Bill Brandt, what formats and cameras did he favor?

[imagedowser]

His style seems to favor the image over technical excellence, not that his technique was wanting, just curious about how his equipment contributed to his style.

[Jac@stafford.net]

His style seems to favor the image over technical excellence, not that his technique was wanting, just curious about how his equipment contributed to his style.

http://www.billbrandt.com/research/creativecamera.html

Scroll down to Cameras

[imagedowser]

J, Terrific, Thankx. Bill

[Mark Sawyer]

http://www.billbrandt.com/research/creativecamera.html

Scroll down to Cameras

The first couple of paragraphs under "The Nudes" are about the extremely wide-angle lens he used on an 8x10, but never identifies the lens. I've heard it was a Goerz Hypergon, probably a 75mm. Maybe someone can confirm this?

[Michael Alpert]

The first couple of paragraphs under "The Nudes" are about the extremely wide-angle lens he used on an 8x10, but never identifies the lens. I've heard it was a Goerz Hypergon, probably a 75mm. Maybe someone can confirm this?

Mark,

Brandt used a police camera with a built-in wide-angle lens that he found in a junk shop. I think it was a 4x5 or roll-film camera, not an 8x10; but I'm not sure. In any case, I have never encountered the name of the lens or its focal-length; and, like many others, I've tried to find out what that lens was. Brandt said in a BBC interview that the lens created a look that was unexpected and "unique," suggesting that the distortion created by the lens went far beyond simple wide-angle distortion (which is evident in the photographs). Other than the police camera for nudes, much of Brandt's work was made with a Rollieflex. The early prints that Brandt made were small and exquisite; the later prints were more dramatic. I like both kinds of prints, but for different reasons.

[Mark Sawyer]

You got me curious, Michael, so I went searching. Here's a camera described as like Brandt's, a Kodak (UK) Wide Angle Camera 6.5x8.5 (whole plate), with a Protar lens.

http://www.pbase.com/cameramanuk/kodak_angle_camera

And Brandt with his camera:

http://billbrandtarchive.photoshelte...000TCxI3Bg6ti0

According to the Italian photography magazine Nadir, Brandt used a Hypergon:

http://www.nadir.it/ob-fot_grande/plasmat/plasmat.htm

If you scroll down the page you'll find an image credited to Brandt using a Hypergon. From Google's translation of the Italian text: "It was produced in various focal lengths to accommodate different camera formats up all'8x10 "(20x25 cm.) The Hypergon was also used by photographers to shoot the police in its entirety, the scene of the crime. Photographer Bill Brandt uses it for "monumentalise" his women, thanks to the exaltation of the typical ultra-wide angle perspective."

I can't identify the lens in the photo of Brandt. It could be a Protar or a Hypergon without the fan. It's also very possible Brandt used more than one ultrawide lens.

[Mark Sawyer]

Update: In 1997, Christie's auctioned a "KODAK WIDE-ANGLE CAMERA, originally belonging to BILL BRANDT. A whole-plate mahogany and brass camera with removable bellows and baseboard section with a Zeiss Protar f.18 8.5 cm. lens no. 1355381, a Zeiss protar f.18 11 cm. lens no. 938858 and eight double dark slides."

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/l...bjectID=831800

Well, that wasted a good half hour!

[Michael Alpert]

Well, that wasted a good half hour!

Mark,

Many thanks for your fine detective work.