Capa's Contax at Omaha?

[VinceC]

>>A Contax II but with what lens -- a 1.5 Sonnar, or maybe a 35/2.8 Biogon? Or both?<<

The picture appears to be a Sonnar, likely a 1.5 because he did a lot of low-light, available-light work -- definitely not a Biogon. In that era, everyone pretty much shot with a 50mm. The other lenses were considered to be for specialty situations. Nearly all of his work that I've looked at appears to be shot with a 50mm except for some of the scenes in liberated towns, which might be the 35mm.

Also, I haven't researched this, but there might not be one or two single Contaxes. He was hard on equipment and may have been cycling through cameras and lenses fairly often. Life magazine photographers were among the media superstars of their era, so they had a lot of access to equipment.

 

[RML]

Also, I haven't researched this, but there might not be one or two single Contaxes. He was hard on equipment and may have been cycling through cameras and lenses fairly often. Life magazine photographers were among the media superstars of their era, so they had a lot of access to equipment.

Except that the equipment was at that time enemy goods and probably poorly available outside (and inside?) Germany. But I'm not an expert on WW2 era photography so I could just be wrong. Willing to learn, though. 🙂

 

[Pherdinand]

The "collecting and using classic cameras" book of Ivor Matanle has, at the Contax section, a nice old "advertisement" pasted in, which says, the ro[british]royal army needs your contax and leica🙂 and you should deliver them at this and that point, to be used for the good of the country. Looks really funny since they are produced by the enemy, basically.

 

[nrb]

I try to imagine Capa taking pictures with a manual Contax amidst german fire, in a french beach with water up to his nose...
Did any of you ever watched Soldier Ryan???

 

[JonR]

Having just read the Capa book I just wanted to add two more questions to this thread about Capas equipment:

- In his book you get the feeling that normally he used the 50 mm lens but there are a couple of references to a "longer lens" on one of his Contax camera -- any idea what focal range that could have been ?

- Also, what film did they use in those days - speed and manufacturer ??

Jon

 

[kbg32]

There is speculation, that Capa's famous shot of the soldier photographed at the moment of his death, "Loyalist Militiaman at the Moment of Death, Cerro Muriano, September 5, 1936", might have actually been photographed by Gerda Taro. At the time, Capa and Taro credited their images together. Apparently the negatives recently discovered in Mexico, may shed some light on who definitely made that photograph.

 

[xayraa33]

Having just read the Capa book I just wanted to add two more questions to this thread about Capas equipment:



- Also, what film did they use in those days - speed and manufacturer ??

Jon

Kodak Super X was 40 ASA
in 1938 Kodak introduced Plus X at 80 ASA and Super XX at a wopping 160 ASA

 

[furcafe]

There were only a few longer lenses commonly available: an 85/4 Triotar, 85/2 Sonnar, & 135/4 Sonnar (there was also a 180/2.8 Olympia Sonnar in both direct & 'flex mounts, but that was very rare). [Edit: forgot about the 180/6.3 Tele-Tessar.] IIRC, in 1 of my Capa books, I recall seeing a photo of him holding a Contax II w/a telephoto, but I can't remember which 1. I know David Douglas Duncan was a big fan of the Nikon 85/2, which is closely related/based on the 85/2 Sonnar, in the 1950s, so my guess would be that it's the most likely telephoto to have been used by a photojournalist like Capa.

Film was probably a fast (for the 1940s) emulsion like Kodak Super-XX or Plus-X.

Having just read the Capa book I just wanted to add two more questions to this thread about Capas equipment:

- In his book you get the feeling that normally he used the 50 mm lens but there are a couple of references to a "longer lens" on one of his Contax camera -- any idea what focal range that could have been ?

- Also, what film did they use in those days - speed and manufacturer ??

Jon

 

[xayraa33]

the Contax II shutter was reliable, the Contax I had the shutter problems.
the Contax II & III were state of the art pro quality 35mm cameras in the 1930s and 40s with lenses that were the envy of the industry.