Robert De Niro a Leica fan?

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Just saw Ronin again on video. Something that looks like a Leica R (R6) with 90mm attached was part of De Niro's arsenal. As a police photog in "Mad Dog and Glory", he used another R (could be the same one.) I like both films, not just for what he used. ;-)

Is he an R user in real life too?

Andrew

-- Andrew (bachchaconne@my-deja.com), March 10, 2002

Answers

Dont know if he's a Leica fan, but he did finance much new equiptment to the FDNY photo unit within days of Sept 11 (tens of thousands of dollars, Nikon D1s, etc), he definatly knows the importance of the photographer in this day and age.

-- mike (thearea19@aol.com), March 10, 2002.

BTW, for a reasonably comprehensive listing of movies where Leicas have made a walk-on appearance, see the FAQ topic at: nemeng.com/leica/ 005ea.shtml

-- Andrew Nemeth (azn@nemeng.com), March 10, 2002.

Hmmmm - USUALLY cameras and other movie props are chosen by the Production Designer or some other studio professional based on when the movie is set and other factors. Sometimes they get it right - sometimes they get it laughably wrong! In "Under Fire" and "Salvador" the shooters have nicely banged-up Nikons and Leicas - pretty good realism.

Many companies make 'product placement' deals to have their products seen and talked about on the big and small screens - Coke, Pepsi, Taco Bell - maybe Leica too?

On the other hand, knowledgeable actors can have some input, I'm sure, if they can convince the Director a given camera is appropriate to the role (status, income level, functionality, etc.)

In "The Two Jakes" and "Chinatown" (see A. Nemeth's link), Jack Nicholson shoots with screw-mount Leicas - does that imply HE uses IIIc's in real life?

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), March 11, 2002.


Don't know if DeNiro is a Leica fan or not, but in the recent movie "The Score", he uses a Nikon SLR auto focus monster to do some surveillance work. Maybe the Production Designer is a Nikon fan...

-- jeff (debontekou@yahoo.com), March 11, 2002.

jeff-

You sure that wasn't 1996's HEAT? A Michael Mann film, DeNiro is shown atop a containment unit with a Nikon F4 + (unknown) mirror lens.

Great flick- in all ways, esp. Photography.

-- Mike DeVoue (karma77@att.net), March 15, 2002.



I thought the most laughable camera product placement was in Jurassic Park 2, where the photographers meet in the jungle and one of them says to the other - "can I borrow your camera, is that a **NIKON**? Mines a **NIKON** too!" (F5's).

Ronin had a Leica SLR which De Niro focuses and shoots from waist level indoors with a moderate tele lens. Not very convincing...

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), March 15, 2002.


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