A slightly different question about airport x rays

If I have, say, Portra 800 that I’m planning to push to 3200, should I be thinking of it as 3200 film for purposes of airport x ray? I think the answer is “yes” because I’m going to be developing to reveal deliberate underexposure; so I’ll also be revealing the smaller sensitivities of the 800 film to the airport x ray. But I’d like to read your thoughts.

I hadn’t really thought hard about this until just now when I asked for an airport hand check of several rolls of Ilford 3200 and one roll of 400 exposed for push to 1600, and the (fortunately) film friendly airport security person asked me what speed I’d “exposed for” (their words) while looking at the 400 film and nodded appreciatively when I said 1600.

TLDR: should film you’re going to push to 3200 be thought of as 3200 for airport x ray, rather than thought of as its box speed?

(And then we talked a bit about the LowePro 350 and 450 tactical bags :) )

Posted Nov 4, 2022, 1:27 AM UTC · edited

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_Asephx•

No it’s still 800 speed film. You haven’t changed its sensitivity, you’ve just underexposed your photos.

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