Ansel Adams

[logan]

What 8x10 view cameras did Ansel Adams use in his work? In all his essays, I never read where he referred to his 8x10 by a particular name or brand.

[JW Dewdney]

I seem to recall a Korona being mentioned a whole heck of a lot. I think there were others, possibly. I think it was in several of his books, you might want to read those. But then again - I probably read those 20 years ago or so.

[Bill_1856]

It's hardly ever mentioned, but St.Ansel was a camerahollic (and the more common kind of hollic, as well). Whereas Weston probably had only two cameras for the last 30 years of his life (Deardorf and Graflex), AA always had to have the very latest "stuff" (cameras, lenses, darkroom, Cadillac, etc) that his wife could afford. The only camera he seemed to eventually stick with was his Hasselblad.

[David Karp]

I believe that he also used a magnesium Eastman Commercial View. He mentions it in his Examples book, but calls it aluminum.

[MIke Sherck]

I recall a comment (somewhere, somewhen,) that at one point both he and Edward Weston were using Anscos. I have no idea whether its true or not. It wasn't 8x10 but I recall seeing a photograph of him using what appeared to be a Calumet CC-400 4x5 monorail camera.

Mike

[Walter Calahan]

Don't worry what camera he used. It's just a frame and bellows to keep the light off the film until the shutter was opened. Pay more attention to the choice of lens he used to solve his photographic problem.

[Greg Lockrey]

In his Basic Photo Series books he was using Calumets. I suppose that was to show the reader that basic equipment was all that was needed to do the job.

[John Kasaian]

Much of his 8x10 work was shot with an Ansco in addition to the metal Kodak already mentioned. IIRC he wrote about not being fond of the Deardorf.

[Jim Jones]

Don't worry what camera he used. It's just a frame and bellow to keep the light off the film until the shutter was opened. Pay more attention to the choice of lens he used to solve his photographic problem.

Very true. The short 1957 movie, Ansel Adams, Photographer, showed him loading this gear into an old 8 passenger Cadillac limousine with the famous 5x7 foot metal platvorm on top and a ZONE V license plate. I believe the 8x10 was an Ansco, but would have to watch the movie again to be sure.

1 8x10 view camera with 20 holders and 4 lenses: Cooke convertable, 10" Wide Field Ektar, 9" Dagor, 6.75 wide angle Wollansak

7x17 special panoramic camera with five holders & 13.5" Protar lens

4x5 view camera with six lenses: 12" Voigtlander Collinear in Compound shutter, 8.5" Apo-Lanthar, 9.5" C. P. Goertz Apo-Artar in Ilex Synchro shutter, 9.25" Apo Tessar, 4" Wide Field Ektar, Dallmeyer 8-on telephoto

Hassleblad camera with 38, 60, 80, 135, and 200mm lenses

Contaflex 35mm camera outfit

two Polaroid cameras

SEI exposure meter and two Weston meters

Filters for each camera: K1, K2, Minus Blue, G, X1, A, C5, B, F, 85B, 85C and light balancing series 81 & series 82

Two tripods; one light, one heavy

lens brush, Stop watch, level, thermometer, focusing magnifier, & focusing cloth

Heicolight strobe portrait outfit with 200' cable

special storage box for film

[John Cahill]

Before 8x10, IIRC, he used a Zeiss Juwel.