History on lens and camera from Vietnam era: Greetings..... I'm a Vietnam Vet and was wondering what a War Correspondent or photo journalist used for gear back in the day. Naturally it...

IcemanKS Loc: RI USA

Greetings.....
I'm a Vietnam Vet and was wondering what a War Correspondent or photo journalist used for gear back in the day. Naturally it was film but I'm wondering lens and camera. Thanks, have a good day.
iCE 😎

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

IcemanKS wrote:

Greetings.....
I'm a Vietnam Vet and was wondering what a War Correspondent or photo journalist used for gear back in the day. Naturally it was film but I'm wondering lens and camera. Thanks, have a good day.
iCE ð

Nikon F mostly.
I've heard David Hume Kennerly speak twice.
He has a couple of them in the photo below.

Read his book, Shooter, available here.
Your question prompts me to read my copy again.

(Download)

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

GoofyNewfie wrote:

Most likely Nikon F.
I've heard David Hume Kennerly speak twice.
Read his book, Shooter.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

IcemanKS wrote:

Greetings.....
I'm a Vietnam Vet and was wondering what a War Correspondent or photo journalist used for gear back in the day. Naturally it was film but I'm wondering lens and camera. Thanks, have a good day.
iCE 😎

Most war correspondents in 1962 were shooting Leica when the conflict began, but by 1964 the overwhelming choice was the Nikon F for its indestructible build, faster focusing, faster film loading, and better lens selection. Life magazine did a special issues on the war correspondents still and movie camera choices during the duration of the war.

Valsmere Loc: New Jersey

Another book titled Requiem edited by Horst Faas and Tim Page. Very very captivating book. It is about the photographers who lost their lives in Vietnam and Indochina. Excellent book if you can acquire a copy.it also goes into some equipment they used. Simply an awesome yet somber book. Highly recommended.

nikon_jon Loc: Northeast Arkansas

Some used Leica on short strap around the neck with 50mm lens and Nikon F, mounted with 200mm f/4 tele on a longer strap, thus giving them distance versatility without having to change lenses all the time. I have one of those 200mm lenses, by the way. Nice piece of glass. Used it frequently when I was on the photo staff of the local paper.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

MT Shooter wrote:

Most war correspondents in 1962 were shooting Leica when the conflict began, but by 1964 the overwhelming choice was the Nikon F for its indestructible built, faster focusing, faster film loading, and better lens selection. Life magazine did a special issues on the war correspondents still and movie camera choices during the duration of the war.

I need to see Dennis Hopper's part in Apocalypse Now again.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Valsmere wrote:

Another book titled Requiem edited by Horst Faas and Tim Page. Very very captivating book. It is about the photographers who lost their lives in Vietnam and Indochina. Excellent book if you can acquire a copy.it also goes into some equipment they used. Simply an awesome yet somber book. Highly recommended.

Thanks for the tip.
Link to the book HERE.

Valsmere Loc: New Jersey

Helper that's the one!

Valsmere Loc: New Jersey

IcemanKS wrote:

Greetings.....
I'm a Vietnam Vet and was wondering what a War Correspondent or photo journalist used for gear back in the day. Naturally it was film but I'm wondering lens and camera. Thanks, have a good day.
iCE 😎

Thank you for your service my Dad was a Corpsman in DaNang welcome home Sir.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

IcemanKS wrote:

Greetings.....
I'm a Vietnam Vet and was wondering what a War Correspondent or photo journalist used for gear back in the day. Naturally it was film but I'm wondering lens and camera. Thanks, have a good day.
iCE 😎

A Leica, Nikon or any other camera that was easy to carry and hold. The most common lenses were 35mm or 50mm prime - both considered normal lenses.

krl48 Loc: NY, PA now SC

Larry Burrows, one of the pre-eminent Vietnam war photojournalists, was often pictured with both Nikon F's and Leica M3's hanging around his neck or off his shoulders.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

During the mid 1960s to about 1970, the Graflex Speed Graphic or Crown Graphic may have been used extensively. Bulky they were, but very durable and effective. They took many black and whites back then. Graflex production died in 1973, after nearly 75 years of photographic services to American Photo Journalists. Graflex was the most popular during World War 2. Taking many historical classic photos. The quick emergence of SLR film cameras in the late 1960s, finally laid Graflex to rest. Permanently. If you have ever seen vintage magazines of Life, and Look Magazines, many of those photos were shot with a Graflex camera back then. I wouldn't be surprised if some uhh members own one of them. If you want to know everything about this camera. A link, www.graflex.org is very informative regarding Graflex cameras. More than you want to read.

jederick Loc: Northern Utah

GoofyNewfie wrote:

Nikon F mostly.
I've heard David Hume Kennerly speak twice.
That's what he has in the photo below.

Read his book, Shooter, available here.
Your question prompts me to read my copy again.

Hell'uva way to make a living!

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

mas24 wrote:

During the mid 1960s to about 1970, the Graflex Sp... (show quote)

The standard issue USAF cameras back in '73 were the Nikon F and the Graflex XL.
That's what we had at Clark AFB in the Philippines. The XL was the first medium format camera I ever used and I was blown away with the images it produced. Sadly, the rangefinder on the XL wasn't robust enough and kept breaking, so they got permission to replace them with Mamiya C-330 from the base exchange. Liked it so much, I got one myself.
I heard the Navy used the Topcon Super D as it's official 35mm for a while back then.