x-ray?
 

Anyone know if it is a problem putting footage that has been recorded to tape through an x-ray machine at the airport?

Regrads, Greg.

nothing that I have heard.. HOWEVER... i hear the way you get dead pixels is by running your JVC through the X-Ray machine.

It's fine. I do it all the time.

i have run mine (the camera) through an xray a couple times and all is well. I would prefer to risk it on an xray, then check it below and watch the baggage "throwers" handle the pelican case.

Re: xray
 

I've carried my HD-110 through x-ray machines in the contiguous U.S., Franc, Egypt, Greece, Mexico, Alaska, and Costa Rica since May and have had no problems.
Ed

I get a dead pixel every time I go through the airport x-ray machine.

really?! thats crazy!

Yep, It kind of blows. I try and travel with an HD monitor to check it but when in doubt I run the dead pixel mask function in the camera. Thank god that little fix got posted!

is it the same pixel?

I have gone through dozens of x-ray machines without issue

Nope, although that might be a good thing :)

Thanks Guys. Seems general opinion is that it is okay, is this the same for tape though?

Wow, funny this thread came up, I just flew back from Dallas on Sunday after shooting a music video, and low and behold, a dead pixel!!! Ask them if they will "swab it" instead of scan it, that goes for tapes too, never hurts to ask.

I hate the thought of massive amounts of electro-magnetic energy going through my stuff!!

its the actual flight and exposure of cosmic rays that knock pixels down, NOT the X ray machine.

Boy... that does make some sense, very fascinating. I wonder of a lead lined case would do any good... Huge pain to carry around but would make for an interesting test..

So it IS a problem for tapes?

You can get lead lined bags that don't weigh much. We used them in the good ol' film days.

Liam, do have any link for such a case? I might try and explore this a bit.

Greg, I've never had a problem with shot tape going through the x-ray, or being at 30,000 feet for that matter.

I wonder if the lead lined case would create problems with TSA...

yes, this is correct. When you are at that altitude, you (and your camera) are much more prone to particles from space. It has nothing do to with the x-ray machine.

Burk,

Can't remember the bags we used years ago, but I do know that Domke, Hama and Lowepro all make lead lined camera bags for stills. I'm sure other manufacturer's do as well.

I have never heard of this before

anyone know if tape is effected also?

My Mini DV tapes have survived numerous trips, the warnings are usually for undeveloped Film.

The cosmic rays are well documented for pixel loss, but I haven't heard of practical ways to block it. Lead sheeting (how heavy is needed) lining the whole case sounds both expensive and heavy for the degree of the problem. Maybe a localized removable sheeting for travel, like a small dental cape would minimize it?

Tapes (and cameras) are not affected by x-rays or cosmic rays - however, I would be very wary of metal detectors on recorded tapes, especially the hand models they use to scan your body - I've seen some inspectors also use them on bags and incidental items to scan after x-rays. These have enough of magnetic field to be a problem. Walk through scanners are probably not an issue, but I'd still be paranoid in some places where they have older equipment and probably pump it to the max.