Anything digital will be fine. Certain films (high ISO, IR, stuff like that - highly sensitive) will have issues (and you should ask for a hand inspection if that's the case). If you want the bag hand inspected (and don't really have any justification for it) buy a roll of film and write on it with a sharpie "push to 1600". 1600 is the magic number, from what I understand. 1600 or higher gets hand inspected. Anything lower than that is (supposedly) OK to x-ray.
I don't think you'll be traveling with film though, so you shouldn't have any issues.
As far as checked baggage getting lost/stolen - buy a cheap gun (a starter pistol or flare gun will even work, from what I hear) and pack that. Obviously, tell the lady at the front desk that you have a gun in your checked baggage (and make sure that it is packed properly), do the paper-work you'll have to do, get the special tag that goes on the bag, then get on the plane.
No airline wants it all over the news that they lost a gun. So, they pay extra special attention to those bags. And - I believe that it is actually illegal for anybody to open the bag - so there's no chance of airline bag throwers taking a peek.
