How do you get disposable cameras thru security?

[bizeemom4]

I always have my 35mm film hand checked so that it isn't put thru any xray machines. What about those little cheapie disposable cameras? I gave the kids some to take with us. Can they get hand checked as well?

 

[bdcp]

I don't know why not, it's just film inside a cardboard box really. I'd keep it out and tell them at the security checkpoint.

 

[hezreck]

We took disposable cameras through the carry-on check with us. They were in our carry-on bags and had no problems with them. Developed just fine. Just don't put film in your checked luggage, that will ruin them.

 

[eeyore0062]

There are no xray scanners in the parks. Bags are looked through by security guards before you enter the park, so no worries about your cameras or film!

 

[monarchsfan16]

Just put them through the x-ray. I traveled to St Louis in November from NH. My disposable camera went through an x-ray at the Manchester airport, the Gateway Arch, and the St Louis airport. The film developed crystal clear. I know at the Manchester airport they will NOT handcheck film or cameras under 800 speed. The x-ray for carryon luggage will not harm film under that speed. Over 800 speed (which is professional film, and not the kind in a disposable camera, or the kind you buy at Wal Mart) will be harmed. Just don't put any film or cameras in your checked luggage. Go ahead and send it all through the security. It'll save you time and there won't be a problem.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I have to disagree about 800 speed film not being the kind you find in disposable cameras and at discount stores!

I had a TERRIBLE time finding disposable cameras loaded with anything OTHER than 800! Kodak, Fuji, they are all 800 speed. The cameras at Sam's and at Target are almost ALL 800 speed. Even the plastic SpongeBob print camera I saw had 800 speed film in it. The two disposables my son got for Christmas from friends (intended for him to use on the trip) are 800. We are leaving those at home because I don't want to deal with it!

I have 5 disposable loaded with 400, and 7 rolls of 400 film for the camera. I love disposable cameras, but you really have to be careful about what film they are loaded with.

 

[bdcp]

Something else I've read is don't put film in a lead lined case thinking you'll protect it because they'll just increase the intensity to try to see in it when it goes through xray and that will damage your film. Apparently 800 speed film gets very cloudy when developed if exposed to xrays, but I've seen plenty of 400 speed disposable cameras in stores here.

 

[eeyore0062]

I have to disagree about 800 speed film not being the kind you find in disposable cameras and at discount stores!

I had a TERRIBLE time finding disposable cameras loaded with anything OTHER than 800! Kodak, Fuji, they are all 800 speed. The cameras at Sam's and at Target are almost ALL 800 speed. Even the plastic SpongeBob print camera I saw had 800 speed film in it. The two disposables my son got for Christmas from friends (intended for him to use on the trip) are 800. We are leaving those at home because I don't want to deal with it!

I have 5 disposable loaded with 400, and 7 rolls of 400 film for the camera. I love disposable cameras, but you really have to be careful about what film they are loaded with.

Jack's girl is right...many of the disposible cameras do now have 800 speed 35 mm film. Your best bet would be to look for the Advantix disposible camera.

I have never had any problems with film going through the xray machines in the airports, and as I said before, it isn't an issue at the gates at Disney.

 

[Lady Cluck]

Try here for disposable cameras with 400 speed film.http://buyporters.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=C3L

 

[4worldscrazy]

Just got back from our first family trip to WDW for the holidays. I took 12, 800 speed APS films in my carry on luggage and all of my pics came out fuzzy and dull, every picture. So, yes, 800 film does get ruined in carry on x-ray. We even had a few developed down in Orlando and those came out terrible, we thought it was crappy developing. Turns out the film was ruined at the airport on the way down, so it was useless before we used it but we had no way of knowing. 3 of my films, 400 speed that we bought down there and brought back to have developed came out fine. Thank god we got some clear and colorful ones. But it was terribly disappointing to have the rest come out so awful since it was our first trip and it was Christmas. Oh well, all the more reason to go back sooner.

 

[gymmom]

I've already given each of my 3 kids an 800 speed disposable camera for Christmas as a part of their "Disney Box". I don't want to spend either the money or the time to buy new ones and I don't have time to order them online since we're leaving Friday? Will they hand check them, or not?

Lisa

 

[KirstenJB]

I work at a One Hour Photo at the local target up here, and if you are taking film to disney, the carry on x-ray's are less severe on film than the check in x-rays. Also another tip is to put your film, out of the canister in a plastic baggy and hand it to the security to request it not going through the xrays.

On other reguards to the disposable cameras... The film in most all of them turns out great. We get between 5 and 20 disposable cameras a day. Kodak and fugi are the best to buy. And if you are going to buy several, try to buy them in packs of 2 or more. At our store, our 2 pack runs $10.89, where a single disposable camera runs $8-10 apiece.

Hope this helps. I know I've been investigating for my trip down in February.

 

[mochabean]

I NEVER allow any of my film to go through x-ray machines no matter what the speed. It's not worth the risk. And NEVER put your film in checked bags, since they now sometimes x-ray them too and those x-ray machines are more powerful than the ones the security screeners use. It is a TSA rule that screeners MUST hand-inspect film if you request it. This includes one-time-use cameras. Most times they will happily do it, but once I had to argue until a manager overheard me and told the screener he had to hand-inspect it.

To make it easy, as KirstenJB said, take all the rolls of film out of the canisters, and the cameras out of their packages, and put them into ziploc bags. Then just pull out the ziploc and hand it to the security person as you are putting your bags on the belt. This makes it quick and easy.

 

[Augustheather97]

what about the tapes for camcorders...will they get ruined too???

 

[mochabean]

Tapes for camcorders are electromagnetic, not film, so they are fine. Just like audio cassettes, back in the day!

 

[shellyfive]

I went to Disney via Philadelphia in December ---had the 800 speed disposable cameras(5) Had to have each individually scanned leaving Philly(I already had them in a seperate ziplock bag) --they took me aside in the security check point and used a wand scanner---I was told the machines there would ruin the film.......on the return from orlando however i had them all ready to be scanned seperately and the security guy said as long as the film was under 1000 speed it would be ok to go through their machines. they went through fine and the pictures were great! so i think the story is that each airport is different and to be safe just pack them in a seperate bag that you can just stick in your carry-on bag

 

[rickdeni]

I always have them in my purse and run through the scanner. I have never had any problem with them. The pictures are always great. In fact, I had one roll of film that I took to Ireland and didn't use so I took it to California - it went through 4 scanners and still took great pictures.

 

[2gether]

I am another sad story of wrecked pictures....FIVE rolls of film destryoed in the carry-on luggage. My wife just about had a heart attack.

Fortunately we had a digital camera with us, and were able to retreive a few pictures from a couple of the rolls. Still, having 50 pics instead of 150 is a bit of a disappointment. We are buying a Digital SLR to avoid this problem in the future.

My advice is to request hand inspection. They will do it for you, and it is the only safe way to go.

 

[Grog]

From what I've heard the thing with 800 film going through X-ray is hit or miss. I accidentely put my film (all 800) through the scanner coming and going on my last trip. I didn't find out that it could be bad until I got home. I was sweating out the developing process, but in this case everything came out all right. I won't do it again, just to be on the safe side.

 

[dbenlee]

The x-ray machines used by airports vary the beam strength when needed to penetrate carry on luggage of different densities. Thats why 800 speed film sometimes gets "fogged" and sometimes remains clear. The slower speed films are supposed to be safe from this "fogging" because they are less sensitive to the x-ray beam. As a precaution, always have cameras using any type of film hand checked, regardless of the film speed. Also try to carry on all film instead of packing in your check in luggage. Because check ins are larger pieces of luggage, if they are put through an x-ray machine, they will be exposed to a stronger x-ray beam in order for the beam to penetrate the suitcase better to image the inside satisfactorily. This would cause any 800 speed or higher film to surely be "fogged". Putting these items in your carry on, you can ask that they be hand check instead of x-rayed and the security personnel will do this without any problem.