Digital Cameras and airport x-rays

[MolsonBoy]

My friend recently purchased a digital camera. He was told to keep the camera away from electroinic devices such as TV and microwave ovens. The question about airport x-ray machine came up in our conversation. Since I don't own a digital camera yet could is there any precautions he should take when he travels by air?

[Ian_H]

My Digital camera and microdrives and compact flash have been through airport x-ray machines many times and have had no ill effects.

[MolsonBoy]

Thanks, I will passs that info on.

[Crash Test]

It funny, I remember a story about a massive National Geographic expodition once upon a time, and coming back into the home country through customs, the customs xray machine buggered up all of their undeveloped film... old wives tale, or did this really happen?

[KC]

X-ray machines set to very high levels can fog film with their radiation, but most are not supposed to be operated at that high a level without long range health affects for the operators. The film I brought back from holiday in England went through twice with no ill effects. I did however hand carry it in a large ziploc bag. I would never check my camera bag and would probably keep my memory cards in my pocket to be set aside with my keys and other pocket debris on the walk through inspection.

[blackfalcon]

I fly quite a lot to meetings in the UK and my digital camera has suffered no ill effects from being x rayed. I always carry it onto the plane and leave everything in the bag while it goes through the machine. It's a pain when i set off the beeper (a lot) myself because it's hard to keep an eye on the camera and computer bags whle being searched and being sent back through the metal detector several times.

[Woolley]

No problems with mine either, although I tend to take the card out and carry it seperately in a jewellery box in the bag.

Undeveloped film (I think) is more prone to effect than developed. I have heard the NG story before, but the way I heard it, the cameraman was being extra cautious and put the film in a packet with a thin lead lining to protect it. Since the x-ray machine couldn't see through it properly, the security man turned it up to maximum...