Can airport security X-ray machines damage digital camera or memory card images? Should precautions be taken?
X-Ray machines don’t damage digital cameras or memory card. Even the damage to films is history now. In all airports the present day X-Ray scanners are ‘film-safe’. (Out of fear however I always carry my films with me through the metal scanners.) The only damage that can occur to the memory card is by magnets. Airports use this to check the metal on person when you pass through the special ‘doors’ or sometimes with hand-held metal detectors. It is actually recommended to let the camera go through X-Rays to avoid magnets. No, you don’t have to remove the cards. Just make sure that your camera is off.
