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I am traveling to Spain next week to visit my family and I need to know where I can get information about the photographic equipment I can take with me as hand luggage. I will land at Heathrow airport where I will enter the EEC. I have been to the government site and the Heathrow site, but I can't find anything. I know there was some problems last years with terrorists and they put restrictions, but I am not sure if they are now enforced. I would be grateful f any of you can provide me with a website address so I can find out.

What equipment do you have?
i took all that is in my sig, plus 80-200mm and minus the tripod as carry on. sure security was a pain, but there werent any problems.

make sure if you take your laptop you take it out as it goes through the x-ray machines.

http://www.smarttraveller.gov.au/ is a good place to start before any International travel.

On specific restrictions relating to liquids in hand luggage:
http://www.dotars.gov.au/transport/security/aviation/LAG/index.aspx

Other than that, the airline you are traveling with will have hand luggage requirements which may affect you - usually a weight and size limit - check their website. Generally, items such as tripods etc would not be allowed (could be used as a weapon ), but other general camera gear would be (subject to liquids and weight/size requirements).

The restrictions requiring NO hand luggage were temporary measures imposed at certain times of 'real threat' (whatever that meant).

Laurie wrote:make sure if you take your laptop you take it out as it goes through the x-ray machines.

i take it this will wreak havok on the lappie?

Your biggest concern at Heathrow is that you can only take one bag through security. As you will be transitting, you need to exit and re-enter security. One bag means one bag, not a bag and a laptop bag, or a bag and a handbag.
I took a large roller type carry on bag holding my laptop, charger, D70, 30mm 1.4, 12-24mm tokina, 50mm 1.4 and a 28-200mm, plus assorted other crap. I had no problems.
I saw people turned away who had oversized bags or two bags. No one cheded the wieght of my bag, luckily.

I do not see any problem with taking computer or photo gear. Do not take much in the way of toiletries as they will restrict you to a few containers, each less than 100ml. You cannot take a 200mml container half full or less.
All other places let you take two bags as carry on.

jamesw wrote:

Laurie wrote:make sure if you take your laptop you take it out as it goes through the x-ray machines.

i take it this will wreak havok on the lappie?

the x-ray machine does not harm to any electronics.
it may however ruin film above a certain ISO level.

jamesw wrote:

Laurie wrote:make sure if you take your laptop you take it out as it goes through the x-ray machines.

i take it this will wreak havok on the lappie?

The laptop still has to go through the x-ray machines, they just make you send it through separately. Some places make you turn it on as well as putting it through the x-ray. The US seem to be even worse with laptops, mopping them with something I assume can detect explosives.

I just travelled through Narita, Hong Kong, Changi, Shipol, Heathrow, Gatwick, and Toulouse.

Limits are defined by fout parties, Airlines, the manufacturer of the vehicle, Airport Authorities, and the human interpretation by the person at the gates.

I went with one piece, so I could get through the UK. I took a Tamrac Cyber Pro Express. 15"Laptop, two bodies, 4 lenses, 3 flashes, a meter, and a few other bits. THat adds upo to near 15 kilos, but if you dont look like you are lifting a heavy bag into the over head, you can get away with it.

bottom line, if you are going through the organisation of the British, take one bag.

I've done the same as others, use one carry on bag and pretend it isn't heavy. I once had it weighed in KL, but nothing was said.

I have been caught by one thing, you aren't allowed to have "Tools" in your carry on. I had the little wrench that comes with the Gitzo tripods confiscated by Sydney security. Perhaps they were concerned I would disassemble the plane...

Daniel

DanielA wrote:I've done the same as others, use one carry on bag and pretend it isn't heavy. I once had it weighed in KL, but nothing was said.

if you can, get a wheely bag, you cant tell if its heavy if you are wheeling it through the gates...

I used this one
http://www.tamrac.com/5263.htm

Thank you for your help, guys. I will be taking my Canon 30D, 3 lenses and a flash and a video camera. Of course I will make sure all the batteries are out of the various gadgets. I was going to take some of the equipment as hand luggage and the rest e.g. recharges etc. in the main suitcase. Last time I went to Spain through Heathrow was before the terrorist menace, but I got fed up because British Airways kept loosing my suitcase so I started using a different airline. In fact, I am only taking this route because there were no seats available in other airlines.

British Airways lost my bag too, London to Toulouse, they would lose the plot if they could... ahhh, the British, they are so big they dont need to do anything well!

My giotto rocket blower was confiscated when I was going back into the plane from transit in Kuala Lumpur

I was too stunned and amused at the same time that I forgot to complain

Well, it is a rocket, and it does blow things away .

Bob

Haven't (yet) had a problem with cameras or accessories on any leg of any flight overseas. (Watch out for Swiss Army Knife keyrings, though. Security tends to take a dim view of those, even the small ones.) Notwithstanding the one-hand-luggage-only restriction, I tend to have my camera around my neck when I get on a plane, and that hasn't caused any issues. And I'm definitely a fan of over-packing the carry-on bag and pretending (somehow) that it weighs next to nothing. Usually the carry-on is still compact enough to fit under the seat in front of me, so I don't have to lift it into an overhead compartment.