Great western USA trip (and a bit of NYC)

Hello @mmerig ,
Many thanks for all theses very useful informations about location and weather. You seem, logically enough, to know well both. Do you think we'll get good luck of clear sky during eclipse ? I didn't though of forrest fires smoke, that's good to know, although a little worrying.

Effectively I have in mind driving North until highway 33, and, in eventuality of partially covered weather, chasing clear sky along H33. The thing I don't know is, if generally, it's easy to find a place where to stop and park the car in full security, along the road. Without of course disturbing anyone or any private property.

I will probably PM you very soon.

Thanks again,

Best regards,

Raphael

Hi all,

We are refining our travel, now well defined and documented, especially by wife' s conscientiousness

I still have however questions and hypothesis about analog photo gear I will bring with me.
I presume (maybe mistakenly), that Western countries town and desert areas, in August, will be somewhat dusty.

So, for the moment, I plan to take with me my sturdy, very versatile, not fragile, well beaten camera, aka my Nikon F5. The drawback it's it high needs of batteries.
I wouldn't take with me my nice Leica R8 and a few lenses, or my Bessa R2M rangefinder with a 40mm. I will probably regret the later for street photo in SF and for B&W landscape, by I'm afraid of dust and harsh temperature conditions.

In MF, weight restrictions conduct me to take only a Fuji 645GSW, lightweight, reliable MF camera with a good wide angle lens.

Do you think theses are good choices ?

Another point, the tripod, as some people here advised to take one, and I actually need one at least for the Sun Eclipse day.
What brand/model will be the perfect (I know... probably none, but I try) compromise between weight, portability and sturdiness ?
I saw once here about FLM 26 tripod (APUG advertiser), but a quick research on online seller show very little stock anywhere... And it's a little pricey... Does it worth that ?

In advance, thanks you very much.

Regards,

Raphael

Your F5 takes AA batteries. Probably the most common size and available almost anywhere.

I wouldn't be that concerned about dust except when the camera is being used. When not used, keep in a gallon sized zip lock bag (or 2 if you're really concerned). But the reality (to me) is that your F5 and Fuji will do you well. Though I would add a small, pocketable 35mm P&S.

It may have been mentioned, but in the US you can have mail and packages delivered to a Post Office as "Hold for Pickup". It's held for 14 days for you to pick up. But confirm with the specific PO as some have limited storage. Then again, this SF shop tends to have good prices on film (at least online prices).

Another handy item on a road trip like this is a small inverter to power 120v devices.

I completely avoid San Francisco now. The city pays bums and drug addicts to live there and now protects criminal illegal aliens. The place has become virtually Third World. To buy the legal marijuana the bums are breaking into parked cars and stealing everything they can. SF has the highest increase in robbery in the country. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/san-francisco-crime-policy/479880/ Last time I was there I twice saw bums pooping on the street. The place has really gone down hill over the past 20 years. Not sure it will be cleaned up again in my life time--there seems to be no political will to do so.


Kent in SD

Dust should not be a concern. It is usually not a problem.

Hello all, thanks for contributing,

@mgb74 : many thanks for all these useful informations : I knew Samy's camera, but as an Ebay shop, not as brick-and-mortar ! And the shop you gave me is only a few streets from my hotel, so it will be very useful. Then, maybe I will have to bring less films with me than planned initially.
About F5 and AA battery, I use ordinarly NiMh batteries, but maybe I should use replaceable Alkaline batteries, will be less eco-friendly, but I will not have to bring a charger with me (weight, and need to find one 120V compatible)

Kent ( @Two23 ) : Well, we'll see... I'm afraid certain Paris districts aren't really cleaner. But, about SF, we have been warned, a lot of tourists sadly reported us things not far from that...

@Sirius Glass : thanks, that's good to know. However, I think I'll stick to robust ans simple gear.
Best,
Raphael

Nodda Duma said:

Advice #1: In mid-August it will be extremely hot and dry in the desert areas. Please purchase plenty of water in Vegas and have enough with you for whenever you hike away from the car. Stay hydrated so that your vacation doesn't turn into a nightmare.

Otherwise have fun.

Click to expand...

While August is vacation time in France, in many parts of the USA, it is hot to very hot. I would be sure your rental car is air conditioned and probably buy film in San Francisco although people who live there know more about that that I. Smaller cities probably will no longer have camera stores. Also carry plenty of water as said above. Other than that, all I can say is take time to see the sights as well as photograph them and I envy you....Regards!

I would not worry about dust unless you are constantly changing lenses and it is windy. A lens shade is helpful in more ways than one. A UV filter will protect the surface of your lenses. A light-weight but sturdy carbon fiber tripod with a quick connect type head is very handy. AA batteries are available everywhere. A camera backpack makes carrying your equipment easier. A GPS is very helpful especially if you can preload it with POI (points of interest) settings. A cooler with cold drinks and goodies. As you mentioned buying your film in SF will save weight and probably be cheaper than bringing it with you. I understand that weight of your carry-on can be an issue so you and/or members of your family could hang the heavier cameras over their shoulder when checking in (a friend told me he had to do that on a recent trip). I would restrict the amount of equipment to keep things simple. For my part when I travel, since I mainly use B&W film, I take two identical bodies one with a wide angle lens and one with a short tele plus a 2x. I use the same film in both and use a hand-held meter. For color I take a very good point-and -shoot digital that I can fit in a pocket. I have never had any problem with street photography with the 2 1/4 Hasselblads that I take. The large ziplok bags mentioned come in handy if it is raining and you can find them in most supermarkets. For your B&W a yellow, orange and light green filter should cover most of what you want to do. A special filter would be needed for the eclipse and I believe they are available in gel forms so a large enough one could be held or some way attached in front of the lens.

Have a great trip.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

Hi all,
@oldtimermetoo, @jeffreyg , I forgot to thanks you for your answers, your help is greatly appreciated.
BTW, Jeffrey, I saw your online gallery on your website, and that's great photography, I like it very much !
Thanks again for all theses advices.

Well, day of departure is approaching, and I think I have a rather well defined idea of what I will bring with me as analog gear.

I solved (with a lot of euros... ), the question about what photo tripod :
I bought the FLM CP-26 travel carbon tripod. Not used in real condition for the moment, but it seems very well built.

The other question which is teasing my mind, if I take with me a second 35mm camera, like my Bessa R2M rangefinder, in order to have one for color the other for B&W...

I have also to tune my exposures choices for Eclipse's day, I still have to read the links provided in the other thread, and do actual exposure tests using Baader filter film.

Thanks again,

Best regards,

Raphael

Hello everyone,
If ever someone interested, and for test posting with the new photrio website, I'm currently right now on West Yellowstone, Montana, enjoying a very Sunny and warm afternoon..
We are absolutely enchanted by our travel for now, in this great country, under a nice (but warm) weather ! Have shot a lot of Roll of film !

Weather forecasts are rather good for the eclipse day, so all is fine!