A theory as to why HCB would only use the collapsible 'cron

[johnny massey]

Paris back in the day must have had plenty of little clothing 'alterations' shops, but having the pockets enlarged on an entire wardrobe may have been prohibitively expensive. There you go Jeremy - LOGIC.

[adrian bastin]

Perhaps if he had used a point-&-shoot they would still be great photographs - but they would not be the pictures we know and love.

 

In a way, I think I see what Jeremy is getting at (not that I like the way he's putting it over) : HCB's pictures have an overall texture to them which seems to be more important than the sharpness of any one part. Even if this was simply achieved it was what he wanted and that lens, and Tri-X, did it for him.

 

It makes sense, if it is true, that he used the Sonnar up untill the collapsible Summicron and explains the consistancy I seem to see in his images - in fact I wonder if anyone can point to visible evedence in the pictures of the the change from one to the other.

 

This may be rubbish and it all might be in post-processing. But why should it be ? Nothing was arbitrary with him and he used the tools he needed to achieve the exact image quality he wanted.

[adrian bastin]

Another factor worth thinking about is that HCB was a draughtsman and so saw images in that way. In painting and drawing the picking out of a detail in an image went out of fashion at around the time photography was invented. The Coll Summicron has a very satisfying way of depicting and distributing texture through an image.

[imran_ahmed]

Maybe the HCB's colap lens was bullet proof !

[adrian bastin]

Imran, sho'nuf !

[tito sobrinho]

HCB was full of eccentricities. Since 1956 when I started to do photography, I never saw his face until recently. He chose to be incognito for his decisive moment when photographing.

 

Years past, I read an interview whereas he painted a mustache a la S.Dali on his face on the French Passaport. Besides that, there was no other picture of him.

 

How eccentric can you be...masking the red Leica logo on a black M body but using a shinny chrome lens. Hello?!.

 

S. Salgado had his face published including a TV interview. Recently, when in Brasil attending a social gathering, I din't recognize the man!

 

Do you think the populace would recognize HCB?

 

Yes, HCB was an eccentric man!

 

So J.Tok, there is more on your theory to be explained.

[vinay_patel]

"The camera and lens slipped into his pocket thereby enabling to have his Leica with him at all times.

 

There's no doubt he would be lugging the Canon 1Ds around if he was a photographer of our time"

 

That'd require quite some pocket.

[john_spiers]

"Years past, I read an interview whereas he painted a mustache a la S.Dali on his face on the French Passaport. Besides that, there was no other picture of him.

 

How eccentric can you be...masking the red Leica logo on a black M body but using a shinny chrome lens. Hello?!.

 

Do you think the populace would recognize HCB?

 

Yes, HCB was an eccentric man!"

 

------------------------------------------------

 

He might have been slightly camera shy, but there are loads of photos of HCB. Certainly more than just the one on his passport!

 

As for using a "shiny chrome lens", it doesn't look that shiny to me. Even if it was, the M plus collapsible lens is still a very discreet, unobtrusive camera.

 

He doesn't seem that eccentric to me.

[jimsimmons]

Check Beaumont Newhall's autobiography, "Focus." In 1946 HCB was using an f/1.5 Contax lens (Zeiss Sonnar) because he needed the extra stop for low light. He was also using an f/1.5 85mm lens, make not stated, but I think only Nikon made an 85 f/1.5. The Sonnar 85mm was f/2. Since Tri-x was introduced in 1954, perhaps HCB decided he could give up the stop and go to the collapsible Summicron. Newhall also stated that HCB would never accept gifts unless his wife was with him to carry them. This was because he didn't ever carry anything but his camera. So I don't think focussing/softness was an issue for HCB. I think his top priorities were having enough light and portability. And probably fast-handling ergonomics mixed in there too. You can look at most of his pictures and see that sharpness - either relative or maximum - never seem to be of a concern. He held as still as he could and focussed as quickly as he could given the situation, but if the light was low and the action was fast, he just snapped the picture. His print-makers have opined that some of his exposures have been hell to print because they weren't very good guesstimates.

[al_kaplan1]

Leitz made the 85/1.5 Summarex, and I'm pretty sure that in addition to Nikon, Zeiss and Canon made 85/1.5 optics also. Angenieux offered a 90/1.8 lens in LTM. None of them were great wide open by today's standards.

[jimsimmons]

Here's an interesting site -

 

http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Contax_rangefinder_lenses

 

that shows full (?) list of lenses that fit the Contax rangefinders. No f/1.5 85mm listed. Maybe something very unusual did exist though.

[msitaraman]

I've said it before on photo.net and I will say it again. The man had unusually large hands. I have small hands and envy his large M-camera enfolding hands.

 

BTW, given this talent, HC-B was literally the last person on earth who needed camera gear to impress anyone, and yet he is inextricably tied to the Leica marque... Wonder why this is?

[jeremy_tok]

Oh boy, so many comments. From glancing at them they are better than the earlier ones. I'll comment on the comments when the office is quieter.

[terry_rory]

"and yet he is inextricably tied to the Leica marque... Wonder why this is?"

 

The Leica was his camera of choice from 1931 for the whole of his professional life. No matter what lenses he used, the Leica was a constant.

[adrian bastin]

I have always taken it for granted that Leica gave him cameras - 'use our cameras exclusively and we will keep you supplied and serviced' - sort of deal. don't know where I got that from, so I might be wrong.

 

I'm sure someone here, following the forum, will know.

[john_spiers]

http://www.dantestella.com/technical/contaxt.html

 

I knew I'd read about HCB and the Contax T somewhere. Anyone have any more info?

[jonathan_reynolds]

Is there anyone here who actually carries their M in a jacket/coat pocket? I'd like to know whether it makes you walk funny, and how long pockets typically last.

[brambor]

I think it's tough to carry it in a pocket unless you have a leather jacket or some solid piece of garment. The camera is heavy and it tips the balance too much. Perhaps having an M in left and right pocket would be better but you might feel like a mule.

 

But, it carries well in your hand, on a hand strap. That's where it should be anyway. Ready to take a pic.

[ray .]

What I want to know is- what's up with the lens cap? What self respecting street

photographer would bother with one of those while photographing?

[brambor]

He used it to throw sun reflections at subjects to get their attention for perfect shots.

[jeremy_tok]

Well it turns out just one argument has merit to address. Stuart quite persuasively argued that the collapsible is in fact a pretty sharp lens, though muddy and low contrast compared to the lastest asph. That puts a serious ding into the theory.

 

A short mention about about comments like "Have you actually looked at his pictures? He has no focus problems." Has he no focus problems or are the pictures that achieve immortality those that happen to be without?

[michael s.]

Ray, you've been scarce.

 

You're leaving us to resolve so many of the world's problems w/out you?

 

See the results ? :)

[stephen_w.]

Give the "winner" a cookie.

[ray .]

Michael, if there were more like you the world's problems would go... poof!

[tito sobrinho]

Not just a plain cookie Stephen, but an Oreo!