Leica LTM Some 'Wartime' Leica pictures

[Mr_Flibble]

I know Ron will like these pictures. I hope you guys like them too.
They were taken at the Santa Fe living history & military vehicle event in Roermond the Netherlands where I spent my time dressed up as an Embedded US Army War Photographer.
I shot these with my Leica IIIa and a 90mm Elmar. The film is Adox 100 ART.

Regards,

 

[payasam]

They look, well, contemporary.

 

[swoop]

That looks like a fun way to spend a weekend.

 

[charjohncarter]

When I was in the US Army, they very reluctantly used both Nikon and a few Leicas. That was way after the Big One (1970). I think they used Graflex cameras during WWII. There were still a few (Graflexes) around in Panama' when I was there. Still, the reenactment is great. But maybe TriX if you are on the US side next time. Very enjoyable, so keep posting.

 

[oftheherd]

I am sure there couldn't have been any 4x5 Graphics in either of the Brigades I was in, or they were just kept locked up in their kits. I saw lots of people using 35mm cameras. Carrying a 4x5 with film would have been fun while trying to support a tactical unit there unles it was loggered in. It wasn't like Korea and WWII where you could expect to walk back to a support area. Mostly you would have had to wait for a supply chopper or truck, or stay with them wherever they went.

Course that said, I seem to recall that the Iwo Jima flag photo was made with a 4x5 that would have had to have been carried up Mount Suribachi. Troopies in the field in Vietnam often carried heavy loads of combat equipment, so I suppose 4x5 gear wouldn't have been that much after all.

 

[Olsen]

I recognise the Garand which was the weapon i used when doing my first time military service back in 70'. When firing the last shot, the clips came out with a load 'pling' telling your enemy that you had to reload. Not very smart. And the German Mauser carabine. We used a more advanced Mauser as sniper gun which were very good. Later we were equipped with the AG3.

 

[MartinP]

I think Olsen was too polite to point out that Norway (like Switzerland etc) has armed forces based on part-time universal service. Everyone (are there any ways out of it, Olsen ?) does basic training in an arm, and most males of military age (all those in the ground part of the forces at least) have an assault weapon, plus ammunition and other equipment, in their home.

Last time I was there (with the British army of course) the locals had G3's, which made us rather jealous.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Indeed I like these very much Rick, pitty I couldn't make it in Roermond.

Here's one with my kids in front of the Willy....

 

[Mr_Flibble]

I find the M1 Garand is a beautiful rifle, even with it's faults, I have one from 1943 in my collection (On a firearm permit ofcourse). And tomorrow I'm going to see about adding an M1 Carbine.

"Willys", Ron! 😉 That's a fine looking CJ, I've got a Hotchkiss/Ford/ Willys mix from the Maltourne rebuilding plant in France....it's currently in my Garage with a broken gearbox 🙁

Next weekend there's another small event in Achtmaal, at the Timberwolves Museum. I'm going to be trying out my new IIIc, hopefully with a Summar (if it arrives on time)

 

[brachal]

Very nice photos, Rick. I think 100 would have been a very fast film for the 1940's. I don't know, but I've read that part of what gives WW2 photos their look is that many shots were underexposed (due to slow films) and then pushed in the darkroom. I don't know anything about darkroom work, so please don't abuse me if I'm way off here ... just throwing it out for discussion. I might even learn something. 🙂

 

[John Shriver]

Super-XX was available during WW-II, with an exposure index of 100. Grainy, of course.

Even snapshots on Verichrome from then have a different aesthetic from today's B&W work.

But, they did develop the films hard then, normal contrast index around 0.60. 17 minutes in D-76 was the norm.

 

[charjohncarter]

Mr F., I did see a Leica TM in El Salvador, at the US Military Mission in 1971. I wondered how long it had been there. Those missions were nervous about intelligence at that time (lots of ASA guys attached), because of the horrible maps the French left behind in Viet Nam (sorry, France but with the situation you had in VN, I don't see how any maps were made). Well, anyway I think it was a post war model. It did have a set of tele lenses, yummy today. Keep posting this stuff, I for one like it. If I spoke Dutch, I would be there for one of your events. And I would bring my Leica.

 

[bean_counter]

Neat stuff.

I re-enact American Civil War, as a Union field musician (bugler) and bandsman (in a regimental brass band). I usually carry a IIIf w/ Elmar 50/3.5 in my knapsack for shots when the spectators aren't around.

There's a guy who comes out to the larger area events with a period-correct full wet-plate field kit. Does nice work. Some of the younger, thinner guys get potraits done, and you simply can't tell they're not originals. Fat guys like me, well, we still look, um, "modern".

 

[charjohncarter]

Bean Counter, next time use your IIIf to photograph the 'wet plate' guy, and post it.

 

[Muggins]

He's here! Possibly the ultimate retro-photography nutter? (and I mean that as a compliment - the more people prepared to crack the mould, in a good way, the better).

http://www.collodion-artist.com/

Here's one I took in an earlier existence. 50ASA Efke 120 film, Kodak No2 Folding Pocket Brownie Model B, dating to about 1911 - so absolutely period! Not up to Leica quality but neither are my skills or my wallet. 😱


I'm not a re-enactor myself, but I do find it fascinating to see stuff "in the flesh" rather than just in a glass case somewhere - hence, I guess, my fascination with old cameras.

Adrian

 

[bean_counter]

Bean Counter, next time use your IIIf to photograph the 'wet plate' guy, and post it.

I've got some shots of him working - but I'm waaaay behind on developing.

 

[Muggins]

I've got some shots of him working - but I'm waaaay behind on developing.

Don't let your plates dry out, or they'll be ruined!

Sorry - couldn't resist - I'll get my coat!

Adrian

 

[oftheherd]

I find the M1 Garand is a beautiful rifle, even with it's faults, I have one from 1943 in my collection (On a firearm permit ofcourse). And tomorrow I'm going to see about adding an M1 Carbine.

...

My first exposure to an M1 was in junior ROTC (high school). At camps I got to shoot it. The first year my score was 9. 😱 From then on I was over my fear and scored for money. When I joined the US Army, we jumped them, carbines, and BARs (another fine weapon!). Later I went to Okinawa and we had the M14.

We were told the 101st had tested them and couldn't decide if it was better to jump them upside down like the M1, and bend the barrels, or right side up, and break the stocks. The only solution was to jump them in weapons bags, same as the BAR.

Depriving a paratrooper of his weapon on the way down doesn't endear him to a weapon! And, we weren't allowed to have automatic M14's so we kept the BAR, a potential supply problem. I hated the M14s, and never understood anyone who liked them. As a known sharpshooter, I was given an M14 to fire on automatic for a demonstration. No bipod. One more reason to dislike the M14.

When I got to Vietnam and we had the M16, that weapon I liked. Especially after I had it converted to a CAR 15.

 

[Olsen]

I think Olsen was too polite to point out that Norway (like Switzerland etc) has armed forces based on part-time universal service. Everyone (are there any ways out of it, Olsen ?) does basic training in an arm, and most males of military age (all those in the ground part of the forces at least) have an assault weapon, plus ammunition and other equipment, in their home.

Last time I was there (with the British army of course) the locals had G3's, which made us rather jealous.

We did a lot of training together with British military units. Like No. 3 Paratroopers (training in Gudbrandsdalen) and 42. Commando's (Mjølfjell). They had very modern FN rifles, but 'one-shot-action only' to save ammunition and were very good at handling weapons and equipment, but could not ski nor swim - which they were here to learn.

Keeping arms at home is now very restricted in Norway and is only for certain volontare home guard units.

We have both a conscript army, as specified in our constitution, and pro units. Like the ones serving in Afganistan. They make NOK 500.000 for 6 months service. Tax free....

 

[Abbazz]

I know in the 60s (and I think 50s too) the US Army had Leica kits. I always just assumed they had a limited amount of them during WWII, since for miniture cameras they were kit cameras with interchangable lenses.

I don't recall what Army photogs were using in Vietnam. Seems I remember being photographed by 35mm cameras. I know as a CID investigator in a Brigade, nobody had thought to add any kind of camera to our TO&E (Table of Organization and Equipment). Since the school was teaching with 4x5 Graphics, it is probably just as well. I used a Welta Welti and Minolta 16 as crime scene cameras.

Even in the 70s, most offices in Korea didn't have cameras until the mid-70s when we got Pentax kits. Can you say "big" 600mm lenses? Our office at Ft Carson had a 4x5 kit, but we also had a photographer assigned to us some how. By then I was using my own 35mm cameras and was more used to them.

In Korea, the US Army had a rangefinder with interchangeable lens but not exactly the pocket type. See John Lehman's page about the Combat Graphic 70mm camera.

Cheers!

Abbazz