Camera Equipment and Airport Security?

bbg404

bbg404

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Afternoon all! I'm heading out to Ibiza on Monday and want to take my DSLR as I've just bought a Tokina 11-16 so want some night shots and maybe general holiday snaps all I'm taking is the camera 1 lens couple batteries and a couple filters in my Lowepro Nova 160 so not a lot .... BUT ..... I went to Egypt last year with all my kit as hand luggage and they made me pretty much empty my bag so this year I want to avoid this if possible

I thought I'd check in 1 hand luggage (a backpack) and have the nova inside so when I get to Secuirty I can just pull that out? Or do I put it in the suitcase?
 
I've never had an issue so you must have been unlucky. I always carry my camera and lenses in my rucksack with all of my accessories (filters, spare cards and batteries, screwdrivers, cleaning solution, tripod etc.) in the suitcase.
 
went to Barcelona and Paris and never had a problem with my gear, but it all was in hand luggage (don't like it leaving my sight)
 
Went to Venice a few weeks ago and I only had hand luggage. Went through both ways with no problem. Went through security at Venice with camera out and just got a 'nice camera' comment.....strange seeing it was only a D3100 with Sigma 10-20mm!
 
silverman said:
strange seeing it was only a D3100 with Sigma 10-20mm!
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Why, it is a nice camera. And lens. :)

I've never had a problem with cameras going on as hand luggage. I have my camera, extra lens, batteries, laptop in my rucksack.

I will only take my camera and lenses on as hand luggage. There was a delay in getting off the plane last year and I sat and watched my case getting flung onto the trailer beside the plane, :eek: and I'm more determined than ever that my cameras go nowhere near the hold. ;) Nothing against the baggage handlers, because it is the only way they can quickly get the luggage off the plane, but nothing too fragile and/or precious should have to take the risk of that imho. :)
 
Flying from Belfast, i always have to empty my camera bag and they swab it all for explosives. They don't take kindly to jokes either:(
 
My camera bag was swabbed when flying back from Tiree to Glasgow! (on a twin otter!) :rolleyes:

....they asked if I minded as they had to do a certain percentage!
 
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Flown out from Gatwick on weekly basis now for 3 years and never have to empty it; same with the return from Dublin, but when I recently flew back from Geneva, they asked me to take the DSLR body out, but were fine with the lenses being left in.

That said, I did fly to the states a few years back and got the dreaded 'SSSS' on the boarding card; made me, the wife and the three kids empty *everything* out of the hand luggage, and in the case of electrical items, demonstrate it was working. That was a pain in the backside! Is the 'SSSS' a US only thing or does it apply to other countries too? Check your boarding card!
 
I take all my gear when ever i travel as hand luggage.

Usually 4 Lenses and 2 Bodies some times just the one body, All accessories (Cleaning Gear, Filters, Batteries etc)

UK - I normally can just leave them in my rucksack but have been made to take them all out a few times
Germany - Had to take them all out, then taken into a room and asked about them, Swab tested etc
France - No issues at all
Italy - No issues at all
Greece - No issues at all
USA - Always end up taking them all out and i go here a fair bit, 9 times out of 10 at the gate i get searched again too
Oman - Taken into a room and asked about them, Swabbed etc
UAE - No issues at all
 
I'm looking to take a canon 600mm f4 to Poland & was wandering if anyone has had any issues taking large lenses onto an aeroplane.
What bag would be best to get it into the cabin space?
 
Keep rocket blowers in plane sight as they may look like some sort of granade under xray machine
 
drexyl said:
I'm looking to take a canon 600mm f4 to Poland & was wandering if anyone has had any issues taking large lenses onto an aeroplane.
What bag would be best to get it into the cabin space?
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I don't know about bags, but have you checked the airline's carry-on allowance? There are some airlines which simply wouldn't allow a 600mm lens because it exceeds their maximum dimensions for hand baggage.
 
Photographic vest is a good option. Distribute all your kit around your body. It doesn't count as hand luggage at the moment. When you go through security it just goes in the tray. Whether they want to do a physical check on it is hit and miss.
 
I always tend to take bodies and a lens or two in hand luggage, then larger lenses (70-200 or 300mm) in their pouches in my hold luggage. I have never had issues at security/customs with my camera gear, so you must have been unlucky.
 
Many carriers have only a hand luggage size restriction, however some, eg Thomascook airlines, also have a hand luggage weight limit of a mere 5 kilos. I have read recently that they have started to weigh hand luggage on boarding. Check out your airlines T&Cs.
 
With scheduled airlines at least you seem to get some leeway with hand luggage. Even if its overweight i've shown the camera and they've allowed it on. Security often want to search the bag which is understandable given how strange it looks on x-rays with cables, batteries and other things. No way will you get a screwdriver on past most airport securities though. Sometimes security will ask to prove an electronic device works so make sure you have at least one battery with you or in it.

If desperate, hang the camera round your neck with the biggest lens on it so its not counted as hand luggage weight.
 
Never had any issues with Airport Security, I Got asked last year in Munich to open my bag up so they could swab the camera's and the guy just wanted me to turn them both on and off and everything was fine, funny enough he was also a togger so got chatting whilst waiting for the other guy to do the tests :)
 
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