Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/12/22

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] "This is War" David Douglas Duncan
From: Gwpics@aol.com
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1999 15:02:09 EST

I have just bought the above book in very good condition from the local 
library sale for £2 ($3.20).   I was interested to read in the photo 
information that all shots (1951) were taken on a Leica IIIC but Duncan 
comments:

"Every photograph ... was taken with a Leica camera but fitted with Nikkor 
lenses ... made in occupied Japan.   Horace Bristol, former Life and Fortune 
photographer ... began experimenting with a new line of Nikkor lenses ... and 
found to our utter astonishment that their three standard lenses for 35mm 
cameras were far superior ... to any standard 35mm lenses available on the 
open market - British, American or German.   Except for our wide angle and 
extreme telephoto lenses - above 135mm - we ... re-equiped with only Nikkor 
lenses.   The Nikkors that we found best were 50mm f1.5, 85mm f2 and 135mm 
f3.5.

As the Korean war progressed ... the reputation of the new lenses spread 
until, in a matter of only three months, there was scarcely a photographer 
working out of Japan who was not using Nikkors on his cameras."

The photographic detail runs to a full page of close type in the book, and is 
very interesting reading.   Duncan goes into detail of film type and 
developers, together with individual lens choice, aperture and shutter speed 
for some of the work.   To have remembered such detail after such traumatic 
shooting is quite remarkable!

A very interesting £2's worth.

Gerry 
Gerry Walden (UK)