Rear Window iconic photo.
Dec 28, 2019 07:42:06 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
zensu wrote:
I happened to catch a great Hitchcock movie the other night "Rear Window" with Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. I'm going to try and attach a jpg of an iconic photo of the movie showing Jimmy Stuart holding what I think is an Exacta camera and a super telephoto lens below:
Any old photographer/old film buff like me know whether this lens is a 300mm, 400mm, or maybe 600mm?
Any old photographer/old film buff like me know whether this lens is a 300mm, 400mm, or maybe 600mm?
Could be an Exacta, could also be a Miranda.
Dec 28, 2019 07:55:50 #
Dec 28, 2019 08:23:12 #
Quick google search and found this:
“A Kilfitt fern-kilar f/5.6 400mm telephoto lens was used throughout most of the movie when the character L, B, Jefferies played by James Stewart uses his camera with a telephoto lens when looking through his rear window. The 35mm film camera was an Exakta VX Ihagee Dresden the Exakta logo was covered by a piece of black material in the movie.”
“A Kilfitt fern-kilar f/5.6 400mm telephoto lens was used throughout most of the movie when the character L, B, Jefferies played by James Stewart uses his camera with a telephoto lens when looking through his rear window. The 35mm film camera was an Exakta VX Ihagee Dresden the Exakta logo was covered by a piece of black material in the movie.”
Dec 28, 2019 08:34:50 #
Dont you just love it when they put tape over the name of the camera?? I didnt think that they did that in those days. If I were the manufacturer I'd WANT my name shown. It's free advertising. They do that on cars too nowadays. Obviously greed is a factor.
Dec 28, 2019 08:39:20 #
After my earlier comment about storyboarding and all, of course the poster still would have been publicity shots and not necessarily taken at the same angle (or time) as the filming.
Interesting how many variations of the shot are found with an Web search.
My favorite stills are copyrighted, so will just point to a couple URLs.
https://www.alamy.com/original-film-title-rear-window-english-title-rear-window-year-1954-director-alfred-hitchcock-stars-james-stewart-credit-paramount-pictures-album-image223291261.html
Appears to show enough detail to read the lens serial number. The first part of lens manufactures name is clearly "Heinz", however this does not agree with some other shots.
https://www.gettyimages.nl/detail/nieuwsfoto's/james-stewart-watches-raymond-burr-through-a-camera-lens-nieuwsfotos/515177122
This image shows lens information and camera details that agree with the Website below.
Interesting that different shots with the actor show different configurations of the camera, such as way the tape is placed to cover the name and in some cases the prism area.
http://camaracoleccion.es/Fotos_la_ventana_indiscreta.html
This seems to be the definitive site, as there is other detailed info about the movie.
The photo of Exakta Varex VX appears identical to the still shot.
Translation of the camera combo:
Throughout the film you will use an Exakta Varex VX (sold in the United States as Exakta VX) that presents the curiosity of having the shutter on the left side of the camera. The producers of the film placed a black cap on the prism of the camera, hiding the "Exakta" mark engraved on its front. The camera is fitted with a Kilfitt 400mm f / 5.6 Tele-Kilar lens, produced in Munich (Germany) between 1952 and 1968. Like Tamrom in its origins, the Kilfitt lenses had adapters to be able to be attached to more camera models Famous of the time.
Interesting how many variations of the shot are found with an Web search.
My favorite stills are copyrighted, so will just point to a couple URLs.
https://www.alamy.com/original-film-title-rear-window-english-title-rear-window-year-1954-director-alfred-hitchcock-stars-james-stewart-credit-paramount-pictures-album-image223291261.html
Appears to show enough detail to read the lens serial number. The first part of lens manufactures name is clearly "Heinz", however this does not agree with some other shots.
https://www.gettyimages.nl/detail/nieuwsfoto's/james-stewart-watches-raymond-burr-through-a-camera-lens-nieuwsfotos/515177122
This image shows lens information and camera details that agree with the Website below.
Interesting that different shots with the actor show different configurations of the camera, such as way the tape is placed to cover the name and in some cases the prism area.
http://camaracoleccion.es/Fotos_la_ventana_indiscreta.html
This seems to be the definitive site, as there is other detailed info about the movie.
The photo of Exakta Varex VX appears identical to the still shot.
Translation of the camera combo:
Throughout the film you will use an Exakta Varex VX (sold in the United States as Exakta VX) that presents the curiosity of having the shutter on the left side of the camera. The producers of the film placed a black cap on the prism of the camera, hiding the "Exakta" mark engraved on its front. The camera is fitted with a Kilfitt 400mm f / 5.6 Tele-Kilar lens, produced in Munich (Germany) between 1952 and 1968. Like Tamrom in its origins, the Kilfitt lenses had adapters to be able to be attached to more camera models Famous of the time.
Dec 28, 2019 08:39:22 #
jeep_daddy wrote:
I looked to see if I can find that movie playing free anywhere. I'll have to do a little more searching but so far have not seen it playing free anywhere. It's been years since I've seen it.
You can probably find it in your local library (DVD). I watch movies every night from my local library.
Mark
Dec 28, 2019 08:41:28 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
foathog wrote:
Dont you just love it when they put tape over the name of the camera?? I didnt think that they did that in those days. If I were the manufacturer I'd WANT my name shown. It's free advertising. They do that on cars too nowadays. Obviously greed is a factor.
If you don't cover a copyrighted product, you have to pay to use the image or it is considered an infringement on the copyright.
But, in modern times when James Bond movies started up, the movie guys got smart, Sony and Ford payed big bucks to have their products and names appear in the films, and that has continued to this day.
Dec 28, 2019 09:45:52 #
If you're not familiar with Hitchcock movies, this is one of his best.
In a small defense of his "peeping", Stewart is a photojournalist immobilized in a wheelchair due to an accident while shooting a sports event. So he's stuck home with a camera.
And yes, I love Hitchcock movies.
In a small defense of his "peeping", Stewart is a photojournalist immobilized in a wheelchair due to an accident while shooting a sports event. So he's stuck home with a camera.
And yes, I love Hitchcock movies.
Dec 28, 2019 09:55:53 #
My first SLR was the Exakta VX-IIA that I purchased in 1963. I had that camera for about 20 years until I got the Canon AE-1, then an F-1 before going to digital.
Dec 28, 2019 10:59:48 #
twice_shooter wrote:
Quick google search and found this:
“A Kilfitt fern-kilar f/5.6 400mm telephoto lens was used throughout most of the movie when the character L, B, Jefferies played by James Stewart uses his camera with a telephoto lens when looking through his rear window. The 35mm film camera was an Exakta VX Ihagee Dresden the Exakta logo was covered by a piece of black material in the movie.”
“A Kilfitt fern-kilar f/5.6 400mm telephoto lens was used throughout most of the movie when the character L, B, Jefferies played by James Stewart uses his camera with a telephoto lens when looking through his rear window. The 35mm film camera was an Exakta VX Ihagee Dresden the Exakta logo was covered by a piece of black material in the movie.”
That is what I found as well, rather than speculating.
Thx for posting.
Dec 28, 2019 11:22:13 #
EmilMiller wrote:
It's a Kilfitt Tele-Kilar 400mm f/5.6.
I thought it looked like my Kilfitt. And I still have it.
Dec 28, 2019 11:55:27 #
Dec 28, 2019 12:19:01 #
Exakta Varex IIa has a trigger horizontally moving on the LEFT side of the lens. So, the right hand should be supporting the lens.
That picture shows Jimmy Stewart holding the camera like it has a trigger on the top of the body on the right side and his left hand is supporting the lens.
They probably picked up the camera for the movie, because it was the most sophisticated and famous professional camera on the SLR market, but with the mirror not returning to shooting position.
It has a shutter (or two) going probably up to about 30 seconds.
Original Exakta lenses had a special pre-release for the aperture control located in the front of the camera body shutter release.
This camera has a long history. The design started before the Second War and was gradually updated to compete with another popular camera of the time (1950 +) Carl Zeiss Contax/Pentacon.
That picture shows Jimmy Stewart holding the camera like it has a trigger on the top of the body on the right side and his left hand is supporting the lens.
They probably picked up the camera for the movie, because it was the most sophisticated and famous professional camera on the SLR market, but with the mirror not returning to shooting position.
It has a shutter (or two) going probably up to about 30 seconds.
Original Exakta lenses had a special pre-release for the aperture control located in the front of the camera body shutter release.
This camera has a long history. The design started before the Second War and was gradually updated to compete with another popular camera of the time (1950 +) Carl Zeiss Contax/Pentacon.
Dec 28, 2019 12:39:46 #
Dec 28, 2019 13:05:43 #
Paul J. Svetlik wrote:
Operating the film advance lever moved the film to the next frame, cocked the shutter for the next exposure and returned the mirror to the shooting position. Nary an automatic features on the camera. but with the mirror not returning to shooting position.
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