ALERT - TSA declares all cameras need to come out of your bag at security

[ahsanford]

This is a regular procedure in Europe already. They asked me to take the camera and all the lenses out of my camera bag for X ray each individually.

Not everywhere, apparently. In May I went from the US --> Heathrow --> Copenhagen and back with Stockholm --> Heathrow --> US and my camera and iPad never left my bag. Go figure, perhaps its an elective call they make or a random selection sort of thing.

Looks like TSA will implement this new stuff for everyone without TSA Pre / Global Entry.

- A

 

[wojtek]

many years ago I was traveling to Poland with my 1ds (mark 1), the security screened it and as it was a first time they came across a camera with such big battery, they asked me to take a picture which I did. All went nice and in a friendly matter so I suppose it is ok if the security takes a better look at such things for a greater good. The batteries are the danger I think as they are probably very near in terms of consistency to some potential explosives, when screened...

 

[Loswr]

This is a regular procedure in Europe already. They asked me to take the camera and all the lenses out of my camera bag for X ray each individually.

Not everywhere, apparently. In May I went from the US --> Heathrow --> Copenhagen and back with Stockholm --> Heathrow --> US and my camera and iPad never left my bag. Go figure, perhaps its an elective call they make or a random selection sort of thing.

+1 - Flying to the US out of airports in Switzerland, France, Germany, and the UK, my near-fully loaded Lowepro backpack has just gone through the Xray machine every time. 'Fully loaded' means a 1D X with 3-4 lenses and an M2+M11-22. I say 'near-fully' because the pack (DSLR Video Fastback 250) also holds my 17" MBP, and that has to come out before the pack goes on the belt.

 

[AlanF]

This is a regular procedure in Europe already. They asked me to take the camera and all the lenses out of my camera bag for X ray each individually.

Not everywhere, apparently. In May I went from the US --> Heathrow --> Copenhagen and back with Stockholm --> Heathrow --> US and my camera and iPad never left my bag. Go figure, perhaps its an elective call they make or a random selection sort of thing.

+1 - Flying to the US out of airports in Switzerland, France, Germany, and the UK, my near-fully loaded Lowepro backpack has just gone through the Xray machine every time. 'Fully loaded' means a 1D X with 3-4 lenses and an M2+M11-22. I say 'near-fully' because the pack (DSLR Video Fastback 250) also holds my 17" MBP, and that has to come out before the pack goes on the belt.

+1
It is simply untrue that it is a regular practice in Europe. I have had 3 trips in the last month and just as for the 100+ trips in recent years, I have never has to take my cameras and lenses out.

 

[photojoern.de]

For travellers from abroad, this really sucks. I will certainly not hand over my camera as normal luggage, so I have to carry it on. Pretty lot of hazzle. For what reason again, please???

 

[Mikehit]

For travellers from abroad, this really sucks. I will certainly not hand over my camera as normal luggage, so I have to carry it on. Pretty lot of hazzle. For what reason again, please???

What is the hassle? Take your camera out of the bag, have it x-rayed and put it back in your bag. Just like you do with a laptop.

 

[kirispupis]

As has already been stated, this isn't a huge hassle. Just take your camera out of the bag or sign up for PreCheck or Global Entry.

What I've found more painful is the increased security on flights to the US. We traveled from Morocco via Madrid/Heathrow four months ago and the Heathrow experience was the usual. A few days ago we traveled again through Heathrow (from Johannesburg) to the US and several steps were added to the usual security.

- A new line where all passengers flying to the US must undergo a short interview. In our case, she spent most of her time questioning our kids. I noticed foreign passengers were asked detailed question about their jobs and reasons for traveling to the US. The major pain here was the understaffing - it took about 45 minutes to get through the line.

- At the gate they then checked our passports (another long line), then the final line involved a guy with a list. In our case, he just checked our passports again and waived us forward, but I noticed other passengers had to remove everything from their carry ons for inspection.

We had 2 1/2 hours between flights and it was barely enough.

Once we arrived in the US, entry procedures were unchanged and moved quickly.

 

[bandido]

For travellers from abroad, this really sucks. I will certainly not hand over my camera as normal luggage, so I have to carry it on. Pretty lot of hazzle. For what reason again, please???

What is the hassle? Take your camera out of the bag, have it x-rayed and put it back in your bag. Just like you do with a laptop.

Of course it is a hassle. It is not just the camera. Even before the new regulation I had to use 2 bins for shoes, belt, jacket, laptop, iPad...plus the 2 carrying bags. Remember, you have to arrange the items in the bins in a way that they are visible and not blocked by other items.

 

[Mikehit]

Extending your passage through X-ray by what...a minute? Maybe 2.
Hardly a 'lot of hassle'. You spend many times that waiting in a queue to buy a coffee or duty free. Maybe time to do one more clue on the crossword? I think some perspective is needed.

 

[Loswr]

Extending your passage through X-ray by what...a minute? Maybe 2.
Hardly a 'lot of hassle'. You spend many times that waiting in a queue to buy a coffee or duty free. Maybe time to do one more clue on the crossword? I think some perspective is needed.

Agreed. Call it an extra minute. So, if there are 60 people in front of you (certainly not uncommon in many airports), an extra minute each means an extra hour in line, and perhaps missing your flight. How's that for perspective?

 

[Mikehit]

Extending your passage through X-ray by what...a minute? Maybe 2.
Hardly a 'lot of hassle'. You spend many times that waiting in a queue to buy a coffee or duty free. Maybe time to do one more clue on the crossword? I think some perspective is needed.

Agreed. Call it an extra minute. So, if there are 60 people in front of you (certainly not uncommon in many airports), an extra minute each means an extra hour in line, and perhaps missing your flight. How's that for perspective?

Rubbish. You take the kit out of your bag while you are in the queue (no extra time) and it is the other side putting it back that delays you.
I spend more time waiting behind bozos who act all surprised when the security explain they have to throw away water bottles, take off their jackets and make sure they have no coins or phones in their pockets despite passing the myriad signs on their way in and the audio announcements while they are in the queue.

 

[kaihp]

This is a regular procedure in Europe already. They asked me to take the camera and all the lenses out of my camera bag for X ray each individually.

Not everywhere, apparently. In May I went from the US --> Heathrow --> Copenhagen and back with Stockholm --> Heathrow --> US and my camera and iPad never left my bag. Go figure, perhaps its an elective call they make or a random selection sort of thing.

I've found that Amsterdam Airport (Schiphol) to be the absolutely worst and most random of the airports I've gone through. I would get different directions as what to take out every time I was there (I commuted weekly through AMS for 5 months last year). When I ask the security person they get irritated, especially when I point out that what they are asking for is inconsistent with the guidelines that is shown on the monitors in the security waiting line (which can be very very long).

The best thing to do in Schiphol is to take all electronics out of your carryon, even if they don't ask for it. And I do mean all of it. The persons looking at the X-ray images are either not very proficient at examining the images or overly cautious.

As for camera gear, my S100 was fine but when I moved back from China, I had to empty the entire bag of photo gear. "That's the EU rules" they argued - which is blatantly incorrect. I never had problems in any other airport with my DSLR gear. The Chinese just wanted to peek inside the bag to confirm that it was indeed camera and lenses.

 

[ahsanford]

Extending your passage through X-ray by what...a minute? Maybe 2.
Hardly a 'lot of hassle'. You spend many times that waiting in a queue to buy a coffee or duty free. Maybe time to do one more clue on the crossword? I think some perspective is needed.

TSA says "all electronics larger than a cell phone" = each and every lens, your speedlite, your battery charger, your ipad, etc.

1) Added Time to pull everything out and put everything back

2) Risk of a drop handling each lens

3) Risk of your lenses banging into something else in the tub while it's on the conveyor belt

4) Risk of the person before/after you in line lifting/jostling your tote full of lenses with their tote (it's common the 'lip' of totes get overlapped in line and need to get lifted/unstuck)

5) Risk of theft (admittedly, a small one)

I mean this: if they enforce this to the letter, it may drive some bag companies to make lens caddies or lay-flat removable lens modules expressly for going through security.

- A

 

[privatebydesign]

I mean this: if they enforce this to the letter, it may drive some bag companies to make lens caddies or lay-flat removable lens modules expressly for going through security.

- A

They already do and I wouldn't travel without my SwissGear Scan Smart backpack. Designed for laptops so far but I've never had anything taken out from the 'other' side either. I'm flying tonight too....

 

[AlanF]

As has already been stated, this isn't a huge hassle. Just take your camera out of the bag or sign up for PreCheck or Global Entry.

What I've found more painful is the increased security on flights to the US. We traveled from Morocco via Madrid/Heathrow four months ago and the Heathrow experience was the usual. A few days ago we traveled again through Heathrow (from Johannesburg) to the US and several steps were added to the usual security.

- A new line where all passengers flying to the US must undergo a short interview. In our case, she spent most of her time questioning our kids. I noticed foreign passengers were asked detailed question about their jobs and reasons for traveling to the US. The major pain here was the understaffing - it took about 45 minutes to get through the line.

- At the gate they then checked our passports (another long line), then the final line involved a guy with a list. In our case, he just checked our passports again and waived us forward, but I noticed other passengers had to remove everything from their carry ons for inspection.

We had 2 1/2 hours between flights and it was barely enough.

Once we arrived in the US, entry procedures were unchanged and moved quickly.

If you are from a country that has visa waiver arrangements with the US (EU etc http://www.esta.us/visa_waiver_countries.html), then you buy an ESTA every two years and get cleared from that hassle in advance.

 

[Skywise]

I long for the days when I could sprint through an airport 10 minutes before my flight - throw the carryon through the x-ray scanner and walk through the metal detector (which was not sensitive enough to be set off by my belt buckle) grab the bag then sprint down to the gate and hand over my boarding pass. No "papers citizen?", no stripping down to your skivvies, no "this time do my individually bottled toiletries stay in the carryon or not today?" and getting a dirty look from the TSA agent because they keep changing the rule. Forgetting my fitbit is still on my wrist...

This isn't horrible per se - I usually keep my camera at the ready for shooting photos while in the air but I usually pack the extra lenses at the bottom of the carryon (more protected). I also pack a messenger bag to carry my lenses in anyway so now it'll probably be clothes, camera bag, camera - Take the camera and camera bag out - probably put the lenses on top of the camera bag in the tray, put the cellphone back in the carryon along with my belt and wallet and pull out the laptop if I've brought that too and then another tray for the coat and shoes.
So... camera tray, laptop tray, shoe/coat tray and 1 carryon (not in tray today because that's the current TSA standatd... but might not be tomorrow!)

Then pray it's all there when I get on the other side... Gonna have to look into precheck...

 

[ahsanford]

They already do and I wouldn't travel without my SwissGear Scan Smart backpack. Designed for laptops so far but I've never had anything taken out from the 'other' side either. I'm flying tonight too....

But other than pulling out an entire photo cube/insert (example below from the PRVKE 21, first pic) and putting this directly on the belt, photographers may have problems complying with 'pulling them out' and giving them safe transport down the conveyor belt. I'm not sure that simply opening a traditional clamshell photography backback (see pic 2 below) so that lenses are in view will qualify as 'pulling them out'.

- A

 

[Skywise]

But other than pulling out an entire photo cube/insert (example below from the PRVKE 21, first pic) and putting this directly on the belt, photographers may have problems complying with 'pulling them out' and giving them safe transport down the conveyor belt. I'm not sure that simply opening a traditional clamshell photography backback (see pic 2 below) so that lenses are in view will qualify as 'pulling them out'.

- A

Agreed - We'll have to see what the actual rules are - but laptops can't be in their own bags either - they have to be by themselves in their own tray. I'm hoping it's at least OK to have the lenses on top of their own bag rather than be all by themselves.

 

[biglipps66]

Im the guy with 2 laptops, 2 iPads, a phone, my camera bag and a whole LINE OF BINS at the security belt. I literally take up the whole table section.

Mac laptop - 1 bin
Surface pro laptop - 1 bin
iPad mini - 1 bin
iPad mini -1 bin
Camera - 1 bin
shoes and misc - 1 bin
laptop bag to push through
camera bag to push through

6 bins and 2 bags, are you S___ting me?

 

[Loswr]

Extending your passage through X-ray by what...a minute? Maybe 2.
Hardly a 'lot of hassle'. You spend many times that waiting in a queue to buy a coffee or duty free. Maybe time to do one more clue on the crossword? I think some perspective is needed.

Agreed. Call it an extra minute. So, if there are 60 people in front of you (certainly not uncommon in many airports), an extra minute each means an extra hour in line, and perhaps missing your flight. How's that for perspective?

Rubbish. You take the kit out of your bag while you are in the queue (no extra time) and it is the other side putting it back that delays you.
I spend more time waiting behind bozos who act all surprised when the security explain they have to throw away water bottles, take off their jackets and make sure they have no coins or phones in their pockets despite passing the myriad signs on their way in and the audio announcements while they are in the queue.

So...I'm supposed to take out two cameras and 4-5 lenses while I'm in the queue and what...juggle them in midair as the line moves along? Set them on the floor play 'kick the can' with them as I move down down the line? Or is TSA going to add more/longer tables at every scanner to give people the time/space they will need for their 3-5 bins of stuff?

And now you're going to have to spend even more time waiting behind bozos who also have to be reminded to take out any electronic device larger than a cell phone despite passing the myriad signs on their way in and the audio announcements while they are in the queue.

Bottom line, this is going to mean longer waits at checkpoints for most people. I'm glad it won't affect me.