RE: speaking of digital: Xrays !

Contrary to once-popular belief, x-ray machines don't harm electronic
equipment. To do any harm, they'd have to either physically damage a
component or a low frequency electromagnetic emission would have to corrupt
the magnetic storage (a hard or floppy disk). You need something big, like
alpha particles (which aren't emitted to any degree by an x-ray machine), to
do physical damage to the electronic components, and these machines don't
put out a strong enough magnetic field to screw up the disks.

So, don't worry about the machine killing your camera; worry about someone
pocketing it as it comes out of the x-ray machine while you're trying to get
through the metal detector. That's also why you might want to hang onto the
memory card, anyway. It's easier to replace a camera than your photos.

-Schuyler

-----Original Message-----
From: Judy Seigel [mailto:jseigel@panix.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2004 6:55 PM
To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
Subject: speaking of digital: Xrays !

Dear List,

I've been entering a number of NYC government offices carrying my camera
bag, which has to be put through the baggage Xray, or whatever the beams
in the dark space the belt gets transported through. I recall a long
discussion on the list about film and airport screening, but I don't
recall any mention of digital.

To be on the safe side I've removed the memory card each time, since there
were a fair number of frames on it I didn't want to compromise and it's
easy enough. But I'm wondering if anyone knows if that's a good idea, or
meaningless.

TIA,

Judy
Received on Thu Aug 19 21:56:34 2004