What is the camera in "Awake"?

May 19, 2008 9:46 PM

I just watched the DVD of Awake, and I'm going crazy trying to figure out what kind of camera Jack (Terrence Howard) uses throughout the film. It is all black and a bit old looking. I'm a bit of a camera nerd, and I have to know!
posted by grieserm to media & arts (15 comments total)

Is it possible to post a screen capture? I can't find a photo online, and a lot of people didn't see that movie. I did, and I enjoyed it but I don't have the DVD.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 11:50 PM on May 19

Here is a quick bmp i put together. I found the movie online and took some quick screenies. I couldn't pause, I hope it helps.
posted by lain at 1:02 AM on May 20

If I had to make a wild guess, I'd say it's a rangefinder, maybe a Leica or a Rollei. I'm not really familiar with these brands.

http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=recommend&sku=RLRF35
posted by so_ at 2:42 AM on May 20

Hard to tell from the screen caps, but it looks to me like a Konica Hexar.
posted by Etaoin Shrdlu at 3:55 AM on May 20

Thanks for the photos...

Yes, it's definitely a rangefinder, but I know you wanted more info than that. So many rangefinders look the same, mostly because they all copied from Leica. However, a lot of Leicas have rounded sides, whereas this camera is more boxy. A Yashica Electro 35 from the 70s is also a possibility.

I'll do some more looking when I get a chance, but if I had to put money on it right now I would lean toward Leica for a few reasons:

-Leica still makes new rangefinders like that.
-Howard's character is a successful doctor, and a Leica is an expensive and serious camera.
-Prop departments would be more likely to use a Leica than another kind of rangefinder camera.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 5:26 AM on May 20

My money's on a Voigtlander Bessa R2.
posted by jdfan at 5:53 AM on May 20

Btw, the Rollei and Zeiss rangefinders are made by Cosina, maker of the new (since 99?) Voigtlanders.
posted by jdfan at 5:58 AM on May 20

It looks like it's definitely a rangefinder and to me it looks like it's a Fuji, maybe a GS645S or one of its reincarnations. You can find some on KEH.

Or it may also be a Leica but your screen capture doesn't help.
posted by eatcake at 6:09 AM on May 20

Yep, seconding the Bessa R series. On the left photo, it looks like the upper right side of the camera is slightly cut off, with something shiny there -- that corresponds perfectly with the recessed rewind crank on the Bessa Rs.
posted by suedehead at 7:05 AM on May 20

Wow. Thanks for the help! There is one scene that shows it best, when they are just getting ready to get married, but none of the scenes show it well.
It is most definitely a rangefinder. The R2 shows the most promise. Leicas are definitely the most well known.
posted by grieserm at 8:00 AM on May 20

It looks a bit like an Epson RD-1, too. But it's very hard to tell from those screenshots.
posted by jack_mo at 8:12 AM on May 20

jack_mo, that makes sense as well, considering that Cosina makes both the Bessa R and the Epson RD-1 cameras and that the body design for both are the same.
posted by suedehead at 9:18 AM on May 20

Yeah, it's hard to tell the exact model, because there were so many made, especially in the 60s and 70s, that all looked similar. It's very cool looking though.

If you like rangefinders, I have found the best bang for the buck to be the Yashica Electro 35. It's what I am holding here. Great 1.4 lens and a very low-tech but accurate meter. If you click on the "night" link on my site, most of those photos were taken with the Yashica.

If you search for Yashica Electro 35 on flickr, there's a lot of great photos being taken with them. It's hit and miss whether you can get one that works, but they are usually well under $50 on eBay.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 9:35 AM on May 20

...considering that Cosina makes both the Bessa R and the Epson RD-1 cameras and that the body design for both are the same.

That would explain it! Though I thought the Bessa R had a grippy bit (technical term!) on the front, unlike the Epson? If so, from the way your man is holding the camera in the screenshot, it's more likely a Bessa than an Epson.

I'm seriously considering an R2A or R3A now that I can shoot on the Epson without thinking - be nice to muck about with film again...
posted by jack_mo at 11:59 AM on May 21

jack_mo, that's a add-on side grip actually -- without it, they look remarkably similar.

I envy your Epson!
posted by suedehead at 10:45 AM on May 26