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primus96 · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 7:50 pm Post subject:

For my college notes I wanted to mention Weegee.

From my copy of 'Naked City'he states he pre-set the focus at 6ft & 10 ft distance.
The shutter speed was 1/200th & the aperture at 6ft=f32 & at 10ft=f16. The film was Kodak Super Panchro Press Type B.
What sort of speed was this film.

The pic in 'Naked City'of him shows what looks like a 3 cell Graflite & 7" reflector.
Perhaps somebody can figure out what sort of bulb was appropriate?

If it were a #2 or #3 then perhapsI can squeeze in a mention of Meggaflash.

Jim23 · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 10:28 pm Post subject:

Super Panchro-Press Type B at the end of its production was ASA 250. I used in high school in 1969 in an Anniversary Speed Graphic to shoot group pics. I used Polydol to develop the stuff.

I don't know what it's speed rating was in Weegee's day.....

t.r.sanford · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 12:52 am Post subject:

The old American Standards Association changed its sensitometric criteria in the late '50s (I was in high school). "Tri-X" went from 200 ASA to 400 ASA; "Super-XX" went from 125 to 250, etc. The films didn't change, just the exposure indices.

Did "Type B" refer to some peculiarity of the red sensitization of the film?

As for bulbs, the 7-inch reflector was designed for work with screw-based models. I'd guess #2, but will defer to the Graflex historians.

glennfromwy · Joined: 29 Nov 2001 Posts: 903 Location: S.W. Wyoming

Can't say much for the film or bulbs, but he did use flash for everything, thus the distance and f: stop settings. No fuss, just quick and dirty. And it served him well.

_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"

pberg · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 5 Location: Wayne, N.J.

I just thought this anecdotal note might be of interest to Weegee fans. I'm far from an expert on him, but I did know him and worked for him periodically when I was a 19-year-old starting out at UP Newspictures on 34 St. in New York City.
He reinforced my impression at the time of many older press photogs...kind of a slob, but a slob who was a genius. I was working the giant print drier machines at UP in the early 50's. Weegee used to show up, usually late at night to knock off his prints in our darkrooms free of charge. He was kind of a celebrity to us at the time, roaming the streets at nights, looking, except for lugging his equipment, like one of the bums he frequently shot. In any event, Weegee, usually chewing the stub of a very smelly cigar remnant, would barrel his way into the newsroom looking like he had been sleeping in his suit, soiled white shirt, and baggy pants. It was one of my great thrills starting out that he even talked to me. But he actually asked me to dry his prints that first night. This was the equivalent to a star-struck kid starting out in his first real newspaper job of being hired to run Life Magazine. I was not sharp enough at the time to save any of his prints or get his autograph. But, months later, after I had done some of these chores for him, and he gave me an occasional piece of advice about shooting on the streets, he gave me one of his tip manuals and signed it with a flattering compliment on my work that he may have giveen to a hundred different kids: 'To Phil...the Weegee of Eighth Ave.'

glennfromwy · Joined: 29 Nov 2001 Posts: 903 Location: S.W. Wyoming

Thanks for sharing your experience! Priceless bits such as this are such a rare treat.

_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"