Robert Capa?

What Lecia did Robert Capa use during WWII?

I actually think it might have been a Contax.

 

jmp

Contax II and Rollei.

Contax II for D-Day.

I believe he used Leica when he 1st started & during the Spanish Civil War, then switched to Contax & Rollei in the 1930s & used them until his death (he also used some of the early Nikon RFs).

Most of his 35mm work was probabaly done with a Contax... it is my undestanding though that he was shooting with a Nikon rangefinder the day he died in Viet Nam.

I believe he had two Leicas with him on the day he died. One loaded with colour the

other with B+W. I stand to be corrected.

 

For those who did not know he was the first America correspondent to be killed in

Vietnam.

 

C.

probably............a camera ;o)

Craig:

 

If memory serves me correctly (which it doesn't always) the Nikon Capa was using when he died was once put on display in connection with a retrospective of his work. It may have been at the International Center for Photography, which would make sense as Capa's brother, Cornell, runs the ICP.

 

Dennis

In the Definitive Capa there's a photo of him with the Contax, WWII period -

and what looks like the Contax again in May 1954, weeks or days before his

death. Not a Leica to be seen...

I believe he had a Contax & a Nikon RF w/him when he died, the Contax loaded w/B&W & the Nikon w/color.

There was an interesting selection of Capa's colour photographs in one of the UK weekend newspaper supplements a few weeks ago. According to the accompanying article by Richard Whelan, the recent re-discovery of a set of misfiled photographs (apparently the cream of Capa's colour work) has led to a reassessment of Capa as a strictly b&w photographer. It's suggested that Capa would have shot much more colour if there'd been a bigger market for it. Note Whelan's carefully-phrased caption to the final photograph in the (entirely b&w) Phaidon _Definitive Collection_ ("This is Robert Capa's last black and white picture"). In fact, the last frame he shot was in colour.

Richard, I believe I've seen that last color shot reproduced somewhere, perhaps in another Capa biography . . .

What newspaper was it, Richard? Might try and track a copy down. Were the

colour shots extracted from anywhere? <p>

BTW, has anyone heard about the Magnum Stories book? Features every

Magnum photographer to date, with interviews/sroties on each. It was given

rave reviews on UK radio last weekend. it's the only item on my Christmas list.

Maybe the last colour photo is in Whelan's own Capa biography? - I haven't seen that one. It's not in _Blood and Champagne_ (Alex Kershaw didn't get permission to use any of Capa's photos). Incidentally, neither biographer seems to be reliable about Capa's equipment - Kershaw talks about Capa using a 'Leica' long after other sources suggest he'd switched to Contax, and (in the _Definitive Collection_ intro) Whelan claims Capa used Contax 'single-lens reflex cameras' (!) on D-Day.

 

The colour feature was in The Times magazine (29 May 04) - 14 Kodachromes from WWII, including the cover shot. Unfortunately it's an 'exclusive' rather than an extract, but it mentions that Richard Whelan is preparing a Capa exhibition for Sept 05 at the ICP in New York (http://www.icp.org/) - maybe they'll surface there, hopefully along with a book or exhibition catalogue..?

 

I've seen _Magnum Stories_ and it's on my list too!

A Contax II for D-Day indeed. Does anyone here own a genuine Sonnar in LTM? They were produced in WWII, I understand by orders from the government.<div></div>

Went back to check some references and I have nothing on hand that confirms which

cameras Capa was using on May 25 1954.

 

His last images did form part of Tim Page's "Requiem" exhibition. I'm not sure if Tim

has taken it to the States. Tim Page is interesting character, a chain-smoking M6

toting passionate man.

 

Both colour and B+W images are 35mm.

 

The sprocket hole spacing is visible in the exhibition prints (the original copied onto

sheet film). Titled in Requiem, "Red River Delta, Tonkin, Vietman, May 25 1954, Final

frame, "The Road to Tai Binh".

 

The sprocket hole spacing for the colour frame, his last image, would suggest it is

not made with a Leica. And as pointed out above he used Nikons.

 

The last B+W frame (#11) has sprocket hole spacing that is consistent with the

pattern of Leicas. But as we know the sprocket hole "test" is not conclusive.

 

The July 7 1954 issue of "Life" has nice article about Capa?s last assignment.

 

C.

Gosh Mike, that's a beautiful camera. Before WW2 there was always an arguement about Leica and Contax, which was better (Contax had better specs but Leica actually handled better in the field), which had better lenses (Contax, hands down), which was more reliable (probably Leica because the Contax was so much more complex). But the clincher, and unquestionably the reason the Capa owned Contax, was that they were a lot CHEAPER!

Bill: Were they really cheaper than Leicas? I've seen a catalog page somewhere online with both side by side but I can't find it.

 

There is a recent posting at the ZICG saying the Contax II with a 50/1.5 Sonnar was list priced 450RM in October 1937. A gentleman that frequents that list actually bought his new around that time and he said the street price in NYC was about $150, lens type not specified. There was a BIG premium for the 50/1.5 over the 50/2.

 

At that time 1 Reichsmark=0.358 gram fine gold. (again, ZICG source) The price was in the range of $2000-3000 of todays money for sure.

 

You'll note that mine is synched for flash. I think I'm going to try and remove the flash synch and patch the hole in the metal if I can locate a donor for the leather replacement. (anyone?)

<a href="http://www.cameraquest.com/prices38.htm">HERE</a> is that price list. So the Contax II with 50/2 was indeed a little bit more than the Leica III with 50/2. Get the metered III and the 50/1.5 and the price spread considerably.

 

<p>See the 35mm Contaflex TLR on that page too? Its the first camera with a built-in meter. Zeiss was on top of the curve in those days.

I stand corrected. My information on price came from an article on the Contax by Norbert Nelson in the old "Camera 35" magazine, quoting $135 for a Contax I with Tessar and $196.80 for a model II Leica with Elmar. I've always heard that they maintained their price advantage until civilian production was stopped. Anyhow, your Contax II sure is pretty (I don't think that the PC fitting detracts any)!

Stephen Gandy has posted the U.S. prices for Leica v. Contax in 1938:

 

http://cameraquest.com/prices38.htm

I just got 1 off the 'bay (attached to a Leica IIIc). Now I can do the whole HC-B thing!

 

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"Does anyone here own a genuine Sonnar in LTM? They were produced in WWII, I understand by orders from the government."

No, the only advantages the thread mount Leicas had over the Contax was smaller size & a greater, & therefore cheaper (but not higher quality), installed base of lenses & accessories. I'm sure some photographers preferred the Leicas's ergonomics, but the Contax was inarguably more technically advanced (it was the EOS of its era) & for many folks the combined VF/RF made the Contax handle better in the field than the Leica (certainly does for me). As far as reliability is concerned, the Contax was generally considered to be tougher (the VF/RF mechanism is damn near bulletproof) & was just as reliable as the simpler Leica, provided it received regular maintenance, which is why Time-Life issued Contax IIs & IIIs for its photogs during the '30s & '40s (those same cameras were later donated to Hillary's Mt. Everest expedition after Time-Life switched to the post-WWII IIas & IIIas)

 

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"Before WW2 there was always an arguement about Leica and Contax, which was better (Contax had better specs but Leica actually handled better in the field), which had better lenses (Contax, hands down), which was more reliable (probably Leica because the Contax was so much more complex)."

I think that those B&J prices were for used equipment. Incidentally, the camera that Hillary actually took to the top of Everest was a Kodak Retina.