thrid Posted November 1, 2009 Share #21 Posted November 1, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) the lens on the picture should be the "Zeiss Sonnar 1,5-50mm" LTM ,he mostly used in the 50's... regards, Jan From all I have read HCB stopped using the Sonnar, when the collapsible Summicron 2/50 arrived in 1954. The collapsible continued to be his main 50 for the rest of his life, although there are a few shots of him with the Summicron 2/50 Rigid and even a more modern looking black Summicron, maybe a version 3. He was a huge fan of the medium contrast fingerprint of the collapsible Cron and the small package it presented. There are a few pictures of him in China right after the war (1948?) with a rigid Zeiss Sonnar (and the VIDOM) and what may be a silver Leica IIIc. After that period I have never seen a shot of him with the Sonnar, nor have I ever seen a shot of him using it on an M-body. You also don't see a lot of shots with the tell tale Sonnar bokeh and certainly none after the 1950's. My theory is that he got hold of the Sonnar shortly before the end of the war or right after. HCB resurfaced as the Allies approached Paris (HCB had been in the French resistance, was captured and subsequently escaped from his POW camp. He remained hidden [disguised as a painter], until the Allies advance.) The Sonnar 1.5/50 in LTM mount was pretty rare and very expensive. I think Zeiss produced a batch of 300 units during the war, but I'm no expert on the subject. I suspect that these were destined for the German armed forces (much like coated Summitars etc). HCB was well connected and famous. It is not hard to imagine him gearing up as soon as possible after making contact with the Allies and a Sonnar falling in his hands through his various contacts etc. The Sonnar certainly was the benchmark 50 until the mid 1950's and the arrival of the Nikon 1.5/50 that matched it's performance and the 2/50 Summicron collapsible. Apparently HCB had one of the Summicron prototypes that was disguised as a Summitar and marked with a *. I'm going to guess that he was one of the first to get an M3 and along with it a production Cron in 1954. Heck, even my uncle who was in Patton's army had a few Contax and Leicas in his backpack that he <cough!> found along the road or something like that... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 1, 2009 Posted November 1, 2009 Hi thrid, Take a look here Portrait of Cartier-Bresson. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Fernmelder Posted November 1, 2009 Share #22 Posted November 1, 2009 (HCB had been in the French resistance, was captured and subsequently escaped from his POW camp. He remained hidden [disguised as a painter], until the Allies advance.) A bit too generalized, I declare. He was with French army in 1940 when he got captured the first time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted November 1, 2009 Share #23 Posted November 1, 2009 A bit too generalized, I declare. He was with French army in 1940 when he got captured the first time. And captured résistants were sent to worse places than PoW camps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrid Posted November 1, 2009 Share #24 Posted November 1, 2009 A bit too generalized, I declare. He was with French army in 1940 when he got captured the first time. Fair enough, but it was meant to be generalized and not a detailed summary of his service record. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted November 1, 2009 Share #25 Posted November 1, 2009 From all I have read HCB stopped using the Sonnar, when the collapsible Summicron 2/50 arrived in 1954. The collapsible continued to be his main 50 for the rest of his life, although there are a few shots of him with the Summicron 2/50 Rigid and even a more modern looking black Summicron, maybe a version 3. He was a huge fan of the medium contrast fingerprint of the collapsible Cron and the small package it presented.... Can be this one !? my HCB favorite Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hiles Posted November 1, 2009 Share #26 Posted November 1, 2009 This certainly looks like a collapsable Summicron 50. It also looks as though it was taken at the same time as the picture above. He looks to me to be about 70 in this picture - that would be about 1978. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/100608-portrait-of-cartier-bresson/?do=findComment&comment=1099167'>More sharing options...
thrid Posted November 1, 2009 Share #27 Posted November 1, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) That a picture of THE collapsible. The lens has been customized a bit. The front section that pulls out and contains the aperture ring is painted black, but heavily worn. Supposedly he also used a dot of nail polish to indicate a distance or something, maybe for scale focusing. The cap has a loop on it that he could slip around a finger to hold it. I don't think he ever used a shade on that lens or at least I have never seen a picture of him using one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Posted November 1, 2009 Share #28 Posted November 1, 2009 An important piece of info is missing here. Jane frequently carried her complete lighting set-up on indoor assignments. An Anglepoise lamp. She photographed Larry Hagman on a visit to London and he enjoy the shoot so much he gave her a $100 bill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted November 1, 2009 Share #29 Posted November 1, 2009 he enjoy the shoot so much he gave her a $100 bill. Crikey, I would have thought it was her that gave him a bill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted November 2, 2009 Share #30 Posted November 2, 2009 This certainly looks like a collapsable Summicron 50. It also looks as though it was taken at the same time as the picture above. He looks to me to be about 70 in this picture - that would be about 1978. 1978 ? Uhm... but the camera looks like a M6, I seem.. not yet on the market in 78... Pity, there is apparently a date on the badge ("vendredi 12..."?) partially covered by the jacket... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
telewatt Posted November 2, 2009 Share #31 Posted November 2, 2009 sorry, I have to change it to "Summarit 1,5/50mm"...... Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! regards, Jan Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! regards, Jan ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/100608-portrait-of-cartier-bresson/?do=findComment&comment=1099561'>More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted November 2, 2009 Share #32 Posted November 2, 2009 OK, finally mistery solved... ; how did you obtain that good resolved image ? Indeed, the DOF scale and the f stop mark point clearly to Summarit... the hood remains someway strange, but can be an alien one, really. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted November 2, 2009 Share #33 Posted November 2, 2009 1978 ? Uhm... but the camera looks like a M6, I seem.. not yet on the market in 78... Pity, there is apparently a date on the badge ("vendredi 12..."?) partially covered by the jacket... Can be a M4-2 or M4-P. sorry, I have to change it to "Summarit 1,5/50mm"...... regards, Jan a Summarit M in fact , congratulations Jan for the good job ! the hood remains someway strange, but can be an alien one, really. Looks like a Leitz vented hood for 50 lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted November 2, 2009 Share #34 Posted November 2, 2009 Can be a M4-2 or M4-P. with the black protector over the strap lugs ? They are so typical of M6... Looks like a Leitz vented hood for 50 lens. Did ever exist one like that ? Vented and chrome ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted November 2, 2009 Share #35 Posted November 2, 2009 Did ever exist one like that ? Vented and chrome ? Ho Yes You are right about the possible M6, the 1978 date makes me wrong (personnaly I do not know exactly the date of this picture) 1986, M6 issue date to 2004 HCB death, is a large run of time . for the hood may be the outside black was removed or worn. I do not know personnaly other vented hoods makers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Henry Posted November 2, 2009 Share #36 Posted November 2, 2009 Dear all , Here one photo taken at the HCB foundation at Paris last year , of the portrait of the young HCB with his historic camera ! M8 lux 50mm in memory.... Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/100608-portrait-of-cartier-bresson/?do=findComment&comment=1100531'>More sharing options...
Michael Hiles Posted November 2, 2009 Share #37 Posted November 2, 2009 1978 ? Uhm... but the camera looks like a M6, I seem.. not yet on the market in 78... Pity, there is apparently a date on the badge ("vendredi 12..."?) partially covered by the jacket... Cartier was born in 1908, so age 70 would mean 1978. But age 70 is just a guess from me - could be 75 in good shape (he lived to 96). M6? Ok. Why not an M4? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted November 3, 2009 Share #38 Posted November 3, 2009 Cartier was born in 1908, so age 70 would mean 1978. But age 70 is just a guess from me - could be 75 in good shape (he lived to 96). M6? Ok. Why not an M4? For these two details... Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/100608-portrait-of-cartier-bresson/?do=findComment&comment=1100935'>More sharing options...
Fernmelder Posted November 3, 2009 Share #39 Posted November 3, 2009 This certainly looks like a collapsable Summicron 50. It also looks as though it was taken at the same time as the picture above. He looks to me to be about 70 in this picture - that would be about 1978. This MSNBC article dates the photo on 1989 Photographer Cartier-Bresson dies - World news- msnbc.com and gives credit of the photographer. Here's one from 1991 http://fokussiert.com/2009/07/31/fotografisches-koennen-12-wie-gut-ist-mein-fotografisches-sehen/cartier-bresson-jpg/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidStone Posted November 3, 2009 Share #40 Posted November 3, 2009 From all I have read HCB stopped using the Sonnar, when the collapsible Summicron 2/50 arrived in 1954. The collapsible continued to be his main 50 for the rest of his life, although there are a few shots of him with the Summicron 2/50 Rigid and even a more modern looking black Summicron, maybe a version 3. He was a huge fan of the medium contrast fingerprint of the collapsible Cron and the small package it presented.... Although I'm familiar with most of H. C-B's photos, I'm fairly ignorant about what he used to take them - apart, of course, from the fact that he always used a Leica and mainly a 50mm lens. So this is an interesting piece of information, especially since I've recently acquired a collapsible Summicron from 1954. Clearly he was very particular about the quality of his cameras and lenses, although, as far as I can tell, his hands-on involvement stopped at the point where the film was taken out of the camera. Something that I've often wondered about, since he insisted that his negs should not be cropped, is how he could be certain about the accuracy of his framing, especially given the rather uncertain accuracy of the built-in viewfinders in the 1930s Leicas. I assume that this is why he used a separate finder, plus his - obviously extensive - experience of how the view in the finder related to the exact framing he would get. Maybe it was because of this experience that he continued to use a separate finder on his M-series cameras too? The only example I know of where one of his negs was cropped - with his agreement, that is - is the famous shot of the man jumping a puddle, where he had to shoot between the bars of a fence, which intruded into the frame. In later years it would appear that he standardised on an enlargement of 24x36cm. from his 24x36mm negs. The exhibition of his work entitled "The Europeans" was printed this way, the only exception being a couple of very early photos, which obviously were not quite up to a ten-times enlargement. Taken, I judged when the exhibition was shown in London, with probably a 35mm Elmar, given the date and estimated angle of view. This insistence on no cropping - although the logic behind it seems clear - led to some unfortunate results in, I think, the early 1950s, when he was using one of those III-series cameras where the positioning of the image overlaps slightly the perforations of the film. These show up as a row of black marks along the bottom edge of his prints of that era. I have one of the bodies with this overlap - mine is a 1938 Leica III - and I've never understood just why such a quality-oriented and meticulous company as Leitz could send these out for sale. I asked, many years ago, a very experienced repairer, who had trained in with Leitz in Germany in the late 1950s, if he could adjust the framing on my camera to avoid this problem (I assumed that it was out of adjustment). He told me that this was no easy task, and would involve some major work. He couldn't offer, however, any explanation why it should be this way, although it's a well-known phenomenon. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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