Newsphotographers' Cameras

<p>What types of cameras are being used by most news photographers in these times? I wonder if there was a study or a poll ever done to determine this. And are there any of them who still use film?</p>

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<p>And are there any of them who still use film?</p>

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<p>Mark B---</p>

<p>there are probably as many newsphotographers using film cameras as many as there are Le Tour riders with single speed or steel frame bikes...zero. </p>

<p>Non urgent docs or features can be done with any cam, any format...medium format film or p&s digicams...On the other hand, if you are shooting current spot news or, say, the World Cup, most will have high speed 8fps Canon or Nikon or Sony DSLRs...</p>

<p>I'm also willing to bet no-one uses film in the news industry anymore.<br>

News is about getting out there fast and digital is just superior in that respect, especially for news sites where scanning of film would be needed.<br>

The cameras they use are most probably the high end Canons and Nikons. They simply make the best "pro" bodies and they each have an amazing set of lenses and their support for pros is solid. I'm guessing news doesn't need amazing quality so the speed oriented models are probably more popular, especially for sports.</p>

<p>Chuk, that's what I've heard recently; almost all the newsphotographers are using digitals and 10 megapixels.</p>

 

<p>Leslie, with reference to film cameras, I'm thinking 8x10 Deardorff for AZ Hwys =^)</p>

<p>I have seen a number of photographers using Leica film cameras, particularly in combat environments. I'm sure the percentage is quite low, but film is not dead in the industry. I would separate newspaper vs. magazine (editorial) though.</p>

<p>Film-using photojournalists (do they count as "news photogs"?) include award-winning Alan Chin, Teru Kuwayama, Philip Blenkinsop and James Whitlow Delano--the latter two are exclusive film users as far as I know. Simon Norfolk has used a large-format plate camera to capture stunning images of many of world's war zones, from Afghanistan to Bosnia to Beirut.</p>

<p>Mark B, try Lightstalkers for an answer to your question re: what types of camera.</p>

<p>Hi Clive,</p>

<p>I really wonder if you were to ask Teru Kuwayama or James Whitlow Delano themselves if they were "news photogs?"...what their responds would be? Would an average joe newsphotog carry wideluxes, holgas, a canon G series, M's into a warzone? </p>

<p>None of those guys fit into "newsphotog" to me...</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Film isn't dead, I didn't mean to imply it was in my first post...</p>

<p>Teru Kuwayama shoots Leica Ms, including an M8, and Holgas. I've seen his Holga work from Afghanistan in Time mag (or the other one) as I have seen JWD's Leica work in the same mag. Not sure if they'd class themselves as "news photogs." The OP mentioned film.</p>

<p>However you want to define "news photographer," film usage is well under a hundredth of a percent. If you go to any event covered by news organizations, what you will see is a lot of digital cameras, typically the Canon 1D3/4 and the Nikon equivalent, 24-70 and 70-200 zooms, and flash. You see a fair amount of 5D2s also, because they are used for video. This is the best way to find out what people are using. If you want to see for yourself, go to any newsworthy event (celebrity visit, important press conference, parade) and you can see what people are using.</p>

<p>I've covered a number of well-attended press events in the last few months and there isn't anyone that isn't shooting with that equipment except that some of the people shooting video also have small digicams.</p>

<p>However, I'm not sure why it matters. If you go to work for a news organization, they are going to give you equipment or equipment expectations and you're not going to have a choice. In general, news is a time-sensitive business (n-e-w (s)), and the newspapers, magazines and agencies need the images as quickly as possible. For documentary work that might be pushed through Magnum or similar agencies, it's more the photographer's choice, but if it's timely news, film is going to take too long.</p>

<p>At the U.S. Open I would say 95% were using high end Canons with BIG white lenses, the rest were using Nikons and no other brands were visible. Video was divided between Panasonic and Sony. This of course is sports, not news but many of these guys were from newspaper and use the same stuff everywhere.</p>

<p>Exactly what Jeff said. For news (i.e. stuff that has to be in print very quickly) then digi wins all the time. For more Magnum type stuff where time is a bit more forgiving, then what you use is probably down to personal choice. If time was not an issue for news photographers then they'd still all be using speed graphics and the like ;)</p>

<p>About three years ago I snapped a few pictures of a bus that had caught on fire just outside my office. I called the Los Angeles Times to see if they might want to develop the film and see if there was a shot they'd be interested in. I was told by the person at the photo desk that the newspaper no longer had a film darkroom.</p>