Travel Photography - Pros: Any issues taking gear through Heathrow?

I plan to travel to London for an event, and expect my entire carryon will be bodies and lenses :-)

LHR's strict security makes me concerned...Just wondering if anyone here has done the same, and can share how the experience went...And also, what kind of suitcase you use for carry-on (I want to use a 21-inch Samsonite Outline 8 spinner, but fear for its size because the wheels stick out so much).

Thanks!

PS--FWIW, I'm on AA, traveling Business Class

My bigger concern would be that immigration sends you away. Canada is like that. If it seems like you're going there with a bunch of work related equipment they can give you a hard time. I find it easiest to travel with minimal equipment (like a tourist might have) and rent the bulk of things on arrival.

I did that last December using a Samsonite spinner (w/ Lowepro Pro Roller Liner). I have 2 bodies/6 lenses/2 flashes and triggers. I went through immigration without asking any question about what's in my bag and walk straight past custom. I did get pick on when I return in US though, but I have my paper work in order so they just let me through.

Canon 1DIII, 40D, 300F2.8, 70-200F2.8, 100-400F5.6, 17-40F4, 24-105F3.5, plus laptop, chargers, cables, flash etc - travelled through LHR with these several times this year and no issues with security screening (other than one time they opened the bag and did a manual look-see). The issue is not what you have in the bags - one way or another they will let it through - but rather the size of the bags. Whilst it is a long time since I've been asked to prove my bag fits in the sizer, it does happen (seen it happen to others regularly) so I go some way to make sure I'm carrying bags that don't look oversized. I usually carry most stuff in a soft Billingham and the 300F2.8 in a separate lens bag and haven't yet had any issues... Mind you, I too usually manage biz-class (either paid or upgrade) and I find that at LHR they're less fussy at the entrance to the fast-track security (F and J pax) than they can be at the regular entrance to security. To be honest, I am usually more concerned about the weight of all my gear (not that security care) getting picked up by the airline than I am getting it through security screening, but as I say I tend to try to carry bags that don't look as if they're pushing the limits for size.

A

IN terms of checking carryons in the sizer LGW is MUCH worse than LHR. I used to like LGW for a variety of reasons - my preference is now to LHR because the folks checking bag sizes at LGW tend to be abominable (they tried to make me put my roll-aboard in the sizer sideways - long end across the short side of the sizer - where LHR has not been an issue with that same bag. Again at LGW the security screener apparently had never seen a DSLR in a carryon before.