----- Original Message ----- From: Bill Owens Subject: Re: Carry-on inspection of film -- and an unfortunate incident
> > My photo lab has a sign up warning customers that they've experienced > > problems with APS film being fogged by X-ray security machines, but not > > other film types. I'll ask them for more info next time I'm there. > > > > Could it have something to do with the magnetic layer on APS films? > > Not likely. Could it be because APS uses a plastic cassette instead of > metal, like 35mm? If so, 120 film should also be fogged> This is the likely culprit. The steel film can is pretty X-Ray opaque, with damage coming in via the felt lips and the plastic spool. APS canisters are X-Ray transparent. They are barely visible light tight at best anyway. I would be very hesitant to trust the word of a security goon about the potential damage from any radiation exuding inspection device. They are not trained professionals, they are merely parroting the baboonery from their bureaucrat bosses, who generally take the best case scenario from the manufacturer of the equipment and call it the worst case scenario. Unfortunately with the present level of paranoia, the traveling photographer is best advised to buy his film and processing at the destination, whenever possible, no matter how it impacts the economies of the photographer and his home processing lab. There has never been a guarantee that inspection equipment will not damage film, the damage is cumulative, and is most likely to happen to film that has already been exposed. William Robb - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
