Help! Traveling question!

[Riggaberto]

I dont consider myself a beginner but this is a very beginner question...

I'm taking my 5D to San Fransisco tomorrow, do I need to avoid any xray machines or anything? I've never traveled with good photo equipment before. I plan to carry my camera bag on, that just seems like common sense, but beyond that is it safe to be sent through the security line scanner like laptops?

Any other airport advice dealing with photography stuff is welcome. It's just digital, no film.

Please and thanks for the help!

 

[PNA]

I assumomg your 5D is digital....you should not have any problems at all. Film, after several scans, will be effected so your're OK to go....

Where are you headed?

 

[patrickt]

I've not had any problems with the machines but I do ask the TSA folks to let me remove my camera gear myself if it needs to come out. When it's time to go through security I usually hang my camera around my neck. Okay, I'm a little obsessive.

 

[Kawi_T]

I just flew to Florida from Chicago and had absolutely no problem bringing my digital gear.

 

[JerryPH]

No need to be scared about photo gear. I flew from Montreal to Chicago to Florida and back recently too. Nothing happened to my pictures or gear.

The xrays really do NOT harm your gear in any way.

Let the people do their job and feel confident that nothing will hurt it.

If you raise a stink, well, they just get suspicious, and give you a "deep" search with the rubber glove... lol.

 

[Socrates]

I dont consider myself a beginner but this is a very beginner question...

I'm taking my 5D to San Fransisco tomorrow, do I need to avoid any xray machines or anything? I've never traveled with good photo equipment before. I plan to carry my camera bag on, that just seems like common sense, but beyond that is it safe to be sent through the security line scanner like laptops?

Any other airport advice dealing with photography stuff is welcome. It's just digital, no film.

Please and thanks for the help!

X-Rays are not a problem but mechanical damage is. Get a special "travel container" for your photo gear. This should be a reasonably flat brief-case or something similar so that each and every item is individually visible on the x-rays. That will reduce the possibility of a fat-fingered screener taking your stuff apart.

 

[JerryPH]

I forgot to mention... they asked me to turn on my videocam to show that it worked, but they did not even look once at my D200 w/battery grip. They were specifically targetting videocams that day and not caring about any kind of cameras.

Laptops also have to be taken out of their bags.

 

[Big Mike]

Often, they take a swab off of my camera and do a quick check for any residual particles. Not a big deal.

 

[RyanLilly]

Usually electronics must be removed from the bag, but they don't usually require them to be powered on. I know a guy who , probably 20 years ago, brought an Oscilloscope as a carry on, It took several hours of demonstration of its use and questioning, because no one know what an Oscilloscope was! :lmao:

 

[ghpham]

I haven't experienced any problems going through security with my camera. They don't even bother opening up the camera bag.