Posted by Nick Lazazzera on December 28, 2006 at 10:37 AM
Hi,
It's been a year or so since I went through airport security. I'll be traveling next month. Is it safe for CF cards and digital cameras to go through today's security machinery? Do they use magnectic fields that could wipe CF cards? What effect do x-rays have on CF cards or on camera memory?
Thanks!
Posted by Jay Barnes on December 28, 2006 at 11:12 AM
I've not had any problems so far. My camera body (and as many small or fragile accessories as I can fit in the bag), memory cards, portable hard drive and laptop are always carry-ons for me. My last flight was in August.
If you are still worried you should check the TSA website and the website of the airline you'll be traveling with.
Posted by Guy Tal on December 28, 2006 at 12:01 PM
X-rays should have no effect on CF (it is magnetic storage, not light-sensitive). You should be fine.
Guy
Posted by Dan Borzynski on December 28, 2006 at 1:53 PM
Yes and no. Run the CF cards through the x-ray machines and they should be okay.
The wand they wave over you is a metal detector which does depend on magnetic fields. Some places I have read it will erase or corrupt the cards, other places no. No real reason to find out with a full card on the way home. Let it be x-rayed and you should be fine.
Posted by Nick Lazazzera on December 28, 2006 at 7:30 PM
One other small thing to think about - I've had confiscated, in the last year when I forgot about them, my swiss army knife in the backpack and a garden pruners I also carry to nip off irksome branches in the way.
Be sure to pack these things in your suitcase, and not keep them in the camera backpack you probably take thru security.
We traveled a lot over the holiday and became intimately familiar with security screening, as well as airlines. Never a hassle, but we packed carefully. General photo gear in packs we KNEW would fit in the overheads on each plane. Your reservations should indicate which specific plane will be used on each hop and the airlines will provide dimensions for carryons on each, whether on line or via phone. You are only likely to run into problems on smaller feeder or commuter lines.
All tools and cleaning supplies went into separate tool kits that we put in our checked baggage rather than our camera kits. The only things the security screeners asked about were the usual, plus video cameras, laptops and film faster than 800 ISO. I quized one about video cameras versus digital stills, and he rather cryptically said it wasn't a question of damage to the electronics.
Plan ahead and pack carefully, and you shouldn't have any hassles.
Discussion
7 repliesIt's been a year or so since I went through airport security. I'll be traveling next month. Is it safe for CF cards and digital cameras to go through today's security machinery? Do they use magnectic fields that could wipe CF cards? What effect do x-rays have on CF cards or on camera memory?
Thanks!
If you are still worried you should check the TSA website and the website of the airline you'll be traveling with.
Guy
The wand they wave over you is a metal detector which does depend on magnetic fields. Some places I have read it will erase or corrupt the cards, other places no. No real reason to find out with a full card on the way home. Let it be x-rayed and you should be fine.
Be sure to pack these things in your suitcase, and not keep them in the camera backpack you probably take thru security.
Have fun on your trip!
Sandy
All tools and cleaning supplies went into separate tool kits that we put in our checked baggage rather than our camera kits. The only things the security screeners asked about were the usual, plus video cameras, laptops and film faster than 800 ISO. I quized one about video cameras versus digital stills, and he rather cryptically said it wasn't a question of damage to the electronics.
Plan ahead and pack carefully, and you shouldn't have any hassles.
Really? I would hate to see someone's topiary while out shooting.
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