How can I protect camera equipment in checked baggage?
- By
- Aparna Patel
- |
- 19 Jul, 2023
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As pointed out by here, the way the woman is handling the luggage in the video is doing her job 100% correct:
And one last thing, you need to expect your bag to be tossed around, a 3 foot drop is no big deal. Delicate fragile items need to be shipped cargo or taken on the plane carry on. No bottle would break at all with this handling if it was wrapped. This is no big deal I expect my own bags to be thrown around so don’t go all crazy that your bag is tossed around. That’s why it’s luggage.
This means that cameras that you cannot take as carry-on luggage, should only be shipped as cargo. While they can be packed such that they can withstand rough handling in the sense that the camera will work when turned on and at first sight the pictures will look ok., the shock waves moving through the camera may cause the very delicate alignment of the autofocus system to shift, causing back or front focus. While such problems can be fixed by recalibrating the autofocus system, you may only notice the problem when you are back home doing post processing work on your pictures, viewing them at full magnification. When taking the pictures, unsharpness at full magnification may not be apparent due to noise that you plan to eliminate using image stacking when back at home.
No really. You can buy a Starter Pistol (you know, the kind used to signal the beginning of a race) for under fifty bucks. According to TSA regulations, any case which contains a firearm is inspected at the time of check-in, and then locked and tracked in transit. This means that your bag will not be searched except under your direct supervision, and will be traced far more carefully than most checked bags. This will mean spending a little extra time getting checked in at the airport, but the peace of mind is worth it if you absolutely must check serious valuables.
From the TSA’s regulations:
Starter Pistols – can only be carried as checked baggage and MUST be unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided container, and declared to the airline at check-in. Read our Firearms & Ammunition section.
Which in turn reads:
- Travelers must declare all firearms, ammunition, and parts to the airline during the ticket counter check-in process.
The container must be locked. A locked container is defined as one that completely secures the firearm from being accessed. Cases that can be pulled open with little effort cannot be brought aboard the aircraft. Federal regulations prohibit unlocked gun cases (or cases with broken locks) on aircraft.- TSA inspects all firearm cases at the ticket counter. Travelers should remain in the area designated by the aircraft operator or TSA representative to take the key back after the container is cleared for transportation. If travelers are not present and the security officer must open the container, TSA or the airline will make a reasonable attempt to contact the owner. If contact is not made, the container will not be placed on the aircraft.
Professionals use rugged, waterproof cases like those from Pelican cases. This is a good example of something that would be suitable for carrying camera gear. My workplace ships sensitive equipment all over the world in cases like this. They aren’t cheap, but if you’ve got enough camera gear that you can’t carry it all on with you, you can probably afford a case.
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While taking it as carry-on is really the only way to guarantee safe travels as you said, sometimes it’s not possible.
If you 100% cannot take it as carry-on I would suggest investing in a case made specifically for cameras. Something like these ZERO Halliburton aluminum camera cases should help protect it against rough handling.
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘
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