Airplane Carry On

Safe from x-rays- definitely. Safe from mishandling or theft on the part of TSA employees- questionable. Keep your eyes on your gear... :beer:

Noah
 
Make sure there is a battery with you in case they want you to turn it on. Also take camera out of bag just like you do with a laptop.My recent experience with TSA: 2 out of 4 pelican cases (with TSA locks) slide down the baggage carousel open and spilling batteries, filters etc. Fortunately my underwear was in one that they had shut properly.
 
I never check my camera. I have a friend who did and it was stolen. Always carry enough gear that even if all the rest of my gear doesn't show up I can begin shooting something until it does.
 
dhart1949 said:
I never check my camera. I have a friend who did and it was stolen. Always carry enough gear that even if all the rest of my gear doesn't show up I can begin shooting something until it does.
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Occasionally, I've had no choice and had to check the camera but the majority of the time I carry on camera/batts/sm. monitor.Oh, and make sure you have proper insurance!!
 
Are there any issues associated with flying with lenses? (...beyond the obvious "make sure they're very well-protected in hard cases"). Are there any pressure / temperature / x-ray concerns etc?
 
My advice, keep your camera on you and check your accessories, (lights, tripod etc...), also keep batteries on you, the below freezing temperatures are not good for them.
 
As a carryon your camera will almost always be safe. Only issue is when they think yor bag is too large and try to get you to gate check it.
 
Yeah i'd consider a bag just for the camera- maybe not try to cram it into a duffle- etc.

Noah
 
Steve R said:
Are there any issues associated with flying with lenses?
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IMHO, and for the sake of x-ray machines, and if you can, lay the lenses in the case so they go through the x-ray sideways. I know there have been major discussions, arguments, debates, etc about how to handle lenses in trasport, but several glass elements in a barrel viewed horizontally is much easier for TSA folks to figure out.
 
NoahK said:
Safe from x-rays- definitely. Safe from mishandling or theft on the part of TSA employees- questionable. Keep your eyes on your gear... :beer:

Noah
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Before I started my own company I worked for the only company in the world building imaging sensors immune to gamma radiation, so I got quite an education about this.

I'm not aware of any consumer CCD/CMOS device that can be classified as "safe" from X-rays. The more pixels per square inch, the more chance you have for damage. Most modern cameras have very sophisticated and effective problem-pixel detection and repair, so it is unlikely you will see or notice a problem even after several flights, but that does not mean that damage is not occuring.

Everytime you send a photodiode based CCD or CMOS (all consumer CCD/CMOS sensors) through an X-ray you are increasing the risk of phoosite related problems. Every airline flight with a crusing altitude of around 30,000' also gives your camera equipment an increased risk from cosmic radiation exposure. A New York to LA flight is about the equialent of 200-days of radiation exposure at sea level. Or you can think of that as 200-days of life-span reduction to your camera sensor. Since your camera is expected to last for many years, and you will probably replace it in less than 3 years anyway, most infrequent travelers won't notice. Frequent travelers with Sony F900 cameras already know how expensive this is to fix.

There isn't an alternative to the X-ray machine when dealing with the TSA, they will not hand check digital camera equipment, they have a draconian no-exception policy to this unlike before 9-11-2001. So there isn't much you can do about it if you want/need to travel with equipment.

Because of CMOS sensors are sensitivity to X-rays they are frequently used as x-ray detectors. Here's some "light" reading on the subject of X-rays and sensor damage if you are really interested:

http://www.harvestimaging.com/pubdocs/149_2010_ssdm.pdf

And here's a handy calculator if you'd like to guestimate your radiation exposure during air travel:

http://jag.cami.jccbi.gov/cariprofile.asp
 
Pelican 1510, max carry-on size, wheeled, best-quality protection, and lifetime warranty.

I have never had mine pop-open like the person said above, generally people complain that the latches are too stiff and hard to open if anything.

Carry all the expensive stuff in it and never let it leave your sight.
 
natums said:
Pelican 1510, max carry-on size, wheeled, best-quality protection, and lifetime warranty. I have never had mine pop-open like the person said above, generally people complain that the latches are too stiff and hard to open if anything.Carry all the expensive stuff in it and never let it leave your sight.
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I'm the one with the pelicans...I do not think they popped open...I think the TSA didn't latch them properly...and what can you do about that!?
 
NoahK said:
Safe from x-rays- definitely. Safe from mishandling or theft on the part of TSA employees- questionable. Keep your eyes on your gear... :beer:

Noah
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So I'm not the only one to arrive at the hotel and wonder where microphones and other small items have gone?
 
Locks on your Pelicases prevent security personal to open it, when you can´t watch them.
Also wrap your camera in a lead foil bag, to prevent x-ray damage.
 
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