Classic cameras in fiction

[ridinhome]

<p>I was reading Colum McCann's "Let the Great World Spin" while taking the subway into work this morning, when there it was...a reference to a Minolta SR-T 102. Being the camera geek that I am, I couldn't help but feel a little thrilled at an actual reference to a classic film camera in contemporary fiction.<br>

Anyone else have any references to cameras in fiction?</p>

[bueh]

<p>As I was told by my cosplay subjects, there is a Japanese video games series called <a href="http://www.cameraslens.com/fatalframewiki/index.php5?title=Camera_Obscura"><strong>Fatal Frame</strong></a> (a.k.a. Project Zero) that features ghost-capturing "classic" cameras (called camera obscura). Boy, were they surprised that these are actually real cameras that can be used for photography!</p>

<p>In "Stamping Butterflies" by Jon Courtenay Grimwood (one of my favorite books & authors) a picture taken by a hobbyist with a Leica plays a small but important part in the plot.</p><div></div>

[JDMvW]

<p>Television shows on crime scenes, etc. have many, many pictures being taken with cameras of various makes, mostly Nikon. They use the cameras with the same degree of realism given in the shows to DNA analysis.... :{</p>

[h._p.]

<p>I remember a book, written by a French author, in which the hero is a photo-journalist using a pair of Nikons. It's more than forty years since I read the book, so I cannot remember either author or title, but I do remember two interesting things: the photographs taken by the hero are refered to as 'documents' and the cameras are kept in ever-ready cases. Appropos of the latter, one long passage lovingly describes how the hero opens the case on one of the cameras, sets the controls and takes a picture, which then becomes central to the plot.</p>

[frank.schifano]

<p>Let's not forget the Nikons and Hasselblads used in the film "Blowup."</p>

[bueh]

<p>As I understood it, this thread was about vintage cameras in modern, contemporary fiction. That there are tons of cameras featured on older literature and movies is pretty obvious, but I am curious, too, about references in current fiction to camera gear that is nowadays "obsolete".</p>

<p>After all, "Let the Great World Spin" is from 2009 (set in 1973), while the Minolta SR-T 102 is from the early 1970s.</p>

[david_carroll4]

<p>The protagonist of Dick Francis' novel "Reflex" is a photographer - like all of Francis' books, the technical details are extremely well researched. I can't remember what equipment he used, but no doubt it's all in there, chapter and verse. A very entertaining read.</p>

[starvy]

<p>Which camera does Will Smith carry as Fresh Prince of Bel Air? I can see it on the trailer.</p>

[SCL]

<p>In "Rear Window" (the movie) an Exakta is used ttp://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00E1dZ</p>

[jakenorcross]

<p>What about "The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre"? Sounds like there ought to be a classic or two at work in there...</p>

[roger_williams6]

<p>Just out of interest, Ffordes in Scotland are advertising a Canon F1n for sale claiming it was used by Lina Kozlowski in film Crocodile Dundee.</p>

[gabor_szabo3]

<p>In the movie <em>Smoke</em>, the character Auggie Wren played by Harvey Keitel absconds with a previously-stolen Canon AE-1 after dining with a lonely widow.<br /> What Auggie decides to do with the camera is profound.</p>

<p>Read Auggie Wren's Christmas Story ( and every other Paul Auster novel and book you can get your hands on ) : <a href="http://www.christmasmagazine.com/en/spirit/story10.asp">http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4244994</a><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4244994">http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4244994</a></p>

<p> </p>

[Mike Gammill]

In Animal House, Katie is using a Nikon F.

[Julio Fernandez]

<p>James Bond uses a Leica M3 in Goldfinger but he does not bother to have the film developed. </p>

[steven_bristow]

<p>In one episode of "Married With Children", Al Bundy had a Nikon F.</p>

<p>Not that I actually watch that show.....</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>In the Beatles movie, "A Hard Day's Night", Ringo is using a Pentax SLR. </p>

[rdm]

<p>in the movie harry potter and the chamber of secrets one of the students is using a Argus C3 with bulb flash</p>

[capitalq]

<p>One of the two gay assassins in in 007's Diamonds are Forever uses a Nikon F with a plain prism... </p>

[capitalq]

<p>And in The Prisoner (cool show from the 60s), the main character uses a Canon Dial 35 to take pix which are then enlarged as they try to identify where the Village is... </p>

[photo5]

<p>The Beatles were all given Pentax SLR's during their first trip to New York City and they continued to use them for years.</p>

<p>In the film "Bridges of Madison County" Clint Eastwood uses a classic Nikon F (black body with chrome eye-level prism finder).</p>

<p>http://mark-t-ingham.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/pr_0209_madison-county_feature.jpg</p>

[bueh]

<p>Apparently "more recent" films and literature are not highly regarded or widely know here. I leave you some pointers to films with classic cameras:</p>

<ul>

<li>Lord of War (2005) -- a Leica is used to impress the future wife</li>

<li>Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) -- Argus C3 is prominently featured throughout the whole movie</li>

<li>Kleinruppin forever (2004) -- Pentacon 6 SLR with telephoto in one scene</li>

<li>Road to Perdition (2002) -- Graflex Speed Graphic used by antagonist</li>

<li>Pecker (1998) -- Edward Furlong's characters shoots his (New) Canonet 28 rangefinder a lot</li>

<li>Photographing Fairies (1997) -- old plate cameras used</li>

<li>Das Boot (1981) -- Leica III used by war correspondent</li>

</ul>

<p><br />And as a special bonus for all video gamers:</p>

<ul>

<li>Dead Rising -- photographer (main character) with analog AF SLR (not a "classic" yet)</li>

</ul>

[mark_medin]

<p>Not to forget Le Petit Soldat (1961), where a Canonflex(!) is used. Of course that ignores the boatloads of Graflexes and Graphics you'll see in older American films. Even the occasional Leica shows up in them when they need a small camera.</p>

[ridinhome]

<p>Bravo Bueh!<br>

I'll throw in one more - Jhumpa Lahiri's book of short stories Unaccostomed Earth has a character using a manual Nikon, though for the life of me I can't find the book to figure out which one it was.<br>

I guess Canon FDs get limited love in fiction.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

A few more from TV in at least one episode of Bewitched Darrin appears to be using a Retina Reflex.(Well I think Kodak

was a sponsor.) On M*A*S*H the Kodak Chevron and Baby Brownie make an appearance.

[rustys pics]

<p>In the 2008 film "Fur" which is a very loose biography of Diane Arbus there are lots of Rolleiflex shots, and cool old flash bulbs popping too.<br>

In the 2009 Horror FLick "Midnight Meat Train" the main character is a photographer in Modern Day NYC and is shooting with a black Canonet QL17.<br>

In "The Big Picture" made about 1996 Joe Pesci uses a Speed Graphic and Exakta VX.</p>