Tell me about flying with my dSLR

[heidia]

I haven't flown in years so the new security stuff in general is making me anxious, but the thought of my SLR and my lenses getting manhandled is really pushing me over the edge

Some people tell me I'll be fine just leaving it in my bag and letting it go through and others say I'll have to have it out and turn it on? Will they really take everything out of my bag and open the lens caps?

Thanks!

 

[SharonLowe]

I haven't flown in years so the new security stuff in general is making me anxious, but the thought of my SLR and my lenses getting manhandled is really pushing me over the edge

Some people tell me I'll be fine just leaving it in my bag and letting it go through and others say I'll have to have it out and turn it on? Will they really take everything out of my bag and open the lens caps?

Thanks!

Sometimes they do but usually they don't - at least that is my experience lately. Way more people have them now so they are used to seeing them. They wear gloves and are gentle with them - mine have never been manhandled but have been viewed many times (we travel a lot). Leave the camera in the bag - you only need to take out DVD players, laptops, and video cameras.

If you have spare lithium batteries for your camera, pack each one separately in a plastic bag and keep them in your carry-on luggage - you are no longer allowed to put them in checked bags.

Relax - you'll be fine - just listen to the announcements; remember to put any carry-on liquids and gels in containers no larger than 3 ounces, and put them in a one quart plastic bag (one bag per passenger); and be prepared to remove your shoes.

 

[dburg30]

Ive done 2 trips since december with all my camera stuff..

No problems. If you have a camcorder it's supposed to be out and in it's own bin. I've heard that larger DSLR's are also supposed to be out. I'll have to admit the one time (2 days ago on the way home) I didnt take my body out, and I did get pulled for a bag check. Now it could've been that they just couldnt tell what something else was. But no biggie, they took it to a table, opened it up (BTW, they dont need your help ) looked at the stuff, swabbed a couple of items, put the swabs on the sniffer, no issues, told me 'Thank you sir' and off I went.
I had this trip, my 40d with grip, a 10-22 rental , 20mm, 28-135, 70-200 rental and my 50-500, A 420 and 580 flash, filters, flash cards, 8 extra aa batteries, 2 extra 511 batteries for the grip.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

We've flown three times in the past year with our DSLR, lenses, video camera and assorted electronics (to keep us occupied on the plane ride).

We purchased a Lowepro Micro Trekker backpack that holds our DSLR, our lenses, our video camera and all accessories (batteries, memory cards, etc) and have had no problems going through security here in Canada or the US. We've never had to take any of the equipment out of the backpack, or were even asked to open the backpack and turn on any equipment. It's a great size and fits easily under the seat in front of us on the plane, along with our other carry-ons.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

When we travel, it looks like we're trying to relocate a small electronics store. It can be a nuisance, but it's never really been bad.

Some of the new extra machines are a bit excessive, but we survived.

 

[ktulu]

I just landed in San Jose. Your spare batteries need to be on your carry-on's. They didn't bother with my camera stuff at DFW, just the standard pull your laptop out sorta thing. I am like Mark where I am a traveling electronics store, this trip I added a gps to the bag.

 

[NostalgicDad]

I just landed in San Jose. Your spare batteries need to be on your carry-on's. They didn't bother with my camera stuff at DFW, just the standard pull your laptop out sorta thing. I am like Mark where I am a traveling electronics store, this trip I added a gps to the bag.

I also flew from DFW to SJC 2 weeks ago. Same deal, no problems. Last week I flew between DFW and SNA......same results. I've yet to encounter an airport that has required me to take my camera out of the bag. When flying home, I was actually more concerned about the banana in my laptop bag that I had forgotten about. Apparently, they don't care about those either!

As far as my EN-EL3e Li-ion batteries, 1 is in the camera and 2 are in my carry-on. I've not been questioned on those as of yet either.

 

[AndrewWG]

What about bottles of Eclipse cleaning solution? I have a "travel size" bottle, I think it is 1/2 oz. Although it is well below the 3oz liquid limit, it is flammable. I brought it in my checked baggage to WDW in the fall and never even thought about it. I'm going to do that this time too as it is billed as "safe for travel", I believe. We'll see... The bottle is so small, it probably isn't even noticed.

 

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

We flew from Toronto to Mexico just before christmas 2007. I had my DSLR along with both my kids P&S and 2 underwater cameras. All my accessories needed for the trip and I even crammed in some shacks for the plane trip. Lowepro sling200 was the camera bag. All them made me do is place it in a plastic tote and put it threw the xray machine. Never asked me what was in the bag or to open it. Now the laptop they asked us to remove it from the bag and put it through sepperatly. They didn't ask us to turn on our cameras laptop or cell phones. Good thing too as the cell phones were dead coming home. We forgot the charger. We have been told that they may ask you to empty your bag and turn stuff on. I guess we got lucky.

 

[wkrider]

I carry my DSLR with three lenses in my LowPro bag and my computer in another backpack. I put the laptop in a bin with my cell phones and leave the camera in the bag. In five trips I have not had to take the camera out of the bag yet. Happy traveling. Hope it is not like this....

 

[wkrider]

Sorry had to post another just to get away from post number 666.

 

[ktulu]

I took my cleaning fluid out, but if you carry it on, it should go into a quart bag per TSA guidelines, and I believe they also want you to pull it out and send it through in a bin. Just make sure the 'safe to fly' is easy to read if questioned or clean your lenses with it before you leave, which is what I did

 

[heidia]

Thanks for replies... I'm starting to feel a bit better now!

 

[matthew_hull]

I have a large backpack full of camera equipment and other electronic gear, and I have never had a problem. Sometimes the backpack gets a close inspection, and sometimes just a cursury one. Only once has a TSA agent handled the camera in a manner which I was uncomfortable with, and that person listened without taking offense when I politely pointed out the proper way to hold the camera. The new rules regarding lithium batteries should be of no consequence to normal consumers with consumer level equipment. They are only interested in the bigger batteries.

 

[AndrewWG]

I just got back from a trip from Providence to Tampa and back and I never once was asked what was in my camera backpack. It went through the machine just fine without question.

However, in November, I was asked to take the camera out of the bag and put it in a bin by itself. This only happened in Providence on the way down. Nothing happened in Orlando on the way back. I even asked if I had to take it out and they said "no".