I came across an article in La Vanguardia about a retrospective exhibit of the work of French photographer, Jacques Léonard. What caught my eye, of course, was the much used photo of the photographer with a camera to his eye -- a Kodak Medalist!
I had not bumped into Léonard's work before, but a quick Google search shows he does not lack for fame in Europe. He is best known for his extensive and exquisite documentation of the gypsy communities of Spain, particularly of Barcelona.
None of the many articles turned up in the Google search results mentioned Léonard's gear, so I turned to Google Bard:
What camera was used by French photographer, Jacques Leonard?
Jacques Leonard used a variety of cameras throughout his career, but his most commonly used camera was the Leica IIIf. The Leica IIIf was a 35mm rangefinder camera that was introduced in 1954. It was one of the most popular cameras of its era, and it was known for its high quality of image. Leonard used the Leica IIIf to document the Roma community in Barcelona in the 1950s and 1960s. His photographs from this period are some of the most iconic images of the Roma people.
In addition to the Leica IIIf, Leonard also used other cameras, including the Rolleiflex TLR, the Contax IIa, and the Nikon F. He also used a variety of film stocks, including Kodak Tri-X, Ilford HP5, and Agfa Ultrapan.
Leonard's choice of cameras and film stocks reflected his commitment to high-quality photography. He wanted to capture the Roma community in as accurate and realistic a way as possible, and he believed that the Leica IIIf and other high-quality cameras were the best tools for the job.
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| Ken Rockwell's Review of the Medalist |
4 comments:
They pop up on eBay every once in a while but they are always expensive.
Yes. $300 seems to be the rockbottom price. Beyond that it is a complex design that is sure to need some restoration work. Still, a very interesting and unique camera. The Ken Rockwell review is excellent.
Those Medalists certainly have a massive industrialist look. If you bought one, you would need to re-roll 620 spools. I am not sure what you would really achieve restoring one of these beasts except for the historical connection with mid-century technology.
I recall seeing some really nice pictures made with the Medalist. As I noted above, I was impressed with what Ken Rockwell had to say about the camera, especially the fact that it has parallax correction in the finder. Add that to a very good lens and the big negs and it seems likely to be a good performer.
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