Flying to FL in the morning and debating about lens

[MohaimenK]

Don't know if I wanna take the 70-200
Anyone had problem with TSA before? Just scared they'll bang it or something.

 

[Polyphony]

Take it in your carry-on.

 

[ababysean]

take it in your carry on, it might not make it to your destination. I brought my camera bag as my carry on.
Where the heck in flordia are you going!
If it is near me, you better stop by the studio!

 

[Derrel]

Put it in your carry-on bag if you can.

 

[KmH]

Tuesday, I flew back from Reno, Nevada (Burning Man).

I carried on a Case Logic camera backpack that had in it:

• a gripped Nikon D300
• 4 lenses (3 f/2.8 zooms including a 80-200 f/2.8, 1 - 50mm f/1.8 prime)
• 2 speedlights w/radio triggers
• a 15" laptop, spare battery, charger, 2 - 8 GB Cruzer Flash drives
• 12 spare NiMH AA batteries
• 2 En-EL3e batteries
• lens/camera cleaning supplies
• blower brush
• a couple of CPL filters (72 mm and 77mm), 16 GB of CF memory
• and in a padded bag a Giottos full size tripod with Manfotto 3-way pan-tilt head strapped to the outside of the backpack.

No problems with TSA. They never touched the bag, just x-rayed it and stared at the x-ray image for a bit.

 

[MohaimenK]

Thanks guys! Yeah I mean I'm gonna have it w/ me the whole time, it's a camera bagpack that I use (looks like a school bag). I just never did it before so I don't now how their inspections were. I'm also going to take extra batteries and read I have to put tapes over them.

 

[ababysean]

I flew over the summer and it was so weird they made me take out my laptop and my cell phone but did not touch my camera bag at all, just x-rayed it.

 

[MohaimenK]

Interesting, just read about the tripod, I didn't think of taking it w/ me but I might now, in case I want to take long exposure night shots

 

[molested_cow]

Never had problem with camera through the customs/TSA. The only time that was a bit weird was in Osaka where the custom lady asked me to remove the lens and she looked through it.

I've carried my gears in both carry on and checked baggage.

For checked baggage, I always put the whole thing(bag) in a larger hard suit case. I also made sure that the camera bag is stuffed with my socks or small clothings to pack everything tight, so the lens won't be bouncing in the void.

Oh oh, one more thing. I was in Singapore a month ago and I had about 20 rolls of films. The custom lady looked at it and was like.... "Do you have wheels in the bag?" I had no idea what she was talking about so I just told her to go ahead and open the luggage. Then she took out the canisters and still couldn't recognize what they are. I had to tell her that they are "films", and she repeated it with a confused look.