Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 07:51 AM 3/10/02 -0800, pmjensen wrote: >The Nikon you mention must have been, at least originally, a rangefinder. >Though maybe it's in the LUG archives, would you care to re-explain to >the naifs amongst us how or why some photojournalists chose the Leica, >some the Contax, others the Nikon (rangefinders)? Prior to the Korean War, most press photographers used a cut-film camera such as one of the Speed Graphics or the like. In the late 1930's, the more daring had gone over to medium-format gear such as Rolleiflex TLR's -- Time-Life was the first major publication to uniformly accept MF negatives; at that time, most publications insisted on the larger cut-film negatives. At this point, only those with an independent reputation -- such as Eisenstaedt and Capa -- could get away with a miniature-format (35mm) camera. Capa, for instance, began with a Leica but shifted to Contax before the Second World War -- he went ashore at D-Day bearing a Rolleiflex Automat and a Contax II. When the Korean War erupted, David Douglas Duncan began to use Nikon lenses on his Leica camera bodies, and introduced Mydans to the breed. Mydans then both adopted the Japanese lenses and pushed their use on the folks back home. I don't recall that the Nikon RF BODIES made much of a dent, though Capa was carrying one, along with a Contax II, at the time of his death in Indo-China. Mydans' influence on Time-Life together with their experience with Eisie's photography was sufficient to expand significantly the acceptability of 35mm gear by press photographers. Sal will undoubtedly correct all my many errors in this but, in my defense, one of my principal sources of information on Mydans is Sal's friend, Mike Fletcher. Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +276/343-7315 Cha robh bąs fir gun ghrąs fir! - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html