Bresson Question

[g0tr00t]

What Leica did he get in 1932 and what was his last one?

TIA!

I have googled this to no end and can't find the answer....

[StuartR]

I think Dante Stella remarked that Bresson's last "leica" was a Contax T.

[Doug]

Didn't HCB largely give up photography in his last decade or two, turning to painting? The M6 may well have been his final Leica.

[StuartR]

I actually would not be surprised if they just sent him Leicas as they came out, in the hopes that he might pick one up and get photographed with one. He was the walking posterchild for Leicas, keeping one in his hands was certainly in the best interest of the company, even if he gave up photography.

[Jeroen]

I read something about HCB giving away the newest Leicas he received from Solms. He gave them to young photojournalists who couldn't afford expensive equipment.

[taffer]

Originally posted by Jeroen
I read something about HCB giving away the newest Leicas he received from Solms. He gave them to young photojournalists who couldn't afford expensive equipment.

Don't have a clue but that may be 100% true.

[g0tr00t]

I am enjoying this. I thought it would be an easy answer....Here name this camera.

http://www.nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2004/08/henri_cartier-bresson_dies.html

Thank you all for the input.

[peter_n]

Difficult to say. Looks like an M2 or an M3 maybe...

[Film dino]

Looks like an M3- raised viewfinder window surround?

[ddunn]

His first Leica (from his description "neither rangefinder nor interchangeable lenses") must have been a Leica I (Model A).

His last was a Leica compact (Minilux?). See David Douglas Duncan's Faceless or Photo Nomad.

[JohnL]

Originally posted by Manolo Gozales
(snip)
"And without the Leica, my constant traveling companion - from the very first camera, with neither rangefinder nor interchangable lenses"
(snip)
If he got it in 1932, it could have been a used one, because the late versions of the Leica I had interchangeable lenses. I had one (some while ago) that was produced in 1931 and it had a standard screw thread lens - an Elmar 50/3.5, uncoated.

[g0tr00t]

Well, I know that after his hunting trip, he lost his film since the camera let in moisture. Please excuse my ignorance, but are early Leica's weather sealed?

It sounded like he wanted something smaller and more reliable than what he had and Leica was his choice. Although, I never thought about a used one too....

Keep'm coming gang, we'll figure this out... :)

[back alley]

...are early Leica's weather sealed?

...the latest ones are not weather sealed.

joe

[g0tr00t]

Well, hmmm, maybe they are better sealed than the one he was using... :)

[JohnL]

The one I had was certainly not weather sealed, at least not in the sense that a modern camera such as a Canon 1-series SLR is weather sealed.

[ddunn]

Originally posted by JohnL
If he got it in 1932, it could have been a used one, because the late versions of the Leica I had interchangeable lenses. I had one (some while ago) that was produced in 1931 and it had a standard screw thread lens - an Elmar 50/3.5, uncoated.

According to the production figures in the Leica Camera and Lens Pocket Book, Leitz made the Model I as late as 1936, so HCB could have bought a new one in 1932.

[JohnL]

Originally posted by ddunn
According to the production figures in the Leica Camera and Lens Pocket Book, Leitz made the Model I as late as 1936, so HCB could have bought a new one in 1932.
True. The output of fixed-lens model I's fell off rapidly after 1931, however, when the model IC came out with the standard thread.