Which lens? HCB

Richard S. (rich815) · Sep 3, 2012

So which lens is he holding here?

http://fashionbeyondfashion.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/henri_1688978c.jpg

markbarendt · Sep 3, 2012

I don't know what lens it is specifically but it is my understanding that every thing he did was with a 50mm.

Richard S. (rich815) · Sep 3, 2012

I heard 50 was his main lens but also shoot 35 and 90, I believe.

John Austin · Sep 3, 2012

Just a Leitz lens, but who cares?

tomalophicon · Sep 3, 2012

He's not holding a lens. He's a holding a camera

markbarendt · Sep 3, 2012

Interesting read

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Cartier-Bresson

darkosaric · Sep 4, 2012

I have read somewhere that he used on Leica Zeiss 50mm f1.5 and later summicron 50mm.

Molta · Sep 4, 2012

At least early in his career he used the Elmar 50/3.5, for example for the picture from 1932 of a man jumping over a puddle.
His early use of the 50/3.5 is also mentioned in Pierre Assouline's biography of HCB.

summicron1 · Sep 4, 2012

that particular lens looks like a summilux....

cliveh · Sep 4, 2012

rich815 said:
So which lens is he holding here?

http://fashionbeyondfashion.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/henri_1688978c.jpg

"Moonrise over Hernandez".

summicron1 · Sep 4, 2012

cliveh said:
"Moonrise over Hernandez".

great-- a running gag.

Richard S. (rich815) · Sep 4, 2012

250swb · Sep 4, 2012

rich815 said:
So which lens is he holding here?

http://fashionbeyondfashion.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/henri_1688978c.jpg

The lens looks like it has a scalloped focusing ring and his hand appears to be partially hiding 'goggles', so it could be a rare black dual range 5cm Summicron. HCB did use other lenses apart from the 50mm (which he used most often), the '50mm only' myth goes alongside the myth that he never cropped his negatives.

Steve

benjiboy · Sep 6, 2012

It's interesting to to speculate that H.C.B became a legend in his own lifetime with a small amount of basic equipment that most newbie SLR owners these days would scoff at because it was technically inadequate.

markbarendt · Sep 6, 2012

benjiboy said:
It's interesting to to speculate that H.C.B became a legend in his own lifetime with a small amount of basic equipment that most newbie SLR owners these days would scoff at.

Truly.

When I go out with my RB or my 4x5 it is almost always with just a single fixed normal lens.

I'm amazed that that almost never hampers my work.

benjiboy · Sep 6, 2012

markbarendt said:
Truly.

When I go out with my RB or my 4x5 it is almost always with just a single fixed normal lens.

I'm amazed that that almost never hampers my work.

It's about making the pictures you shoot fit the equipment you have with you Mark

John Koehrer · Sep 8, 2012

No googles, M camera & Summilux

cliveh · Sep 8, 2012

benjiboy said:
It's interesting to to speculate that H.C.B became a legend in his own lifetime with a small amount of basic equipment that most newbie SLR owners these days would scoff at because it was technically inadequate.

How true, as I have students who say they have found an old camera and will it be any good? Perhaps I should say no, scrap it and buy an ipod.

benjiboy · Sep 20, 2012

Knowing which lens he used, won't help you or I one iota to emulate his work, because we don't have his genius.

Richard S. (rich815) · Sep 20, 2012

benjiboy said:
Knowing which lens he used, won't help you or I one iota to emulate his work, because we don't have his genius.

Darn! Really? Never mind then. Shoot! ;-)

semi-ambivalent · Sep 20, 2012

benjiboy said:
Knowing which lens he used, won't help you or I one iota to emulate his work, because we don't have his genius.

Or his available time or his work ethic. (I see in a lot of his images simply being at the right place at the right time. For his body of stellar images you need a lot of time and a lot of places. )

Wish I could do that. And talent, I'll need his talent too...

s-a

cliveh · Sep 20, 2012

benjiboy said:
Knowing which lens he used, won't help you or I one iota to emulate his work, because we don't have his genius.

I dont think it is a question of genius, but practice. If you do something again and again and again you will get good at it and acquire skills you are not even aware of.

Newt_on_Swings · Sep 20, 2012

cliveh said:
I dont think it is a question of genius, but practice. If you do something again and again and again you will get good at it and acquire skills you are not even aware of.

Dont forget luck, you need lots of that too!

John Koehrer · Sep 20, 2012

And film, Lots of film.

tony lockerbie · Sep 20, 2012

Don't forget a sizable inheritance!

Which lens? HCB

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency