Taking a digital camera through the checkpoint
 

Hi all. Will be taking digital camera in carry on. Do I remove memory stick before putting through xray? Thanks for help!

I never have. No problems, as the data is digital.

I'd suggest making sure it's repacked. I've lost one camera at the security checkpoint that never resurfaced. I can't say whether it was stolen, whether the security staff forgot to return it or that something else happened, but certainly check to see where it is.

Unlike film, there's no problem in passing digital camera memory storage cards through the X-ray.

Several experiments have shown that electronic detectors (i.e. the CCD/CMOS detector in your camera), as well digital flash memory, degrade slowly after passing through checkpoint X-ray machines. Your data will not be ruined after 5 or 10 or 20 trips, much less one. But it's a good idea to copy your data to a different storage after arrival (if possible), and then rewrite it back to the flash card. I personally remove all flash storage and put it in my pocket (it will not set off any detectors) before going through security.

What about the effect of the magnetic field created by the WTMD on the storage media (and thus, the data)?

My digital camera with memory card has been through x-ray inside of my carryon many times. Never had a problem.

About as likely to affect it as a mobile phone bringing down a plane...

Seriously, flash memory is insensitive to most magnetic fields. It works by trapping charge in oxide, and can only be erased electronically.

Portions of the post that previously appeared in this space have been deleted. I would provide you with a reason why, but doing so would likely be against the TOS.

In DTW a few months ago there was an inexperienced traveler in front of me at the WTMD. She asked the TSO if the x-ray would hurt her digital camera. This was just after watching another pax get screamed at by another TSO for moving a stack of bins from the lane that had four stacks to the lane that had none, so I elected to say nothing. The TSO offered a hand check, which REALLY annoyed the other TSO that had to come over and take care of it.

I put my rather expensive Canon in my rollaboard and have never had a second look from the x-ray folks. I put it inside the rollaboard so it isn't considered an extra carryon and doesn't look like a camera, and hopefully won't draw extra attention from others standing around the x-ray exit belt.

Works for me, anyway.

The peak strength of the magnetic field of WTMDs is at most a few gauss (a gauss is a measure of magnetic flux density, commonly referred to as magnetic field strength ) at the surface of the field generator. The magnetic field strength then rapidly decreases towards the center of the walk-through gate. The earth's magnetic field, for comparison is just a bit less, at roughly half a gauss. The reason the WTMD is so sensitive is because the magnetic field varies rapidly in time, and interacts with any metal in proximity which changes the time-varying characteristics of the weak magnetic field. As a further comparison, it would take several thousand gauss or more in immediate proximity to a magnetic disk drive to erase the data.

So, I wouldn't worry too much about a WTMD affecting any electronics all that much!

I asked that specific question of the TSOs at BNA (Do I need to remove a digital still camera from my bag?) and was told 'no', so I quit asking. BNA TSOs, being Nashvillians, are pretty relaxed and willing to answer questions.

The only electronic gear I take out on a regular basis is my laptop, and since I have to travel with two of them, I figure that's enough.

At some airports I get harassed for my portable DVD player. Some don't care, and some only want the battery separated. I love the consistency.

I never even remove any of my camera equipment from the bag. Just shove it through the machine.......never any problems.