So i just had a discussion with my date tonight about film and the “visual artefacts” produced by x-rays. She claimed that passing your camera/s with film through an x-ray machine would “expose” the film to the x-rays, and thus make the image noisy. I however, feel that that the film is PRINCIPALLY sensitive to the visual portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and any background x-ray noise would be insignigicant. Thoughts?
Exposure to heavy amounts of X-Rays will damage the film. Higher speed films are susceptible to more damage than lower speeds. This is why the airport screeners will do a hand-search of bags with film in them, if you ask.
Here’s what the I3A has to say.
Some years ago in Chile I asked the same to the guy in charge of the X-ray machine on the luggage inspection line; I asked him if that could ruin the film on my camera, the answer was something to remember.
“Not at all, the radiation is just like a small sunbeam” :dubious:
In spite of that the film was OK when reveled.
As Friedo said, in most cases the x-ray machines have very little radiation and most films will be unaffected. Most of the standard films would be fine. I’d be a little worried about ISO 1000 maybe, but if it’s not really sensitive x-ray film, I wouldn’t worry that much. I also can’t vouch for one would happen with some of the fancier stuff like infrared film.
Film susceptible to moderate levels of x-rays would most likely have a warning on the packaging letting you know.
On hand searches:
Be careful. In some countries it’s not advisable. A friend of mine got a grumpy security guy who insisted that my friend put his film through the x-ray. To prove his point, he cracked open a canister and unrolled all the film exposing it all and said “this one looks okay… nope, no security probelms with this one. Next one?” so my friend put the rest through the x-ray machine.
Ale - sounds like that security guard was spitting out a stock answer that he is supposed to tell people who are afraid that the x-ray radiation will mutate their livers or something.