8000 KM in a Miata

[Spleenrippa]

After two years it's time to pack up for my next posting, which happens to be back home- Victoria, BC! 😀

My brother is flying out to do the drive with me in my '07 MX-5. Of course, having done the (rather boring) Trans-Canada a few times in the past, as well as the northern interstates, I've opted for the following itinerary:

Leg 1- Halifax to Chicago via I-90W
Leg 2- Chicago to LA via I-80/70
Leg 3- LA to the border along the coast, Route 1/101/I-5 N

The RCAF will give me 12 days to make the journey to BC. I've chosen an ~8000 km route, which necessitates a coverage of about 700 km/day. However, it is quite easy for two blokes to rip along for 15+ hours a day in order to slow down in the interesting places 😉

My brother insists on bringing his Rolleiflex, so that's fine. I'd like your guys' opinion on whether to lug along my Nikon F5 (w/ 1 or 2 lenses) or go ultra-light and just take my Pentax 110?

Any advice or thoughts? It's all greatly appreciated 🙂

 

[FrankS]

Personally, I would not leave the documentation of a significant journey to a film format smaller than 135. 110 just doesn't cut it for me. Do you have a 135 format camera any smaller or lighter than the F5? Although since you are travelling by car, as opposed to long hikes on foot, the weight of the F5 really doesn't matter.

 

[semi-ambivalent]

After two years it's time to pack up for my next posting, which happens to be back home- Victoria, BC! 😀

My brother is flying out to do the drive with me in my '07 MX-5. Of course, having done the (rather boring) Trans-Canada a few times in the past, as well as the northern interstates, I've opted for the following itinerary:

Leg 1- Halifax to Chicago via I-90W
Leg 2- Chicago to LA via I-80/70
Leg 3- LA to the border along the coast, Route 1/101/I-5 N

The RCAF will give me 12 days to make the journey to BC. I've chosen an ~8000 km route, which necessitates a coverage of about 700 km/day. However, it is quite easy for two blokes to rip along for 15+ hours a day in order to slow down in the interesting places 😉

My brother insists on bringing his Rolleiflex, so that's fine. I'd like your guys' opinion on whether to lug along my Nikon F5 (w/ 1 or 2 lenses) or go ultra-light and just take my Pentax 110?

Any advice or thoughts? It's all greatly appreciated 🙂

That trip will rock! I haven't driven I-80 for a long time but every time I have there has been tons of roadwork and a lot of semis. I-70 through Glennwood Canyon in Colorado is amazing, do it in the day. From 80 in Nebraska you can take 76 down to Denver and 70. It's a long and lonely diagonal across the eastern Colorado plains (good for The Doors music). You'll want to go crazy fast there, everyone does. That's why the Highway Patrol works it. So be safe and 'alert'. 🙂

Maybe read a bit of "On the Road" to get primed. Road trip with camera. Can't get any better. Forgot to mention, the sun is pretty intense in the West; make sure you know how you're going to handle the high contrast lighting.

s-a

 

[Spleenrippa]

For 135, I also have a Nikon F80, EM and FG.
I could take my Bessa R3A...
But there's just something about the F5 and a roll of Portra. It is huge, unwieldy... And feels like absolute magic 🙂
I suppose the real problem is packing light vs my illogical F5 love.

 

[FrankS]

I understand. I love my F4.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I did the Washington DC to San Francisco drive with one friend to help with the driving - we covered that distance in 3 1/2 days doing 12 hours a day on the road. Even with those limits (shorter distance, less driving time per day) we still barely had time to pause to eat, let alone stop for tourist stuff. We did take a detour to Flaming Gorge National Park and took my VW Jetta to the bottom of a canyon and back up again (amazing it made it on the corduroy road surface left by the road graders!). But that was really it. I think you'll be pushing yourself way too hard to get in any quality photo time on that journey. And especially in the Miata - you'll have enough room in the trunk for your two cameras and a couple clean pairs of underwear, and that's about it. The Miata is not what springs to mind as a long-distance tourer.

 

[BLKRCAT]

Why not bring the F4 for the important things and throw the Auto110 in the glove box?

 

[Spleenrippa]

I did the Washington DC to San Francisco drive with one friend to help with the driving - we covered that distance in 3 1/2 days doing 12 hours a day on the road. Even with those limits (shorter distance, less driving time per day) we still barely had time to pause to eat, let alone stop for tourist stuff. We did take a detour to Flaming Gorge National Park and took my VW Jetta to the bottom of a canyon and back up again (amazing it made it on the corduroy road surface left by the road graders!). But that was really it. I think you'll be pushing yourself way too hard to get in any quality photo time on that journey. And especially in the Miata - you'll have enough room in the trunk for your two cameras and a couple clean pairs of underwear, and that's about it. The Miata is not what springs to mind as a long-distance tourer.

Well, the idea is that we will essentially do the drive in the same time. Neither of us have much interest in anything east of Chicago (been there, done that) so we will be booking it. That will gives us a chance to stop in Vegas for a show, see San Fran or Portland, or whatever. We don't care so much about stopping at every tourist attraction, as we do about stopping in the couple places we actually want to see.

As for the car... While there is no denying she's small, there is the glovebox, 3 six-pack sized storage areas in the cabin and a trunk quite capable of carting a set of golf clubs or a couple duffels with a few days clothes in each. IMO, It is the perfect touring vehicle 😉