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Brassaï

 

Brassaï (born Gyula Halász, 1899–1984), the famed photographer of Paris by night, used relatively simple but effective camera gear suited to his distinctive low-light, nocturnal photography.

Cameras Brassaï used

  • Voigtländer Bergheil 6.5×9 cm folding plate camera
    → This was Brassaï’s primary camera, equipped with a Voigtländer Heliar f/4.5 lens.
    → It used glass plates, offering large negatives (6.5×9 cm) that could produce high-quality prints with rich detail.

Voigtlander Bergheil 6.5 x 9

  • Occasionally:

    • Rolleiflex TLR (Twin-Lens Reflex) in later years

Rolleiflex TLR

    • Some sources mention he experimented with Leica for certain reportage-style work, but the Voigtländer was his iconic tool.

Why the Voigtländer Bergheil?

  • It was compact (for a plate camera), foldable, and portable enough for night walks in Paris.

  • The Heliar lens provided a distinctive rendering, with beautiful tonal gradation and subtle softness in highlights—perfect for the atmospheric, moody look of his night scenes.

Lighting

Since he photographed at night before the age of fast films:

  • Brassaï relied heavily on magnesium flash powder and later early flash bulbs to light dark streets, staircases, and foggy alleys.

  • He often collaborated with friends or assistants to help ignite the flash powder at the right moment.

Film/plates

  • Glass dry plates or cut film in holders (depending on the period).

  • Slow emulsions (ISO equivalents often below 25!), which made artificial light essential at night.

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