Can TSA's X-Ray Scanners Damage Camera Film?

Taking photographs with film stock is an experience like no other. When everything comes together in a shot, it's hard to explain the effect that natural lighting, colors, and grain have on film, but it's unquestionably breathtaking.

Unfortunately, unprocessed film is known to be extremely sensitive, with many unplanned chemical reactions caused by everything from heat and humidity to radiation. The latter poses a particularly strong issue for travelers intending to board planes with unprocessed film. As it turns out, the CT scanners and older X-ray machines the TSA uses at its security checkpoints can cause a condition known as film fog, the bane of every photographer's existence. 

Film fog can negatively impact the color, contrast, and overall sharpness of your final pictures, so it pays to know as much as you can about the photo ailment before it ruins your precious memories. Here's everything you need to know about this potential danger, as well as some preventive measures you can take to safeguard your film for your next flight.

X-ray machines are extremely powerful, and while we may not think twice about getting a body scan at the doctor's office, humans don't have to worry about film fog. But now many airports throughout the nation feature computed tomography (CT) scanners, which deliver even more levels of radiation than a traditional X-ray scanner.

Heat, humidity, age, and even too much ambient lighting can all generate film fog. When not boarding a plane, there are plenty of ways to protect unprocessed film from these usual suspects, but not so much when it comes to CT scanners and X-rays. This is because the radiation produced by the X-ray scanners actually damages the gelatin emulsion layer of film, where thousands of silver halide crystals live.

These tiny particles are very sensitive to light, and your camera shutter is designed to throw just the right amount of illumination at a piece of film. This causes a chemical reaction in the emulsion that creates the stagnant, final image.

If you're not a frequent traveler, exposing your film stock to the TSA's scanners once or twice may not be such a big deal. But if your film ends up going through several scans, it may end up damaged.

Do you have a trip coming up that you were hoping to shoot on film? While there's not much you can do to lessen the blow of an X-ray machine that has it out for your rolls of film, TSA scanners are nothing compared to the extra-powerful X-ray machines that are used to scan checked bags. 

Simply placing your film in a checked bag isn't a great option, but there are ways to guarantee the safety of your unprocessed film. For starters, you can always request a hand inspection from a TSA agent, forgoing the CT scanners altogether. Still, chances are 50/50 if the TSA agrees to a hand inspection, so it's best to take extra packing precautions, too.

It's well-established that higher ISO thresholds (ISO 800 or higher) are more reactive to X-rays, so if you're able to bring lower ISO-rated film on your next trip, we highly recommend doing so.