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Diane Arbus

 

Diane Arbus is one of the most iconic photographers of the 20th century, and her choice of camera gear was crucial to her distinctive, intimate, and often unsettling portrait style. Here’s a breakdown of what she used:

Diane Arbus’ Camera Gear by Period

Early Years: 35mm Format

  • Camera: Nikon S2 and Contax rangefinder cameras

  • Lens: 50mm standard lens

  • Film: 35mm black-and-white film

Nikon S2

➡️ Used during the 1950s while she transitioned from fashion and editorial photography (working with her husband Allan Arbus) to more personal work.

Most Famous Work (1962–1971): Medium Format

  • Camera: Rolleiflex TLR (Twin-Lens Reflex)

    • Likely models: Rolleiflex 2.8F or 3.5F

  • Lens: Fixed Carl Zeiss or Schneider 80mm f/2.8 or f/3.5

  • Film: 120-format black-and-white film, typically Kodak Tri‑X

Rolleiflex 3.5

The Rolleiflex was the defining camera of her mature period. It allowed:

  • Waist-level framing, helping subjects feel less threatened

  • Square format (6×6 cm), which shaped her iconic compositions

  • Quiet shutter and unobtrusive style, perfect for candid yet frontal portraits

Occasional Experiments

  • She briefly experimented with:

    • Mamiya C330 TLR for its interchangeable lenses

    • Pentax 6×7 SLR toward the end of her life (larger negatives, more aggressive visual style)

    • Large format view cameras (rarely, mostly for specific editorial jobs)

Why the Rolleiflex Mattered

Diane Arbus said the Rolleiflex made her "less obtrusive" and “helped subjects to look back at her.” The waist-level finder enabled a psychological dynamic of intimacy without confrontation—vital to her exploration of identity, difference, and vulnerability.

Books by Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus - An Aperture Monograph : see it on Amazon


Revelations : see it on Amazon



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