I will soon be traveling from Chicago to Miami by air. I've never flown with a dSLR, and gear, before and was wondering what kind of hassle is involved with the SLR.I will have the T2i with the 18-135 lens on it, and my 70-300 IS lens also. Will the camera and lenses have to come out of the bag like a laptop does?Will I be separated from my camera stuff in order to deal with the new-style x-ray machines?I have the Canon 200DG bag, will it fit under the seat in an American Airlines 757?Any other advice or considerations that anyone could recommend?Thanks!km

Karl,No, cameras do not come out of the bag. Put everything through in the bag. I've never had to go thru the new scanner, so I cannot tell you if you are separated from the bag that way.I'm not familiar with your bag, but I'm sure it will fit under the seat. It cannot be bigger than the purse I carry on.

Cary on.Don't check your DSLR. Make sure you cary it on.Let it go through the security check x-ray. That won't hurt it.If you bring a 400mm f/5.6 L with you the guard will put the x-ray belt back and forth, back and forth, with eyebrows raising up and up. After that, there is about a 90% chance they will full body cavity search... well at least a full body cavity search of your camera bag.Last time I did an international flight, they broke out special tissues and wiped the inside of the bag looking for explosive residue. I offered to take the lens caps off the lenses so they could see through them, but they declined.

Oh My... looking forward to my travels to Canada more and more after reading that ...Still , all good to know, thanks.

I've been through O'Hare a few times with my Tamrac Adventure 7 backpack with T2i, 55-250, 10-22 plus accessories, along with fishing tackle in the top section. The backpack was in a large duffle with the rest of my carry-on. Didn't even have to take the backpack out of the duffle.

CityLightswrote:If you bring a 400mm f/5.6 L with you the guard will put the x-ray belt back and forth, back and forth, with eyebrows raising up and up. After that, there is about a 90% chance they will full body cavity search... well at least a full body cavity search of your camera bag.Hey, don't scare him, he's scared enough To OP:Check the latest TSA rules for batteries. (tsa.gov ? ) You can find carry-on bag limits there too. Last time for me it was necessary to carry batteries on board (not in check-in luggage), either in-camera or the spare ones isolated (from each other too), at best with original cover or in plastic. It's good idea to have battery power enough to show the camera is working. In my case they mostly didn't check the camera, but wondered about a Gorillapod or my heart-shaped stress ball, so put strange things in the check-in luggageNo way monopod or tripod on board.

karl mohrwrote:Will I be separated from my camera stuff in order to deal with the new-style x-ray machines?As usually, for the split second, just keep an eye on it, that's all. And don't be nervous, you will be suspectJust like my son was told , being searched for drugs in the train from Amsterdam by couple of 6'5" german cops : "Why are you so nervous ?"

On the same topic: is the camera bag considered an extra to another bag ( ie: can you have both a camera bag AND a laptop bag?). I think I read somewhere you could carry both onboard at no extra charge, but I am not sure.Anyone? -- Younes ( Paris, FR) K100D,K10D,D40 + lenses

That's a good question Younes, I'd like to know if they count that as a carry-on, too.Once I make it to Miami, It will probably be subject to more security searches as I will be boarding a cruise ship at that point.Thanks. everyone!

You must ask the company you fly with. It depends on the company and sometimes also on the ticket rate. Usually laptop bag is not counted, but I met also exceptions here in Europe, it was in England in the past and still might be here by low-cost companies.On the other side, bigger camera bag is often counted as second bag, that's why I put all my carry-on things to one Slinghshot. Mind, that if you fly with family, everyone can carry at least one bag, so I for example use my son, who carries everything in his jacket and never has his own bag.Youneswrote:On the same topic: is the camera bag considered an extra to another bag ( ie: can you have both a camera bag AND a laptop bag?). I think I read somewhere you could carry both onboard at no extra charge, but I am not sure.Anyone? -- Younes ( Paris, FR) K100D,K10D,D40 + lenses

My experience in '09 after we got thru LAX from Oz.Firstly we could have 2 personal (carry on) bags each, I had a small backpack and a Tamrac velocity 7 , G/f had a small case on wheels and laptop bag, no problems getting them on the international or domestic flights. Most of the airlines should have a section online with the neccessary measurements allowed, but be aware i think most of the US internals charge for pretty much everything. A camera bag and a laptop bag shouldnt be a problem, its no different from a woman with a large handbag and laptop.When we got scanned for the US domestic flights the laptop and any external hard drives had to come out of their bags. In my Tamrac Velocity 7 was a SX1is and a wad of AA batteries, BOTH had to come out of the velocity, and coming home they rescanned the camera gear twice at Indy airport 8-(. . and wanting it done at break neck speed, kinda reminded me of livestock going thru a cattle race, only thing they didnt have were the electric prodders . . . hmmm maybe they have them now as well 8-) -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark-cooper/

I traveled a few weeks ago with my camera and gear in a carry-on and inside the US I was not asked to take the camera out of the bag.On the way back to the US, flying from Paris, I was required to take the camera out, take the lens off of it, and take my other lenses and external flash out of my carry on bag and send them all through the scanner separately.So if you are planning a trip to Paris - I guess keep that in mind!Cindi

Go to the internet to your airline, and see what applies to your carry on luggage. Every airline is different. Here in Israel, the airlines seem the same. Economy is 8kgs and Business class is 20Kgs. Everything goes through the scanner but nothing comes to harm. -- fredyr

I travel internationally all the time with an Xsi and a 18-200 zoom. I have it in a carry-on that I've padded with foam and nobody cares. I have a suspicion that the plastic body on the camera lets through enough X rays for them to see that it is a camera.For a while, my Canon stabilized binoculars were causing quite a buzz, but now it seems to be whether anything is hidden in the foam.They've already seen about 500 cameras that day by the time they get around to you.Whatever happens, be cool and they will be too.