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Archive 2007 · Airport Security and the DSLR

  
 
Troy Albert
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Airport Security and the DSLR


I travel for a living (one of the reasons I've opted to get in to Photography..always a new opportunity). I've got concerns with heightened airport security these days and how much trouble I might expect to have trying to go through airport security with my DSLR and equipment.

I noticed the security sign and it didn't specically say anything about having to take a DSLR out of my bag and place it in a bin. All I saw were "recording devices that have cassette tapes".

Can anyone shed any light on their experiences? I'm seriously trying to avoid having to take it out of my bag. I already travel with 2 laptops and juggling my DSLR in yet another bin would be a nightmare, not to mention I don't feel "warm and fuzzy" about all the potential bumping it may experience on that belt come Monday morning at 8am.

Last of all, how about Tri Pods? Security going to bark at this as well? I can see this being a potential security threat....again anyone care to share? I don't check my bags (ever) so this is a sensitive point for me.

Thanks



Dec 10, 2007 at 05:59 PM
pranic
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Airport Security and the DSLR


Hi Troy,

I have been through many airports in the USA throughout the last year, and I can assure you that you do not have to take your SLR out of your bag. If you have lots of gear, you'll likely have a bag check performed, which is usually painless and relatively quick -- so they can test for trace amounts of explosives, etc.

As for tripods -- I have always packed my tripods in checked baggage, and am just not sure their policy on them. In my opinion, tripods could be a very good weapon to inflict blunt force trauma!



Dec 10, 2007 at 06:03 PM
Troy Albert
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Airport Security and the DSLR


Yeah I was thinking the same thing. I would be ok with the Camera but the tripod...grrr

Wonder if I can squeeze something small by them. Checking a bag for me is not an option...grr



Dec 10, 2007 at 06:11 PM
invalid2
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Airport Security and the DSLR


I have carried on a small (~10" long) tripod. At one airport the people at the scanners asked to see it and that it.


Dec 10, 2007 at 07:06 PM
Jack M
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Airport Security and the DSLR


In four trips to the west coast and two to Alaska in the last 6 months my camera gear has been rescanned 3 times. That means everything out of the bag and into bins and back through the x-ray. Both times coming out of Anchorage and once out of San Jose. The Anchorage folks were very young and inexperienced but treated the camera gear very well. In San Jose they let me place everything back in the bins.

I usually travel with 2 bodies and all the lenses packed tight in a Lowepro Pro Mag2 and in a roller carry-on I have laptop, tri-pod, monopod, flashes, and chargers etc. packed in with clothes. They never looked at the roller with the gear, laptop was already out. About every third or fourth trip my laptop gets the bomb sniff cleaning and they have swabbed my camera bag once and never looked inside.

I have noticed in the last year TSA is getting more curious towards camera gear, especially if there is a lot of it.

I'll put up with the hassles at check in because I will not check photo gear. I travel with tools packed in a Pelican case and that case looks like it has been thrown off a building. It's a testament to Pelican because the only thing broken so far has been a cheap magnifying glass. I can only imagine how my cameras would work if they were bounced around by baggage handlers.

Best advice, make sure you have nothing prohibited and be patient and polite



Dec 10, 2007 at 09:09 PM
docfrank
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Airport Security and the DSLR


I just travelled to India with all my gear in carry-ons . They looked at my camera once. I also understand that carbon fiber tripods are OK but not metal ones because someone thinks metal ones can be used to fire objects.


Dec 11, 2007 at 12:37 AM
Keegan Bursaw
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Airport Security and the DSLR


I find this blog really interesting. I've been following it for a while. He has lots of good tips and stories.
http://www.flyingwithfish.blogspot.com/



Dec 11, 2007 at 02:01 AM
Mark Alexander
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Airport Security and the DSLR


pranic wrote:
Hi Troy,

I have been through many airports in the USA throughout the last year, and I can assure you that you do not have to take your SLR out of your bag. If you have lots of gear, you'll likely have a bag check performed, which is usually painless and relatively quick -- so they can test for trace amounts of explosives, etc.

As for tripods -- I have always packed my tripods in checked baggage, and am just not sure their policy on them. In my opinion, tripods could be a very good weapon to inflict blunt force trauma!



Well, while the rules don't currently state you have to take a dslr out of the bag, the screeners can and will tell you to do anything they want and you will comply or not fly. You might win an argument but inevitably it will be after your plane has left the ground...



San Jose = the worst, most inconsistent screeners in the US. I get harrased every single time I fly out of there, even when carrying just a small overnight bag and laptop

Mark



Dec 11, 2007 at 02:58 AM
11210
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Airport Security and the DSLR


I always open up my bag (a ThinkTank Airport Security roller) and show them the gear before sending it through. I haven't had a problem yet this year. At a few airports they've swabbed all around the gear to check for explosive residue but that doesn't take too long. I've never had them ask me to take everything out and run it through again. I'll usually be wearing my press pass just so they know I have a good reason to be carrying around 3-4 bodies. If I have to take a tripod or monopod I'll UPS it ahead or check it if I have to.


Dec 12, 2007 at 02:52 PM
nathanlake
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Airport Security and the DSLR


pranic wrote:
Hi Troy,

I have been through many airports in the USA throughout the last year, and I can assure you that you do not have to take your SLR out of your bag. If you have lots of gear, you'll likely have a bag check performed, which is usually painless and relatively quick -- so they can test for trace amounts of explosives, etc.

As for tripods -- I have always packed my tripods in checked baggage, and am just not sure their policy on them. In my opinion, tripods could be a very good weapon to inflict blunt force trauma!



I travel quite a bit too and I can tell you that there are exceptions to this. Seattle in particular requires me to remove my bodies about 50% of the time. They started this right after the TSA began requiring you to remove all electronic devices from your bag. At many airports this was interpreted as all "large" electronic devices. Seattle is just a bit odd.

Interestingly, I sometimes carry on a rather large, heavy, monopod...a true weapon if I wanted it to be. I have never been stopped.



Dec 12, 2007 at 11:53 PM
Mike Ganz
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Airport Security and the DSLR


I just traveled through DFW, Las Vegas, and Phoenix on a nine-day trip through a few SW parks. I had two bodies, multiple lenses, etc in a photo backpack. Made it through security at each airport without needing to open the bag and remove anything. I also carried my tripod through...it has retractable, stainless steel pointed tips on the legs and it too was never questioned.

This thing about potential "weapons" is really a joke...anything that's brought onto a plane can be a weapon in reality, from your laptop power cord (strangulation) to a fancy Mont Blanc pen (stabbing). Maybe if everyone flew naked without carry-on, things would be simpler. Plus, it would do away with all of those eye-catching velour pajamas.



Dec 13, 2007 at 08:50 AM
nathanlake
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Airport Security and the DSLR


Yes, anything can be a weapon, but the large monopod that I sometimes use is nothing more than a small aluminum baseball bat when retracted. I find it funny when they get all upset about some small piece of electronics and ignore the club that I am carrying.

As soon as someone goes wild with a monopod, there will be a very specific rule against them...as with the shoe removal and the three ouce liquid farce.



Dec 13, 2007 at 09:26 AM
Joe A.
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Airport Security and the DSLR


The folks at Think Tank photo have a couple of very good (and extensive) articles about traveling with camera gear, see:

http://thinktankphoto.com/news.php?current_cat=3

I met Deanne Fitzmaurice, one of the founders of Think Tank, as she loaded her gear over my head into the luggage compartment of a 737. She and many of the folks at Think Tank are 100% professionals and their luggage reflects this. The problems we have occasionally, they have on a weekly basis and they have done a good job at making luggage that “flies well.”

I use Think Tank’s “Airport Antidote” backpack and have never been stopped with this bag on any carrier, international or domestic. This includes long trips throughout Chile, Europe and Alaska. It even fits in the overhead of a Canadian Regional Jet (CRJ); like many of Think Tank’s “international” bags it has a 8” thickness—this make it fit all European carrier’s dimensions—if not their weight restrictions.

For weight problems (Lufthansa is the worst I’ve encountered) I wear an empty photo vest and unload a heavy lens, an SLR and whatever else is required out of the backpack at check-in and then weight the single bag. Then go through security wearing and shedding the vest, with the camera gear, at the X-raying station--just like an overcoat,. I’ve only done this once, but it did the trick. They are not yet weighing your clothes—yet.



Dec 13, 2007 at 09:06 PM
DLP
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Airport Security and the DSLR


I've been travelling for the last few weeks. One time I was asked to remove all the electronic equipment from my bag and they looked closely at my Hyperdrive. Other than that I went through security several times and was never asked to remove my camera. I carried my 2540 and RRS BH-40 in my carry on and never once took it out of the bag at security. I see no issues with carrying on a tri-pod that will fit inside a standard carry on.


Dec 17, 2007 at 05:48 PM
Brett Socia
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Airport Security and the DSLR


I have flown with two bodies with lenses attached in my carry-on and had them more concerned about the video camera than anything else. I think it is purely subjective as to how they decide what is going to be looked at more closely than other things. And like a previous poster pointed out, you can win the argument, but it won't be settled until you plane has left...that is unless you have gotten there early enough...


Dec 18, 2007 at 10:51 AM
Dan Lai
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Airport Security and the DSLR


I didn't have any problem have my camera bag thru security scan, they did not ask me to open the bag either


Dec 18, 2007 at 03:11 PM
DLP
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Airport Security and the DSLR


Every security point I went through had large signs instructing that ALL video cameras must be removed from bags. I over heard security telling others to remove all video cameras as well so over the last few weeks at least they were very serious about that and removing lap tops. There was nothing subjective about those items. Either way I pretty much see it as a non-issue. It only takes a few minutes to remove and replace equipment.


Dec 18, 2007 at 07:50 PM
John Patrick
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Airport Security and the DSLR


I fly out of O'hare occasionally, often with my camera, and never had to remove it from the backpack. I did have the swab done once, and the gal doing it said "Nice camera" which worried me a bit, as I've been worried that some TSA screeners are looking for things for accomplices to steal.

John



Dec 19, 2007 at 12:41 AM





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