camera lenses used in US navy during WWII

Skywalker Jin · Nov 7, 2025

Hello there.
Recently I'm doing some collection for vintage camera lenses. I bought used ones and use some tools to connect them on my canon 5DmarkII.
So,as a naval aviation lover,I wonder what lenses did those brave photographers use during wartime,especially on aircraft?
Just like this photo(RIP to this photographer)

May I invite

R Leonard Mr Leonard,I had been wondering if you could help me
Thanks to everyone！

Wurger · Nov 7, 2025

Actually the pic is a still frame of a movie that was taken by Photographer Mate 2nd Class Marion Riley who survived. The sequence of stills from the film was published in Life Magazine months after the battle. M.Raily used a motion picture camera that was damaged by the explosion but the film survived. So the type on the camera lens will depend on the motion picture camera, IMHO.

The info source ... Japanese Bomb Impacts USS Enterprise (CV-6) During Battle of the Eastern Solomons – The World War II Multimedia Database

Ane the film with the explosion at the 3.05...

View: https://youtu.be/kFXcnUtMT4A?t=184

Skywalker Jin · Nov 7, 2025

Wurger said:
Actually the pic is a still frame of a movie that was taken by Photographer Mate 2nd Class Marion Riley who survived. The sequence of stills from the film was published in Life Magazine months after the battle. M.Raily used a motion picture camera that was damaged by the explosion but the film survived. So the type on the camera lens will depend on the motion picture camera, IMHO.

The info source ... Japanese Bomb Impacts USS Enterprise (CV-6) During Battle of the Eastern Solomons – The World War II Multimedia Database

Ane the film with the explosion at the 3.05...

View: https://youtu.be/kFXcnUtMT4A?t=184

So，talking about photoing on the aircraft carrier（like portrait of O hare）.

The info I had found stated that US navy used KODAK medalist and Graflex but to my sadness kodak lenses used radioactive material.
Lenses attached to Graflex may varied, and this is what I'm interested in

Wurger · Nov 8, 2025

Skywalker Jin said:
So，talking about photoing on the aircraft carrier（like portrait of O hare）.
View attachment 855399
The info I had found stated that US navy used KODAK medalist and Graflex but to my sadness kodak lenses used radioactive material.
Lenses attached to Graflex may varied, and this is what I'm interested in

Grasped.

Skywalker Jin · Nov 8, 2025

Wurger said:
Grasped.

Now I had researched wollensak,quite satisfied
Next brand: zeiss

Thumpalumpacus · Nov 8, 2025

Wurger said:
Actually the pic is a still frame of a movie that was taken by Photographer Mate 2nd Class Marion Riley who survived. The sequence of stills from the film was published in Life Magazine months after the battle. M.Raily used a motion picture camera that was damaged by the explosion but the film survived. So the type on the camera lens will depend on the motion picture camera, IMHO.

The info source ... Japanese Bomb Impacts USS Enterprise (CV-6) During Battle of the Eastern Solomons – The World War II Multimedia Database

Ane the film with the explosion at the 3.05...

View: https://youtu.be/kFXcnUtMT4A?t=184

What I've always found amazing about that footage is the combat maneuvering that starts around 1:22 or so.

Skywalker Jin · Nov 10, 2025

guys my final choice is：pentacon 28mmF2.8 and zeiss jena 35mmF2.8

camera lenses used in US navy during WWII

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Skywalker Jin

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