[Leica] security scanners and Fuji glass long

[dstella1 at ameritech.net (Dante Stella)]

A few minutes ago I saw the X-ray image of my GA645 and x-pro 1.  You could 
count the elements and groups.

Concur on the Fuji 645 lenses - like a laser compared to SLR lenses.

Dante

On May 18, 2012, at 3:34 PM, "Bill Lawlor" <wvl at comcast.net> wrote:

> In 1999 I took a sabbatical and bought a 'round the world ticket. In a 
> hand satchel I carried Reala 120, 35mm APX 100, 400, Kodachrome, 
> Agfachrome and such locally purchased film I needed. I don't remember how 
> many rolls I carried, bur it filled a gym bag. My plan was to hand the gym 
> bag to security with a request for hand inspection. It worked once or 
> twice. My film bag was scanned as carry-on at least 40 times. Most of the 
> scans were in SE Asia and India. Some of the scanners looked like the were 
> built by William Roentgen.
> 
> Half way home I sent exposed film via UPS to my home with request that my 
> wife would freeze it. I finished my adventure in many european 
> countries.The only incident was departing Paris. Security wanted to 
> inspect my cameras. I made sure theywere unloaded beforehand. Out came the 
> M6, Fuji 645S, a couple of Minox 35s, and a Ricoh GR1. The inspector 
> ammounced the the Fuji was not a camera! He called the supervisor who 
> agreed. Never saw a camera like that. Opening the back only reinfoced his 
> suspicion because film (35mm I suppose) wouldn't fit in there. I had a few 
> rolls of exposed 120 in my pocket (plastic spools) When I showed one to 
> the guy
> he must have thought it was expolsive and summoned the nearby Gendarme 
> who, had once owned a Rolleiflex, and the situation was "defused".
> 
> On arrival in California I steeled myself for toasted film. First I 
> selected unexposed but multi scanned rolls from my gym bag. I sent the 
> color to the laband developed the B&W myself. To my great relief all the 
> film was undamaged. I even compared it to film from the same batches that 
> didn't travel with me. Not so much as a shadow when compared.
> 
> I count myself very lucky.Who knows how I would have fared with today's 
> scanners?
> 
> On wall is a framed 8X20 reala print made from a very small crop from the 
> EDGE of the Fuji  60mm/4 645S neg. The resolution is awesome. All the 
> bathers on the Ganges are crystal clear.At that magnification my Mamiya 
> 645 80/2.8 images are junk. I thought it was a bad lens and tried another 
> one-no better. I really regret selling the Fuji.
> 
> If you got this far, thanks for your patience
> 
> Bill Lawlor 
> 
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