I know it's the man who makes the picture, not the camera. But just out of curiosity, I'd like to know which Leica combo HCB uses/used. (I'm sure he can do the same with anything in his hands). Best regards.

-- Antonio Carrus (antoniocarrus@yahoo.it), September 11, 2001

Answers

The one time I saw him, in the early '80s, he was using a Leica M3 (plain silver chrome, no black tape on it), a 50mm Summar "black rim" lens, and a Universal viewfinder.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), September 11, 2001.

And he now uses the fixed-lens minilux.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), September 11, 2001.

From what I have read, HC-B mostly used a 50mm lens. I do believe he also used a 90 but infrequently. It seems that he pretty much mastered the use of one lens, the 50.

-- John Alfred Tropiano (jat18@psu.edu), September 11, 2001.

One of his most famous pictures "Picnic on the Banks of the Marne" is quite obviously made with a wide angle lens. Since the only WA available for Leica at that time was the f:3.5/35mm Elmar, I think we can safely assume that is what he used. I've heard he complained that photographing in America requiring increased use of a WA lens, although his most famous American shot, the old lady wrapped in an American flag which she was mending, was taken with a 90mm. For the PBS-TV Special he used the then-new Leica CL, which sports a 40mm lens.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), September 11, 2001.

In Magic Moment Magazine, there is an article on his birthday, he recived from Leitz a new M6, in the two pictures in this article he recives the M body and then he is tring it with what seems to be a 50 summicron from the 70´s, without a tab, I´m sure not his only one lens.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), September 11, 2001.

I think the "Picnic on the Banks of the Marne" shot was actually done with a 50mm, showing HCB's masterful use of that lens -- he really did make it look like a wide-angle shot!

-- Douglas Kinnear (douglas.kinnear@colostate.edu), September 11, 2001.

A similar question was asked very recently:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_i d=0069O0

-- Chris Chen (furcafe@cris.com), September 11, 2001.

Oops, here we go again:

www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=00 69O0

-- Chris Chen (furcafe@cris.com), September 11, 2001.

Argh. Make sure to remove the blank spaces in the URL.

-- Chris Chen (furcafe@cris.com), September 12, 2001.

You may have seen the controversy about HCB, now in his 90s, having his picture, taken by distinguished fellow photojournalist David Douglas Duncan, published in a book called "Faceless". HCB - who made his reputation by taking so many candid shots of people - was angry that his image was being used without his permission. That issue aside, the interesting thing was the picture showed the great man with a Leica minilux. He has always favourered simplicity. I read that just about all his pictures were taken with a 50mm lens, a few but not many with a 35mm. Look at his great B+W images from the late 30s onward and one would be hard put to tell what camera he used for each shot. Some of the early ones have astounding clarity; others are more noteworthy for their masterly composition than technical superiority. Apparently HCB switched from photography to painting for a while but is obviously still very much involved with the subject.

-- David Killick (Dalex@inet.net.nz), September 12, 2001.

There is a picture of HCB in Paris with what looks like a III fitted with a Summar. I also have a copy of the Picnic by the Marne and it says he used a 50mm but doesn't say which lens.

-- Tony Brookes (gdz00@lineone.net), September 12, 2001.

Tony, did HC-B state that he used a 50mm lens, or did someone else say it (who)? It's difficult to believe that the size differential between the near and far people would occur with a 50mm.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), September 12, 2001.

Bill. The script simply says "HCB's famous picnic scene taken with his favourite Leica and 5cm lens". Presumably this was the editor's comment but unfortunatly it's only one page in the book.

-- Tony Brookes (gdz00@lineone.net), September 13, 2001.

For me it would be fascinating and enjoyable to learn which lenses and films were used for the many famous photographs that interest us, certainly including H.C.-B.'s. I completely fail to understand the reasoning of those who (elsewhere) sneer at people who wonder about this information in the name of "art is art and you don't need to know the details." In the early days of Leica Photografie magazine (and I have them from the mid-50s, each and every photograph was accompanyed by a caption that mentioned which camera, lens, film, and exposure settings were used.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), September 13, 2001.

Tony R. I couldn't agree more. Books like 'My Leica and I' are interesting even if film speeds are so different. I have Leica News from the first issue in 1935 till the last issue just as war broke out in 1939. Most pictures have camera, lens, film, speed, aperture etc. which not only confirms how good the Leica was so long ago but is illuminating as to how such good results were obtained. Long live picture details.

-- Tony Brookes (gdz00@lineone.net), September 14, 2001.

What Leica combo did HCB used (before he got his M3)? Answer: Leica IIIc wartime + Xenon 50mm f/1.5 + VIDOM universal finder. See for yourself here: http://camerag uild.co.jp/screwdriver/port02.html.

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), September 18, 2001.

The link again: http://camerag uild.co.jp/screwdriver/port02.html. Hope it works this time.

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), September 20, 2001.