Classic cameras in fiction

[Member69643]

<p>My favorite photographic reference in a movie has lots of cameras, but they're never used. In the movie "Airplane" one of the reporters covering the story, amidst a gang of similar reporters, yells:</p>

<p> "Let's get some pictures boys!"</p>

<p>Prompting the reporters to begin madly taking the pictures off the wall...</p>

<p>:)</p>

[LMar]

<p>In Mira Nair's film adaptation of The Namesake (2006), another story by Jhumpa Lahiri, the main character (played by Kal Penn) uses a Nikkormat.</p>

[lewis_hizer]

<p>For the life of me, I can't remember what show it was, but my brother and I were once watching television back in the mid-70's and we simultaneously shouted, "An Exakta VX-500!" I'm almost ready to say it was "Mary Tyler Moore" who was carrying it in an outdoor scene.<br />It always amused me how Ringo kept nonchalantly using that Pentax (Spotmatic?) after it fell in the water in the movie "A Hard Day's Night," in the scene by the river-bank.<br />In some Bob Dylan documentary from the mid-'60's (possibly "Don't Look Back"), he rather hostilely takes photos of the reporters shooting pictures of him out on an airport tarmac, using some kind of Japanese rangefinder along the lines of a Canonet. (Sorry I can't be more specific on any of these, and that they're not literature, but the thread seems to be moving towards movies.)</p>

[Mike Gammill]

I think what Ringo used was prior to the Spotmatic since the movie was released in 1964.

[lewis_hizer]

<p>Good point. And now that I look again, Dylan's rangefinder was probably not a Canonet. It had a round auxiliary viewfinder mounted on the accessory shoe, but was in view for too short a time (and too far away) to get any more details.<br>

James Bond also used a TLR, probably a Rolleiflex, in "From Russia With Love." Of course it had a miniature reel-to-reel tape recorder inside it.</p>

[red_robin]

<p>Not a movie, but the camara thats sticks in my memeory banks is the one luged around by Supermans pal at the Daily Planet, Jimmie Oldson. Don't know what kind it was but geeze, what a beast! Bet the pics must be wonderful:-).</p>

[dweezil]

<p>In the 2004 movie Eurotrip one of the characters buy's a leica because it's Trotter guide tells him it's "The best camera' for a traveller</p>

[allancobb]

<p>As far as fictional novels go, in David Hunt's novel, "Trick of Light," the heroin photographer uses a Contax rangefinder (I can't remember exactly which one) and Nikons as backups. Her mentor (a retired photographer) also uses Nikons and a Pentax 6x7. The same character (and her Contax) appear in the preceding novel, "The Magician's Tale," but the details of cameras used aren't quite at the same level. In my opinion though, "The Magician's Tale" was a better story. "Trick of Light," while getting off to a great start, gets kind of weird in the plot toward the end.</p>

[allancobb]

<p>Also, see this thread:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/casual-conversations-forum/00Rkdu</p>

<p>Cheers, Allan</p>

[Mike Gammill]

On one episode of Gilligan's Island Mr. Howell is using what appears to be a Contax Bull's Eye.

[SolaresLarrave]

I was watching the pilot of "The X-Files" not long ago... and this time I noticed Mulder (David Duchovny) photographing an autopsy with (gasp!!) a Mamiya Pro 645 with a potato-masher flash. And he was focusing the lens, they didn't add any whirring sounds...

[Mike Gammill]

In an episode of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Gomer has a Diana or Diana look alike around his neck.

[Alex_Es]

<p>Here are two off the bat.</p>

<p>Colin MacInnes, <em>Absolute Beginners</em>, 1959: The unnamed narrator and protagonist is a 19-year-old photographer who uses a Rollei 6X6.</p>

<p>Tanizaki Juichiro, <em>Sasameyuki </em>(<em>The Makioka Sisters</em> in English translation), 1943-1948: One of the youngest sister's lovers uses a Zeiss Ikon. </p>

<p> </p>

[chuck_foreman1]

The thread seems to have moved more towards film... I guess we watch more film than read books. I remember an earlier thread where someone mentioned a detective fiction where the character used a camera that seemed to be a mix of Nikon and Contax or Leica and Contax. It was purely a fictitious name but you the picture..pun intended. I can't think of any titles

but I remember cameras appearing in books like he grabbed his Nikon etc . As far as Jimmy Olsen (1950s TV series) goes I will assume he used a Speed Graphic?!? Any confirmations? Oh and I remember a Bing Crosby film .. not sure of the title

High Society??.. where a lady journalist knocks her camera to the ground on purpose and the back flies open and the "earlier" pictures are ruined. This looked a bit like Contax II but it could of been a Nikon too?!? Anybody?? I think we need to create a Internet Site for camera cameos in film. I've seen a smilar concept for "autos" in film!

[red_robin]

<p>The other camera/film I remember is in the GODFATHER I During the <strong>reseption </strong>,Sonney Grabed a FBI camera and smashed it on the pavement... ouch!!! Oh yes check out the NIKON? in the ficker MY YEAR OF LIVING DANGERESLY</p>

[photo5]

<p>Alex, in <em>Sasameyuki</em>, during the opening credits, the sisters are posed and photographed with a Leica. During the film, Taeko-san's dolls are being photographed by a man with what looks like a Rollei TLR. It's one of my all time favorite films for its beautiful cinematography. </p>

[mark_medin]

<p>In The Taking Of Pelham One, Two, Three (original version), one of the visiting Japanese is holding a Minolta 7s.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

In Rocky III, Rocky is pictured in an ad promoting a Nikon EM.

[ridinhome]

<p>Just saw Annie Hall, in which Diane Keaton uses a Nikon. Could've been a Nikon F, but I'm not a Nikon-guy so I'm not a 100% sure.</p>

[joe_taylor5]

<p>Was there ever a spy movie that did not use a Minox?</p>

[mark_medin]

<p>Older spy movies used Minolta-16 cameras as well. Can't list as I'd have to revisit. My Netflix queue is long.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Not sure if I could see it clearly enough, but I think one of the characters in the Sci-Fi movie, "This Island Earth" attempts to photograph an interocitor with a Bolsey 35mm camera.</p>

[Member69643]

<p>I was watching the 1980 movie "The Howling" last night, and in one scene, one of the characters uses a Minolta XG series camera. I couldn't make out which one it was, but definitely an XG something. The on-off-timer-battery switch by the rewind knob is a telltale mark.</p>

[James G. Dainis]

I was reading an old mystery book copyright early 1930s. The detective broke into an office to take some photos. Not only did he use flash powder for the exposure, but when cornered he took the glass plate negative out of the camera and stepped on it to destroy it. The Zeiss Maximar folding plate camera was made up until 1939. It could have been one of those. I wonder if they had glass plate vs. roll film debates similar to the film vs. digital debates of today.

[josh_carr]

<p>At the risk of thread necromancy, there's a whole conversation about the relative merits of Hasselblads and Bronicas in "Secrets and Lies". Timothy Spall's character, a pro photographer, is asked why he doesn't have a 'blad yet if he's so successful but he claims to have tried one and prefers the Bronica.</p>