Nikon and photojournalism

rexmarriott · January 30, 2017

I have an interest in news photography in the 1970s, '80s and '90s. Oddly, books that I have on the subject fail to mention the makes of cameras preferred by photojournalists. The only reference I can find is in Brian Long's 'Nikon: A Celebration', which suggests that the Nikon became the camera of choice after the Korean War.

Is it true that during the era I'm studying most photojournalists (at least in the US and UK) employed Nikon cameras? If so, what were the reasons for this preference?

Thank you.

JDMvW · January 30, 2017

Yes.

Two explanations:

'fad" and herd mentality first of all.

but most of all, the quality of Nikon lenses (both RF and SLR) and the incredible, still incredible, Nikon F SLR body.

JDMvW · January 30, 2017

An excellent discussion of the state of Photojournalism in the 1980s period is the volume by that title in the 17-volume LIFE LIBRARY OF PHOTOGRAPHY series, Time-Life Books/New York, NY These are widely available used in good condition for cheap.

The earlier edition is printed in photogravure and the pictures are as close as you can get to the real thing.

kohanmike · January 30, 2017

At that time Nikon was the most robust versatile 35mm camera system available. In the early 70s I bought two F2 Photomics and used them for almost 30 years. In the later 70s Canon decided to compete and while Nikon seemed to rest on it's laurels, Canon began taking over market share. Took a long time for Nikon to leapfrog Canon, to the point where the herd mentality went more to Canon than to Nikon.

rexmarriott · January 30, 2017

Thank you for these responses, and thank you for the recommendation, JDM.

Michael, the F3 was launched in 1980. How was it viewed? Was it not seen as suitable for news photography as the F and F2?

ShunCheung · January 30, 2017

The F3 was also very well received and was officially "in production" for a long time, from 1980 all the way to 2001 (well after even the F5 had already been introduced in 1996). In modern standards, the F3's 1/80 sec flash sync speed is a bit of a downside.

Sandy Vongries · January 30, 2017

The apocryphal story is that during the Korean War a photographer got hold of a Nikon and was using it for his work. One particularly dramatic photo was blown up to very large size and what had appeared to be a dust spot proved to be a helicopter. At that point things took off.

rexmarriott · January 30, 2017

OK, a thought occurs to me. I know that Nippon Kogaku was formed from companies which specialised in optics, so this was obviously a strength. Was the F-mount, then, at least in part, an attempt to ensure that Nikkor lenses were only used on Nikon cameras, thus boosting the sales of Nikons?

SCL · January 30, 2017

Let;s not forget that in the rangefinder world, which was rapidly diminishing at this point in favor of slrs, Leicas still ruled the rangefinder roost and continued to be used by some photojournalists who either had not switched to slrs, or who preferred them for the accuracy of their focus for 50 & 35mm lenses, as well as their durability.

Rick Helmke · January 30, 2017

I got into photojournalism at an early age with an F2 and still have two of those. Nikon is all I ever used and is still what I see most commonly in newsrooms, at murder scenes, on sidelines and anywhere else a news event is going on. Of course Canon has a long line of equipment used by many photojournalists as well

Rick H

User_4754088 · January 30, 2017

I believe the Korean war story was actually, David Douglas Duncan and another photographer (who's name escapes me right now), got a hold of some Nikkor lenses that were in LTM and used them on their Leica iiic camera bodies and found the images they created to be better than what they were getting from the Leica glass of that time.

dave_wilson1 · January 30, 2017

When I still used to shoot freelance, mostly sports, back in the 80s I used an F3, N2000 (when it came out), two FM2s

and a Canon F1 so that I could borrow some of the big Canon lenses the one paper had. Most guys I was around had

Canon, a few used Nikon. Olympus had it's followers too.

rodeo_joe1 · January 30, 2017

Don't forget that Rollei TLRs had their adherents

into the 1970s as well; mostly among "old boys"

that worked for provincial newspapers. There were

also a lot of stock libraries and picture editors that didn't want to know about the 35mm format.

Remember that photojournalism isn't just about war coverage, hard news, sport and celebrity snaps. It also encompassed glossy lifestyle, human-interest mags and the like that demanded a higher image quality. These were a big freelance market until they lost their popularity.

bebu_lamar · January 30, 2017

Michael, the F3 was launched in 1980. How was it viewed?

Initially pro photographers were worried about the F3 battery dependency. Nikon made the external battery pack as well as making the motor drive to power the camera. But the concern was unfounded and and the F3 was very well accepted among photojournalists. It was the F4 poor AF performance that made a good number of photojournalists to switch to Canon. The F5 did get some of them back but it was too late as digital was on its way.

WAngell · January 30, 2017

I initially had Nikon F & F2's. All my Nikon stuff was stolen and Wolf Camera loaned me an OM kit to use for a couple of weeks. I very happily shot an OM-1 and OM-2 for the next 15 or so years and still have them.

donbright · January 30, 2017

Image quality, the ability to change lenses quickly, Nikons F mount is legendary, durability.

michaelging · January 31, 2017

I started with a Nikon Ftn, then went though all the F cameras to the F5. Nikon was one of the first professional cameras that had a motor that would let a Photojournalist shoot sports or news at a fast speed. They designed the cameras for professionals with things like large capacity backs. The lenses were sharp and contrasty and were built like tanks. Nikon Professional services took very good care of staff photographers at newspapers and magazines. If you had a camera fall into a creek on a assignment, soaked in a hurricane, they would repair it quickly and give you a loaner if they could not. The long glass was fast and well made as well, with the F mount allowing you to keep using older lenses. I am no longer a staff Photographer for a major paper, but my Nikons took me around the world and never let me down. I still freelance and I am still shooting with a D3s and a D810 and still using 20 yrs old Nikkor lenses.

rexmarriott · January 31, 2017

BeBu, having used a Nikon F, an F3 and an F4, what you say makes perfect sense. I don't use the auto focus on the F4. Also, compared to previous pro bodies, I find the F4 bulky and heavy (mine's an F4S, so incorporates six AA batteries). Worse, the batteries run down so quickly that I can imagine a busy photojournalist having to carry several spare sets.

puderse · January 31, 2017

In '68 my rich Uncle Sam took me on my senior trip to exotic foreign lands and along the way sent me to US Army still photo school and paid all my expenses!

The first lab I worked out of said use this 4 X 5 Linhof 3-lens kit and this Pentax for slides. I bought two Fs and seven lenses with my own money.

Went on to use government F2s and F3s with my own lenses. Still have those two Fs and a couple more.

They work till you kill them, they don't die on their own. I still shoot one and it's never been in the shop. The other got slow and needed a CLA.

I hope my grandchildren want them.

robert_bowring · January 31, 2017

Nikonn did make a F3P model for press photographers. I have used F, F2 and F3 cameras since the seventies. They are tough and have never had one crap out on me. So I guess that is one reason they were so popular for press photographers. If you see pictures of photographers during the Vietnam war they are invariably using Leicas or Nikons.

Richard Williams · January 31, 2017

Although I'm sure this didn't affect most users, I recall an interview with one photojournalist (I believe he was covering the Falklands War) mentioning problems with the battery-dependent F3 in cold conditions, and wishing he'd taken a mechanical camera. I suppose this is why Nikon sold the 'DB-2 Anti-Cold Battery Holder', which replaces the button cells with a cable that plugs into the battery compartment, connected to an AA holder you could stuff in your pocket. Does anyone have one of these?

john_narsuitus · February 1, 2017

In the late 1960s when I first hired as a photographer for a local newspaper, I was using a Miranda Sensorex. Most of the other photographers were using Nikon, Leica, and Rolleiflex. I switched from the Sensorex to the Nikon F when my Sensorex broke too many times. I was so pleased with the reliability and dependability of the Nikon F that I have been using Nikons ever since. I have used the Nikon F, F2, F3, F4, EM, and N70.

I was told by other photographers that in the 1960s, Nikons were popular 35mm SLRs used by many American photojournalist but Pentax Spotmatics were very popular in Europe.

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Nikon and photojournalism

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