Film photography is back in fashion, partly thanks to social media. The temptation to pick up an old Olympus Mju II, or one our best film cameras , a roll of Kodak Gold 200 for your next holiday may be strong, but there are some things that you need to consider. Until it is fixed and developed, photographic film is sensitive to light, which is why we develop film in the dark.
However, it is also sensitive to waves that we can't see, the most obvious and potentially damaging being X-rays. When you travel globally, your luggage is likely to go through an X-ray machine at least twice, on the way out and the way back, so there are some things that you need to consider when traveling with film. If you are traveling with film, there are some basic things that you can do before you even reach the airport.
The first is your choice of film. The more sensitive the film and its ISO rating, the more potential an X-ray machine has to damage it. Shooting with ISO 100 or 200 film is a better choice than shooting with ISO 400 and higher.
The higher the ISO sensitivity, the more precautions that you will need to take when traveling, so get the lowest sensitivity film you feel comfortable shooting with. I would advise against loading your film in your camera before you leave. Instead, keep it in its box or at least in a plastic container.
Then, label your film in a clear sandwich bag, 'Unexposed Film.' You can buy specialist film storage bags lined with lead that will block X-rays, but on an a.
