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Travelling with Photography Gear
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Hi all
Im off to the US in October for a few weeks and taking in Yellowstone for a week so im taking as much gear as I can.
Ive only been to the US once before, without any cameras. This might be a stupid question but had anyone encountered issues (with aiport security etc) taking camera equipment? It will on go as carry on baggage. The one thing im wondering about, more than anything else, is my trail camera.
Thanks
DI travel to the US almost every year.
Never had a single issue. The only thing you come across is curious security who want to know what gear you have, and request to search the bag. One guy admitted that to me after they performed the search. I told him he only had to ask.
But, there are no issues with gear. As normal, it just goes through the scanner. I always bring my gear as carry-on.
Have fun and hopefully you’ll get some good picts.
A friend of mine does it regularly and never has a problem. He even brought me home a lovely 50mm 1.4 a few years back, saved a nice few pound.
Enjoy the trip.
Dave.
I was pulled last year in Heathrow, very nice lady examined everything in my carry on because it looked suspicious as it passed through the scanner. She said if I had told them beforehand she wouldn’t have needed to check through the contents.
I was way over weight, not a problem though.Digital, I imagine you will be fine, aside from the remote chance of customs suspicion arriving back in Ireland from somewhere like New York pre-Christmas. Travelling with film would obviously be a whole other ball game. These days I worry more about getting gouged for obscene baggage charges if your bags are over weight.
Of course this is all anecdotal stuff from my end, and would trust more to what a regular and current traveller like Paul has to offer :)
EDIT: check if there’s anything you are required to observe with batteries, like if you have to remove them from any cameras or devices. I seem to recall some sort of edict like that in the recent past, due to a lithium battery being involved in contributing to a fire, but from what I remember at the time it was restricted to the removal of batteries from devices in checked luggage.
ive travelled with both analogue and digital equipment and never had any trouble. they might be curious, a little more suspicious of odd looking analogue stuff but thats about it (had fun in italy trying to explain a weston light meter but they werent too bothered really) i think the scanners they use these days do not have any negative impact on most emulsions, although i think there are one or two odd ones that do…
anyway have fun and do not worry too much, although i would never put anything of high value in the baggage hold.
You’ll have no issues..years of travelling with photography work = no problem ever. I used to for weight saving purposes throw my batteries in my checked luggage, but I no longer travel with digital gear so I don’t anymore. Security might check/swab the stuff but it’s cameras, they’ve seen it all before. I find they’re more interested in film gear these days as they don’t see it very regularly. TSA in the US can be tough, but I find them nice to deal with if I need a hand check on film (especially when doing multiple transfers with a lot of xrays).
I’d be more worried about getting a snow storm in Yellowstone in October than security! But a storm would make for amazing photos! Enjoy, I’ll be in some other parks further west at the same time!
Thanks for all the replies. No problems at all. They did do a hand search coming through New york on way back because they werent sure what the trail camera was on the xray.
No snow mark…they had had some the week before but it was bone dry and cool for the week. Its -41 degrees celsius there this week though….
Well come on, post some of your images and makes all jealous. :D :lol:
Dave.
No snow mark…they had had some the week before but it was bone dry and cool for the week
Yeah, I seen that on the weather forecast when we getting ready to leave! At least you got into the park with the shutdown! Would love to hear about Yellowstone, somewhere that’s on my list…Yosemite in winter is next though!
Heres a piece I wrote on the trip with some photos. Yellowstone is an amzing place….the best place ive ever been…bar none. I could spend months there but im not sure my wife would agree. Winter would be a great time to visit. The park opened the day before we arrived so we were lucky.
Seeing the wildlife is number one for me, the photography is a close second.
http://www.irelandswildlife.com/yellowstone-national-park/” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;
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