Nikon F and the vietnam war

Paul Howell

Subscriber
Joined
Dec 23, 2004
Messages
9,846
Location
Scottsdale Az
Format
Multi Format
It would make sense as the SLR was rapidly replacing rangefinders, when a Leica was carried it was with a wide angle lens. I carried a Canon 7S or Leica IIIG wilth either a 28 or 35mm lens a second body until the early 80s when I replaced it with a second Nikon.
 

mshchem

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
15,001
Location
Iowa City, Iowa USA
Format
Medium Format
I remember I turned 18 in 1973, I got a draft card, thankfully the US involvement was winding down as I wasn't called up. I bought a new Nikon F2S the same year, (I really hated the LED meter display) I have a couple F2 and F bodies today, with plain prisms
 

Nicholas Lindan

Advertiser
Advertiser
Joined
Sep 2, 2006
Messages
4,274
Location
Cleveland, Ohio
Format
Multi Format
The view from the North:

Vietnam's Photographic History, Told by the Winners

An exhibit shows how North Vietnamese photographers documented their country’s bloody war, volunteering to risk their lives.
archive.nytimes.com

The North's PJ's were sent south to walk the Ho Chi Minh trail with a Praktica and one roll of film.
 
Last edited:

Terrence Brennan

Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
490
Location
Ottawa, Ontario
Format
35mm
My wife and I attended an exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Centre in—was it 1999?—about the photographers who were killed in the Vietnam War, and many of their their photographs were on display.

Most of the photographers killed were Vietnamese, but there were many others, notably Robert Capa; among the photographs on display were his last two images, one black and white and one colour, as the caption card indicated he had two camera bodies that day.

At the entrance to the exhibition was a composite image of all of the photographers who were killed, as well as a huge photograph of a Nikon F, which had a bullet hole right through the right side of the camera.

Years later, when I was a staff photographer at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, I attended an exhibition of the photographs of the British photographer, Don McCullin. He walked the crowd through the exhibition, talking about his photography.

At one point, he mentioned how he had had a Nikon F camera shot out of his hands; naturally, I thought if the photograph I had seen years earlier. When his walk through was ended, and he was taking questions from the viewers, I told him about what I had seen in Chicago, and asked if that was his Nikon F. He replied no, but said he was nearby when it happened.

I was also able to make some exposures when he was talking to the viewers, and I guestimated the exposure to be 1/30 @ f/2, for where he was standing, which was near the photographs he was talking about, but not under the lights which illuminated his photographs. I went back afterwards and measured the light with my Lunasix-3, and the exposure was correct for a film rated at ISO 800, and I had loaded my camera with HP5. However, his photographs on the wall were horribly overexposed.
 

Arthurwg

Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2005
Messages
2,756
Location
Taos NM
Format
Medium Format
Photographers and writers had unprecedented access to the Vietnam war, something that never happened in the past and will likely never happen again.
 

Terrence Brennan

Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
490
Location
Ottawa, Ontario
Format
35mm
In the documentary, “Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War,” the author of the book the documentary is based on, journalist, Michael Maclear, he states, “Vietnam was the first war fought without censorship.”
 

Tel

Subscriber
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
985
Location
New Jersey
Format
Multi Format
I bought my first F second-hand in 1974 and it was my only camera for the next 12 years. Sold it in ’86 in London to pay the airfare back to the States. My go-to 35mm SLR is an F2 these days, with the plain prism (I always meter off-camera) and a Micro-Nikkor 55. The years spent without a Nikon were stressful.
 

Arthurwg

Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2005
Messages
2,756
Location
Taos NM
Format
Medium Format
Just dug out my copy after not looking at it for several years. It's spectacular! Beautifully put together, truly great photographs, unbelievably moving.
 

Pioneer

Member
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
3,886
Location
Elko, Nevada
Format
Multi Format
I never seen anyone carrying a Leica on my tour. I guess the PJs that followed us around couldn't afford them. Several Nikons and lots of Spotmatics and Minoltas. I bought a Minolta after I left and later a Spottie.
 

Paul Howell

Subscriber
Joined
Dec 23, 2004
Messages
9,846
Location
Scottsdale Az
Format
Multi Format
The Air Force was using M2 and 3, generally we were allowed to use either one or a Nikon F our unit commander did not see any reason to carry both on the same mission. My older brother is a tour in 1967, he was in the signal corps, he carried his own Spotmatic. He told me that the Army photographer was still using a combat Graphic until he ditched it for a Spotmatic he bought at the BX.
 

Alan Edward Klein

Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2017
Messages
9,695
Location
New Jersey formerly NYC
Format
Multi Format
Last photo at AP headquaters as Saigon fell. Interesting story of the key news reporters who reported the war from there and their photographers.

As communist troops streamed into Saigon, a few remaining reporters kept photos and stories flowing

They'd watched overnight as the bombardments grew closer, and observed through binoculars as the last U.S. Marines piled into a helicopter on the roof of the embassy to be whisked away from Saigon. Offering the men a Coke and day-old cake, Peter Arnett, George Esper and Matt Franjola started...
www.yahoo.com
 

Alan Edward Klein

Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2017
Messages
9,695
Location
New Jersey formerly NYC
Format
Multi Format

I bought a Nikon F Photomic T in 1965 in Japan when I was in the service during the Vietnam war. At the time, Nikon was the lead camera maker of SLR's and Nikon F series was the top model.
 

Arthurwg

Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2005
Messages
2,756
Location
Taos NM
Format
Medium Format

Ben 4

Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2005
Messages
259
Location
Lancaster, P
Format
Medium Format

Thanks for linking this. The b&w images just look right—they're very evocative. The color (there are only a few) not so much. I don't know whether it's the way they've aged, or my own expectations of news photos from that time, but the color images look…unnatural.
 

Arthurwg

Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2005
Messages
2,756
Location
Taos NM
Format
Medium Format

Thanks for posting. This didn't show up on my digital feed for some reason. Had to search for it.
 

John Wiegerink

Subscriber
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
3,737
Location
Lake Station, MI
Format
Multi Format
I have stayed out of this because my memory isn't the best. I was in. Vietnam in 1969-70 and from what I saw most of our Marine photog's carried Nikon F's with plain prisms. I remember seeing more that one with the 105mm Nikkor. When I was back at the rear on Hill 55 we had a ceremony when Defense Secretary Melvin Laird visited the Hill and I think I remember either Speed Graphics or Koni-Omega cameras, but I'm not sure. I, myself, carried my trusty, sexy Miranda Sensorex with 50mm.
 

pentaxuser

Member
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
20,108
Location
Daventry, No
Format
35mm

I've never had one so imagine how stressful I feel

pentaxuser
 

Paul Howell

Subscriber
Joined
Dec 23, 2004
Messages
9,846
Location
Scottsdale Az
Format
Multi Format
From memory, folks I've talked and read over the years the Air Force, Marines and Army used Nikon F, the Navy used Topcon, the last being the Super DM, or later some air recon units were issued Canon F1. The Air Force still had Leica M2 and 3, which were phase out by the mid 70s. The Air Force had Speed and Super Speed for 4X5 along with Graphic XL that were unreliable and replaced by Konic Omega.
 

John Wiegerink

Subscriber
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
3,737
Location
Lake Station, MI
Format
Multi Format
When I was still in the camera dealing business I acquired two black Topcoats the were clearly stamped "Property of U.S. Navy". Like I said, I don't remember what the Marine Corps photographers were using for larger than 35mm. Being a branch of the Navy they might have been using what the Navy was.
 

Paul Howell

Subscriber
Joined
Dec 23, 2004
Messages
9,846
Location
Scottsdale Az
Format
Multi Format
Navy Topcons are collectable, most were well used. In 73 or 74 I attended a Navy Sponsored photographer's seminar in San Francisco. During a general session the topic came as to why the Navy was using Topcons, The story that been going around was that someone in Navy Procurement thought because some were marked Besslser, that Topcon was made in the U.S. In those days American made equipment was by law given a priority. Which is why the Air Force bought the Graphic XL and had to justife buying Koni Omega. Well at the conferance the OIC in charge of Navy Photogrpahy procument, trainnging and best practice was there. He said that everyone knew that there were not American made 35mm SLRs that were prolevel. He said that the Topcon was chosen after extenswive testing. Unlike the Nikon F and F2 which had just come out, the Topcon's meter was built into the body, when using a waist level or sports finder the meter did not disappear. The lens tested as good or better than Nikon, the motor drive as more robust and Topcon came in with the lowest bid when body, lens, and motor drives were factored togeather.

For what ever reason Topcon never caught on and after marketing a K mount version of the RE dropped out of the market in 77 or 76.
 

Disappointed_Horse

Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2009
Messages
175
Location
Florida
Format
35mm

As they say in the infantry, never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…