Topic: Travel with Fuji Instax Mini film

[MJL]

The Fuji Mini Instax camera is an excellent way to "break the ice" with stragners, so I plan to bring my Mini 90 on a train trip across Russia.  However, the Instax Mini film is rated at ISO 800.  I am wondering whether it will be affect by the repeated security scanning at airports & train stations.  Can any Instax Filmwaster here give me a pointer? 

[Late Developer]

I'm sure someone here will have the full, technical explanation but my guess is that once the film has gone through the development and fixer, it should be perfectly safe unless it goes through X-Ray scans repeatedly.  Leaving it in direct sunlight will probably have a greater / worse effect on bleaching out colour / detail.

[ManuelL]

During longer flights the radiation exposure at high altitude is normally higher than the radiation of the security scanner. I have never seen any effect on the film I have taken for travelling.

[Jack Johnson]

I always like to refer to this article:

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib5201.shtml

The patterns on the strip scans at the end are really interesting:



Though I'm uncertain about any fogging that might have happened with my film, I almost chronically have them hand-check my film. The flipside is that I usually have a roll in the camera that gets X-rayed at least once.

[calbisu]

I was told once by airport staff manipulating the x-ray machine that it only affected film with ISO 3200 or higher. I have never had any problems with my polaroids, even with fuji fp3000b. I think fuji instax film is rated at 800 ISO.

[Francois]

Yes, Instax is an 800 ISO film.

[MJL]

Thanks for all the informative replies.  It seems both Kodak & Fujifilm warn that any unprocessed film over ISO 100 should not be scanned.  On the other hand, all the experience users said they have no problem with unprocessed film up to ISO 1600.  I also heard that Impossible film (ISO 600?) users have no problem with the usual airport scan.

I gather there are limited Fujifilm Instax film supply in Siberia, so I think I better bring along a few boxes.  Hope the film will survive all the airport scan before the train trip started.

[calbisu]

I would not worry about it, I have literally moved polaroids across 4 continents and they came out nicely. Just enjoy the trip  (and cross your fingers  )

[rattymouse]

Thanks for all the informative replies.  It seems both Kodak & Fujifilm warn that any unprocessed film over ISO 100 should not be scanned.

This is absolutely incorrect.   Directly from Kodak's publication: "X-ray equipment used to inspect carry-on baggage uses a very low level of x-radiation that will not cause noticeable damage to most films."

Kodak says that film should not be scanned by machines scanning CHECKED bags.  That is a HUGE difference.

It is absolutely safe to carry film onto planes and let it be scanned.  I have had films as high as ISO1000 scanned TEN times with no noticeable effect.  At all. 

To the OP:  My kids travel with their INSTAX cameras all the time and this film is unaffected by carry on X Ray scanners.  Travel with this film and be at ease.