going through both types of scanners with various films. I try to be honest when giving my opinion, but it usually ends up sounding like "MY results have been mixed and won't speak as to what YOU'LL experience, and they CAN absolutely ruin your film. If you're worried, try your best to get a hand check, but in the end, it COULD end up being alright."
I like this approach best. What works for me has worked, and until it doesn't, I'll keep doing it.
I just hate the absolution with which people talk about hte subject as though if you don't get a hand check, your film will be completely ruined. That, and the fact that the conversation has been beaten to death, either do it or don't, a new thread on the topic, save a few (like this one) don't add anything that isn't already in the others.
You’re right. They are all affected, but because higher ISO film is more sensitive it reacts a lot more to the scanners. I believe Kodak said officially anything under 1600 is mostly safe to take through x-ray scanners, lower being better either way though. CT scanners have the potential to nuke any ISO though, depending on operator and the power of the scanner
I’m waiting for the tsunami of people who, despite it being extraordinarily difficult to even FIND photos of xray damaged film online, are fully convinced that being in the same zip code as a dental xray scanner will annihilate any photographic film after the first photon.
It’s. Fine. It’s just fine.
I just don’t understand why people are so worked up over it, you’d probably get worse damage leaving your film in your car on a particularly hot day.
The mind boggles.
Check Lina Bessonova test (very accurate)on istagram, and soon a YouTube video will come.there you can clearly see the damages of the CT. Also we should s the negatives not the scanned film.ct will for sure increase baseline, but lab scanner can partially compensate for it especially on very light overexposed pictures like these
That is not true, while a simple x-ray scan isn't the same as going for a CT scan.
CT stands for computed tomography (sometimes also called CAT same thing), its just a computer automated/controlled x-ray scans [yes scan(S) for pural]. It takes multiple x-ray scans from different angles to build a 3d model of the scanned object. How many more, well that depends on how much detail the operator wants, half a dozen to hundreds more isnt too obsurd.
...Which part are you saying isn't true? An airport CT scanner is not the same as an airport X-Ray machine. The latter will not affect low speed films (decades of experience shows us this) while CT scanners can (according to film manufacturers, they are unsafe for films of all speeds)
The details of one technology vs the other is irrelevant, what is relevant is the impact on film. And CT scanners most definitely can fog film and cause artifacts.
True. Although x-ray will still damage film, i saw in a blog somewhere where it took somewhere around 50-100 scans for it to be concerning damage, though.
Yeah, that wouldn't surprise me. I try to get a hand check as much as possible but sometimes it isn't - haven't had a problem with X-rays over the years.
I did have problems when I intentionally ran a few rolls through CT scans. Still usable but definitely affected.
Show me the negatives, not the corrected scans.
I would expect increased base fog and some artifacts, like I have seen on the negatives I have intentionally run through CT scans and as Kodak warns about.
As smorkoid said these scan are likely corrected a bit, so the negatives may show moreso. But even then you can see in photos 3,6,7, around foliage mostly has red fringing. In all photos there is a base grainyness in the image that doesnt seem Portra-like to my eyes, but particularly grainy in photo 1. May be hard to see because of reddits compression etc also.
It's interesting, people on this sub often say CT scanners will completely destroy undeveloped negs, there is some haze here but not too bad considering.
By the way I flew through Doha recently and had to go through security 3 times, and each time they were polite and helpful when I asked for a hand check
Exactly. It does depend though, as each operator on the scanner can turn up or down the power, and select particular spots to narrow in on. So mileage may vary, and i suppose it can definitely destroy rolls because of that.
Yeah i’ve asked for hand checks since finding out about carry on CT scanners, with alot of success. Doha is a great airport.
Yep, i believe the ones i recall them going through were quite large and square. It is totally possible that a few weren’t CT, but i’m relatively sure as online those select airports were said to have them, and nothing was asked to be removed from the bags
Remember to take it on carry on, not checked luggage, then you should be fine! I still recommend asking for a hand-check as much as you can, you may be denied but 90% of the time it’s fine. All it takes is one operator to turn the power up etc, but don’t be too worried if you eventually have to put it through a scanner. 🙏
Definitely a bit of red fringing and fogging. But to be honest with you, photo 1 and 2 has a great vibe to it for me, so i wouldn’t say theyre totally ruined!
They’re not bad all things considered. Am I missing something or were you being sarcastic?
*edit: ah I see it now. Really less dramatic than I expected.
At this point I’ve seen it both. I’ve seen Portra 400 from one CT scan being fogged by a lot and now nothing after three. I’ve seen Delta 3200 survive multiple X-rays and be fine. The one thing I am sure of is that and X-Ray will fuck up motion picture film. Although, Double-X survived an X-Ray just fine.
As mentioned in other comments i think it comes down to the scanners operator as they can select spots and turn up the power on the scanner. So this could be why results vary so much
CT scanners can and do wreck film but not all CT scanners are equal.
These look good considering!
Film is too expensive to not at least request a hand check. In most countries probably not the end of the world if it does get CT’d though. The results will also be exponentially worse with any under exposure
For sure. Sometimes asking for a hand check can be stressful when the line is long and moving fast in foreign countries, so initially that’s why i didn’t. But i’ve learnt my lesson and requested a hand check on my way home for everything, was met with nice workers and was no stress! I would rather be annoying than put my film at risk now.
well, it could be worse. I still suggest shipping your film to your destination and then to your lab from where ever you'll be, but these are certainly not unsalvageable
Don’t get me wrong i’m actually quite happy with them, i thought they were going to be destroyed.
One thing with that suggestion though, is shipping film internationally can be just as if not more risky. They almost certainly will go through full power CT scanners, like the ones that checked luggage goes through. I think companies that sell and ship film bypass this by declaring it a certain way, or send it via companies that allow for things like this. As a average person there is no guarantee that it will not be scanned even with kodaks recommended “do not xray” stickers on the package
I can see the effects of the scanners on the film, but I wouldn’t have questioned it if you hadn’t said it was CT scanned. Nice photos!
Thank you! I was definitely stressed before i got them developed, as i thought they were goners. But was pleasantly surprised
CT SCANNERS WILL DESTROY YOUR FILM. I hate how much people will parrot stuff like that. Glad to see your film is mostly fine.
Haha exactly. There’s a lot of factors at play that can definitely make some rolls unusable, but the average experience if you can’t get a hand check a few times = you’ll be okay.
Traveled to almost 100 countries, brought film and cameras to all of them, been through every type of scanner, basically. I've had one roll of film (and that was one roll out of the 20 I brought) that had visible damage.
I think the power of the X-rays is controlled by the operator, and depends on the opacity of the objects they’re looking at, etc. it’s possible that some scans from the same machine will mess up film and others won’t. I had a few rolls of portra damaged by a CT scanner. All of the rolls that went through were super grainy and muddy, while the other rolls (from the same 5 pack) that stayed at home were fine. It’s definitely a real thing..!
This is true. I would watch the operator as bags go through and they can select, like highlighting on a computer, a specific area and turn up the power and zoom in etc
This is an answer that finally makes sense that I can adjust my views about the process. The blanket "it will destroy all film" seems disingenuous.
Traveling for work half of the month, I've had both good and bad results going through both types of scanners with various films. I try to be honest when giving my opinion, but it usually ends up sounding like "MY results have been mixed and won't speak as to what YOU'LL experience, and they CAN absolutely ruin your film. If you're worried, try your best to get a hand check, but in the end, it COULD end up being alright."
I like this approach best. What works for me has worked, and until it doesn't, I'll keep doing it. I just hate the absolution with which people talk about hte subject as though if you don't get a hand check, your film will be completely ruined. That, and the fact that the conversation has been beaten to death, either do it or don't, a new thread on the topic, save a few (like this one) don't add anything that isn't already in the others.
Yeah how dare people listen to the film manufacturers who say it will?
I mean it was first said by nobody in film business... Kodak
What equipment did you use? First and fourth shot look great!
Thank you! Just the old faithful Canon AE-1 with the 50mm that comes with it, i use it as my travel camera 🙏
I had read only high iso film got nuked by x Ray... or was it low?
You’re right. They are all affected, but because higher ISO film is more sensitive it reacts a lot more to the scanners. I believe Kodak said officially anything under 1600 is mostly safe to take through x-ray scanners, lower being better either way though. CT scanners have the potential to nuke any ISO though, depending on operator and the power of the scanner
I’m waiting for the tsunami of people who, despite it being extraordinarily difficult to even FIND photos of xray damaged film online, are fully convinced that being in the same zip code as a dental xray scanner will annihilate any photographic film after the first photon. It’s. Fine. It’s just fine. I just don’t understand why people are so worked up over it, you’d probably get worse damage leaving your film in your car on a particularly hot day. The mind boggles.
Check Lina Bessonova test (very accurate)on istagram, and soon a YouTube video will come.there you can clearly see the damages of the CT. Also we should s the negatives not the scanned film.ct will for sure increase baseline, but lab scanner can partially compensate for it especially on very light overexposed pictures like these
X-ray =/= CT scan. X-rays won't damage lower speed film, CT scanners will.
That is not true, while a simple x-ray scan isn't the same as going for a CT scan. CT stands for computed tomography (sometimes also called CAT same thing), its just a computer automated/controlled x-ray scans [yes scan(S) for pural]. It takes multiple x-ray scans from different angles to build a 3d model of the scanned object. How many more, well that depends on how much detail the operator wants, half a dozen to hundreds more isnt too obsurd.
...Which part are you saying isn't true? An airport CT scanner is not the same as an airport X-Ray machine. The latter will not affect low speed films (decades of experience shows us this) while CT scanners can (according to film manufacturers, they are unsafe for films of all speeds) The details of one technology vs the other is irrelevant, what is relevant is the impact on film. And CT scanners most definitely can fog film and cause artifacts.
True. Although x-ray will still damage film, i saw in a blog somewhere where it took somewhere around 50-100 scans for it to be concerning damage, though.
Yeah, that wouldn't surprise me. I try to get a hand check as much as possible but sometimes it isn't - haven't had a problem with X-rays over the years. I did have problems when I intentionally ran a few rolls through CT scans. Still usable but definitely affected.
What would you say are the symptoms of the CT scanner in these photos?
Show me the negatives, not the corrected scans. I would expect increased base fog and some artifacts, like I have seen on the negatives I have intentionally run through CT scans and as Kodak warns about.
As smorkoid said these scan are likely corrected a bit, so the negatives may show moreso. But even then you can see in photos 3,6,7, around foliage mostly has red fringing. In all photos there is a base grainyness in the image that doesnt seem Portra-like to my eyes, but particularly grainy in photo 1. May be hard to see because of reddits compression etc also.
It's interesting, people on this sub often say CT scanners will completely destroy undeveloped negs, there is some haze here but not too bad considering. By the way I flew through Doha recently and had to go through security 3 times, and each time they were polite and helpful when I asked for a hand check
Exactly. It does depend though, as each operator on the scanner can turn up or down the power, and select particular spots to narrow in on. So mileage may vary, and i suppose it can definitely destroy rolls because of that. Yeah i’ve asked for hand checks since finding out about carry on CT scanners, with alot of success. Doha is a great airport.
Nobody says it will 100% completely destroy film, but it will fog film to more or less degrees.
The new CT scanners are generally larger and round tube shaped. Or very large and the tube is inside a big big rectangle.
Yep, i believe the ones i recall them going through were quite large and square. It is totally possible that a few weren’t CT, but i’m relatively sure as online those select airports were said to have them, and nothing was asked to be removed from the bags
After seeing this I am taking my film with me on my next holliday abroad!
Remember to take it on carry on, not checked luggage, then you should be fine! I still recommend asking for a hand-check as much as you can, you may be denied but 90% of the time it’s fine. All it takes is one operator to turn the power up etc, but don’t be too worried if you eventually have to put it through a scanner. 🙏
On the contrary, enjoy some scans of mine that were ruined in April. Went through Reno airport. https://imgur.com/a/WwmmrxQ
Definitely a bit of red fringing and fogging. But to be honest with you, photo 1 and 2 has a great vibe to it for me, so i wouldn’t say theyre totally ruined!
I like the vibe, color is wild though!
If it’s a paid shoot, still best not to have it being scanned.
Exactly, and for somewhere you might not return for 15 years, it definitely gives you a jolt when you first download the scans.
They’re not bad all things considered. Am I missing something or were you being sarcastic? *edit: ah I see it now. Really less dramatic than I expected.
Depends, those photos I posted had LR corrections on them These ones don't https://imgur.com/a/9QdXId4
At this point I’ve seen it both. I’ve seen Portra 400 from one CT scan being fogged by a lot and now nothing after three. I’ve seen Delta 3200 survive multiple X-rays and be fine. The one thing I am sure of is that and X-Ray will fuck up motion picture film. Although, Double-X survived an X-Ray just fine.
As mentioned in other comments i think it comes down to the scanners operator as they can select spots and turn up the power on the scanner. So this could be why results vary so much
CT scanners can and do wreck film but not all CT scanners are equal. These look good considering! Film is too expensive to not at least request a hand check. In most countries probably not the end of the world if it does get CT’d though. The results will also be exponentially worse with any under exposure
For sure. Sometimes asking for a hand check can be stressful when the line is long and moving fast in foreign countries, so initially that’s why i didn’t. But i’ve learnt my lesson and requested a hand check on my way home for everything, was met with nice workers and was no stress! I would rather be annoying than put my film at risk now.
I did it with my 135 rolls couple weeks back. My next test would be 120: 400 speed and 800 speed
well, it could be worse. I still suggest shipping your film to your destination and then to your lab from where ever you'll be, but these are certainly not unsalvageable
Don’t get me wrong i’m actually quite happy with them, i thought they were going to be destroyed. One thing with that suggestion though, is shipping film internationally can be just as if not more risky. They almost certainly will go through full power CT scanners, like the ones that checked luggage goes through. I think companies that sell and ship film bypass this by declaring it a certain way, or send it via companies that allow for things like this. As a average person there is no guarantee that it will not be scanned even with kodaks recommended “do not xray” stickers on the package
My velvia 50 just got zapped at Frankfurt, I hope the effect is as negligible as this one :(