edwardkaraa Posted July 27, 2016 Share #81 Posted July 27, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) Whoa, why would an amateur want to cover that unless they were pretending or fantasizing about being a real photographer? I was in my early teens, stupid and idealistic, and didn't care for my life. Watching several movies at the time that portrayed war photographers didn't help Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 27, 2016 Posted July 27, 2016 Hi edwardkaraa, Take a look here Leica M 240. Might be the camera for ( war-) photographers if.... I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
RonM Posted July 27, 2016 Share #82 Posted July 27, 2016 Joe Rosenthal's Mt. Suribachi flag raising photo was done with a Speed Graphic; f/8 and be there. It is the photographer, not the gear. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giulio Zanni Posted July 27, 2016 Share #83 Posted July 27, 2016 Joe Rosenthal's Mt. Suribachi flag raising photo was done with a Speed Graphic; f/8 and be there. It is the photographer, not the gear. Agree, but I guess there weren't many other options at that time... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas fry Posted July 28, 2016 Share #84 Posted July 28, 2016 there is a new documentary series on war photographers on Netflix https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/jul/26/life-and-death-as-a-war-photographer-netflix-series?CMP=share_btn_fb should be interesting Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
epand56 Posted July 28, 2016 Share #85 Posted July 28, 2016 Probably, an M 240 which could be fed with normal batteries instead of only the rechargeable one, would help a Photographer in war zone to have the camera always working, even in case of lack of electricity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mweaverpics Posted July 28, 2016 Share #86 Posted July 28, 2016 Well... There are two schools of thought I think. Has to do with how someone shoots and thinks more than anything else I think. I have had a veteran war photojournalist tell me that carrying DSLR cameras will get you killed.. quickly. I certainly understand that perspective as being less obvious is a good thing. I used Leica M's to shoot material in Ferguson and no one paid any attention to me compared to the people with DSLR's. The M form is smaller and lighter. Lots of lenses in a small carry bag or your pockets. The only remarks I got were, "Aren't you afraid of using those?" from other photographers that thought I'd get robbed. If you learned on and rely on AF, the process of using an M is going to make you crazy. If you use an M you will possibly miss things if you are not constantly anticipating what might happen next. It requires you to think rather than just grab and shoot. That's just the way it is. If you are in a horrifically nasty and backwards place, you might actually find a use for film. It does have advantages at times. My father made five landings in the South Pacific during WW2. He made it quite clear that anything that had weight either served a purpose or had to go. I suppose the lesson with regard to photography is lighter is better and I know my M's are a lot lighter than my Nikon gear. If I was in the midst of it, I think I'd use the Digital M or similar with a film body that used the same lenses. Not really sure that anyone has that but Leica now. You'd be working with lenses 90mm and short and would be extremely close to your subject. I'm not sure that conflict images are very intimate with lenses longer than 90 anyway. Lastly, if you want to really go light, you can use the slower M lenses that are absolutely tiny compared to f2.8 af lenses or a Summilux. Being in the midst of it conflict photojournalism is a younger mans game and most of those people today learned with DSLR's. That's just how it is and likely why the biases exist. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jloden Posted July 28, 2016 Share #87 Posted July 28, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) [...] Anyway, for what it's worth - here is one of the images from the slums from my Leica M9-P: http://colintempleton.tumblr.com/image/141662687856 And here is a selection of images from both of the slums, mostly on the Canon 5Dmk2 - http://colintempleton.com/essay/ Beautiful photo from the Leica in that first one, that is some irresistible light for a photographer! I particularly like the image of the laughing people with umbrellas in the larger album also. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giulio Zanni Posted July 29, 2016 Share #88 Posted July 29, 2016 Being in the midst of it conflict photojournalism is a younger mans game and most of those people today learned with DSLR's. That's just how it is and likely why the biases exist. James Nachtwey is 68. The average age of the VII photographers is 50++, they all used to shoot film before moving to digital. Gary Knight was given the first 1D MkII on his way to Iraq and litteraly studied the instruction manual on the plane. He didn't know he could shoot raw and ended up shooting everything in jpeg. He shot an action where the US Army took over a bridge. I think these amazing images are on the VII website. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giulio Zanni Posted July 29, 2016 Share #89 Posted July 29, 2016 I think these amazing images are on the VII website. Here is the link to the images http://viiphoto.photoshelter.com/galleries/C0000MVJ15HcI11k/G0000zELP7KBl1nc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted July 29, 2016 Share #90 Posted July 29, 2016 To get back to the OP. The equipment used really depends on what the photographer is comfortable with and can afford. As I shoot M camera almost exclusively these day (except underwater/macro/specialist) then I simply use them for whatever I am shooting - that said I have no interest in shooting war images whatsoever. Shooting in highly stressful situations probably means minimising irrelevant considerations and to me this would suggest that a dSLR with high levels of automation might well be suitable simply because it enables its user to concentrate a little more on the surrounding risks. Not that using an M can't work in a similar way but I'd suggest that today most photographers would appreciate the 'advantages' of a dSLR's automation today and so the vast majority will use dSLRs or even decent compacts. M rangefinders require a different thought process and whilst it can become second nature, dSLRs are easier to use in many ways, especially if automation is relied upon. As regards war photography itself, well there are war photographs which have helped shift public perceptions and change things but in all honesty we have become blasé about horrific images because we have been exposed to more and more of them in all their detail - modern cameras can capture horror in far more detail and with far more accuracy than ever. But as a bit of an aside, the 'forgotten' war in Burma as it was 'retaken' towards the end of WW2, is probably forgotten to some extent because there is relatively little imagery available of some of the more pivotal points (Imphal/Kohima or the Chindits) because troops were forbidden to carry cameras (some still did) and it was not covered as much as other theatres of war by reporters. So I suspect that war photography does play a role in forming a historical basis for later understanding of wars and what went on. How much effect contemporary war photography has I am not sure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jollicoe Posted July 31, 2016 Share #91 Posted July 31, 2016 Many of these "war photographers" are scoundrels masquerading as something that they are not. Just like all the amateurs that show up whenever there's protests in urban Anerican cities. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECohen Posted July 31, 2016 Share #92 Posted July 31, 2016 I prefer all protesters be amateurs as apposed to "professional protesters" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlatkob Posted July 31, 2016 Share #93 Posted July 31, 2016 Let's keep politics out of this discussion please. Following up on an earlier comment, I've had a chance to look at a bunch of James Nachtwey's recent photos on the Time magazine web site and found their exif info intact. For all recent photos he seems to exclusively use the Canon 5D3 and the 24-70/2.8 II lens. I also had a chance to go back to the film War Photographer, which was shot before he switched to digital. Back then he was using the Canon 1N along with mostly the 17-35/2.8 lens or the earlier 20-35/2.8 lens. And if I guess correctly, he also had the original metal mount Canon 50/1.8 and 24/2.8 (guessing from the petal hood). If he used a longer lens then, it was not shown in the film. One thing that's notable in the film is the number of times he reached for his light meter. It seems he was very careful to take incident meter readings and to set the camera manually. So the only automation used was autofocus and auto film advance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
atufte Posted August 3, 2016 Share #94 Posted August 3, 2016 Check out Lorenzo Tugnoli, he uses his M240's in conflict/war zones... http://www.lorenzotugnoli.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 3, 2016 Share #95 Posted August 3, 2016 Thanks, new to me - a very good photographer. He could do with a Monochrom Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steamboat Posted August 4, 2016 Share #96 Posted August 4, 2016 In the Vietnam War many photographers favored the Leica with a 35 and the Nikon F with a 105. Quick and both very reliable. There, of course, were many other combinations. David Douglas Duncan favored Leicas with a 25 and a 50 plus a camera with a 200. The cameras were reliable. The Leicas cost a bit more than Nikons but weren't prohibitively expense. Today we are in the digital age and all has changed. In regards to digital, Burk Uzzle once said, "You can't do it with a Leica and a loincloth anymore."Agency VII has a "relationship" with Canon. So they use Canons. Magnum has some kind of deal with Leica, altho they aren't the "war photographer" agency they once were. I'd assume most photographers in the field use two cameras. Canons are the favorites. Plus (PLUS) they're going to want at least two backup cameras at their base in case the ones they use get trashed. So, assuming a photographer wants to head to a conflict with at least four cameras the economics of shooting with Leicas becomes a problem. Flipping all of this on its head - some of the best current contemporary and intimate war photography has been shot on iPhones. So yes old Joe used a 4X5 Graphic at Iwo Jima, DDD used Leicas but I have no idea what Philip Jones Griffiths used, nor Don McCullin. It doesn't matter. It's the person behind the camera that matters. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Ricoh Posted August 5, 2016 Share #97 Posted August 5, 2016 I'm an avid Leica user - started out with an M6 nearly 20 years ago, but I also work for the Scottish national newspapers, so I'm compelled to use DSLRs on a daily basis. I don't connect with modern DSLR cameras in the same way I do with a Leica M. The M is my favourite camera for shooting the streets of my hometown of Glasgow. I've never covered a war, but in 2011 I was dispatched to Nairobi to photograph the plight of the people who have to live in the slums of Mathare and Korogocho. The Korogocho slum is considered so dangerous that even the police rarely ever set foot in it. The reporter and I were warned that we should not stay in any one place for long, to keep moving at all times, and to leave the slum after no more than a couple of hours. Word gets around the slum fast. I met some of the nicest, most charming people I've ever met in those slums. People with no stake in anything, who have to live daily amidst rape, violence, death, disease and mayhem, people who had no reason to be nice to me. All in, it was an extremely humbling experience. Into the slums I took my own personal camera, a Leica M9-P, and a Canon 5dMk2 which belonged to the office. The Leica was fitted with a 35mm Summilux ASPH FLE, and for the Canon, I had the 16-35mm, and a 50mm f1.4. I'm pretty good at focussing quickly with an M, and I took a good number of shots with the M9-P. But pretty soon, I gave up with it, and just used the Canon. I think it was a combination of worrying about definitely getting the shots, the speed and accuracy of the Canon's autofocus, plus the flexibility of those two lenses. Shooting a modern DSLR is child's play - you almost can't fail to get the picture. You can get a person's eyes pin sharp every single time, even on a fast lens at full aperture. My hit rate on the Leica is not quite as high as with a DSLR. It's just that the Leica is a joy to use, and infinitely rewarding when a shot comes together. And I would never be parted from my Leica gear. Anyway, for what it's worth - here is one of the images from the slums from my Leica M9-P: http://colintempleton.tumblr.com/image/141662687856 And here is a selection of images from both of the slums, mostly on the Canon 5Dmk2 - http://colintempleton.com/essay/ Best wishes all, Colin Fantastic photographs (it would be disrespectful to call them mere photos) and a stunning portfolio on your web page. Totally and completely impressed. 5* work! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted August 5, 2016 Share #98 Posted August 5, 2016 Fantastic photographs (it would be disrespectful to call them mere photos) and a stunning portfolio on your web page. Totally and completely impressed. 5* work! I agree. Thoroughly enjoyed looking through colin's excellent portfolio. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter H Posted August 5, 2016 Share #99 Posted August 5, 2016 I agree. Thoroughly enjoyed looking through colin's excellent portfolio. I did too. Although I think an interesting piece could be written on the effect of their being in B&W. But perhaps that's for a different thread. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colint544 Posted August 8, 2016 Share #100 Posted August 8, 2016 Most kind, guys - thank you very much. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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