Leica at the State of the Union

[joe_kallo]

Anyone watching the State of the Union address this eve notice the guy photographing the president with a Leica (a black M with a motordrive and external viewfinder) as he entered and exited? The photographer was quite close (closer than the CBS camera)--some pretty high level of access. You could see him focusing what looked like a summicron with the characteristic finger-on-focus tab look. I thought Leicas were dead as far as photojournalists were concerned?

[jesse_kramer]

I also noticed the motorized M just a few feet in front of the Prez. Very nice to see something other than Nikon Digital SLRs

 

Jesse Kramer, M.D.

[al_kaplan1]

There are still places and circumstances where the flap of a mirror or whir of a motor aren't appreciated! Another possibility is that he was a white house staff photographer. The secret service guys seem a lot less nervous around thumb advance Leicas also.

[dfdncithekxlbn8kaglf33]

Eric Draper is the current official photographer for the White House.

[leicamshooter]

Yes, I saw the Leica. I made quite a stir about it to my fiancee. I

called the motor winder and the viewfinder attachment. After my

exitement was all through and done she told me it was only a

camera. She's right you know.

[todd frederick]

It's only a camera. Go have fun with your gal!

[erik_l.]

Surely those images will be the best ones of the night.

 

I agree with Todd...go have fun with your girlfriend.

[cd thacker]

<I>I thought Leicas were dead as far as photojournalists were concerned?</I><P>

 

Actually, I think a great many PJs still use Leica - in addition to their SLRs. In fact, I've seen quite a few of them in use by PJs in recent years.<P>

 

<I>It's only a camera. Go have fun with your gal!</I><P>

 

It's only a gal. Go have fun with your Leica!

[Nowhereman]

Who cares?

 

--Mitch/Bangkok

[chip l.]

Leica's still have a place in PJ. Met a White House photographer (forgot his name) that covered the Regan era. It was because of the Leica that he said he was allowed to make the last photograph of Regan in the Oval Office. Reason was the Leica was so quiet.

 

I guessit's all in having teh right tools.

 

Chip

[michael_kastner]

Hey, Joe, thanks for telling me that... I guess I'll keep my M after all.

[gabriel_roca]

Good old fashioned manual Leicas are NOT dead! I cover the U.N. with, among other things, an M6. Long live the manual camera!

 

Cheers.

[gabriel_roca]

To further comment on the above statement -- There's just something supremely romantic about a good old, nuts and bolt type camera, just like there's something quite nice about an aged bottle of whiskey. Besides, the equipment's not taking the photograph, the fellow behind the viewfinder is. Hell, from time to time I've been known to take out a 40 year old Pentax H1-A my father gave me many years ago. Yes, it's true, I"m a sentimentalist!

 

Cheers!

[sal dimarco]

The guy with the Leica, Eric Draper, who is Personal Photographer to the President, gets closer than others because, he is well known to the men on the President's Protection Detail, and he is White House staff. Did anyone notice, the other still photographer present, and note they were both wearing suits?

[bob_mac]

Looked like an M7 w/ motor drive perhaps w/ a 21mm or 24, given the close access he has. I would gather we will see some wide b+w shots from his view in news mags in the weeks to come.

He was real fluid in his movement around the President and Cabinet members. (Probably shot 36 on the way in and 36 on the way out and who knows how many shots during the speech)

I once heard that the only camera allowed into the Oval office was a Leica M for obvious reasons...is that true?

 

In any event, a small thrill for M users who happen to see catch a glimpse.

 

b.

[joseph_barbano]

In 2001, I went on a AMPHOTO trip to India where Barbara Kinney was the Mentor. Barbara was a White House staff photographer during the Clinton administration. She is best remembered by taking two photos, one showing Clinton, King Hussein, and Perez fixing their ties while Arafat looks on, and the other photo showing five First Ladies sitting around a table while at some official function. I recall Barbara saying that they HAD to use Leicas around any meetings, etc. where noise could be a disturbance.

[grant_.]

he had film in it???

[jlee]

You may also be interested to know that the newest crop of

young pjs are enamored with the M as well. Here at WKU's PJ

program a number of us students are using M's along with

DSLRs and SLR film cameras. In fact, this semester's PJ class

are required to put away their digitals and shoot a story a week

using available light B&W and do all printing in the wet

darkroom. Furthermore, at the Southern Flying Short Course in

Louisville last October I'd never seen some many Ms in one

place. So yes, Leica is still alive and well in the PJ community at

least for longer assignments and personal projects.

[sal dimarco]

Grant, The White House photo staff uses or at least did use mostly film, and a good portion of it was black & white. Eric Draper can from the Associated Press and was as digital shooter, but he's probably gone over to film for permance and an occasional digital snap for external distribution. In spite of the nay-sayers... Film still lives!! The other still photog on the floor was probably shooting digital.

Happy snaps,

[michael_matsil]

I knew you geeks would notice that Leica! ;-) But I noticed it too.

I think Al's got it right.....it's the quietest thing to use under the

circumstances. They probably used the Leica during the speech

and the SLR's during the applause.

[kevin m.]

I would have thought that the sound of so many arthritic knees creaking and popping as the senators bobbed up and down to applaud would have drowned out any SLR noise. :-)

[chip l.]

Kevin,

 

No those knees are cushioned with the money of special interests (both right and left). So no need to worry about them <g>.

 

Chip

[joe_kallo]

I know you guys are all probably long gone on this thread but FWIW: last night my wife was setting up to watch the video tape I'd made of the speach and I, of course, watched the president's enterance and the Leica guy (Grant, Draper etc) who preceded him. With the aid of the pause button (and to my wife's annoyance) I observed the real controversy of the whole evening. The guy has a m6/7 around his neck but a nikanon SLR in his hand! The shame. Okay, just kidding. I know why he needed both.

 

Good to hear from the PJ people about using the Leica. My statement about being dead to PJs etc. was bait to keep someone from thread crapping with a comment on the content of the speach. In fact, several guys in the PJ department at my U (Southern Illinois U Carbondale) are Leica nuts and reserve their "serious" work for film.