Sorry, Leica – iconic 'Napalm Girl' photo may have been taken on a Pentax camera

The image Napalm Girl is one of the most famous news photographs in history, and headlines surrounding this image continue to circulate. But while the authorship of Nick Ut was recently clarified, the camera behind this shot is now in question.

For 50 years, it was believed that the photograph was captured with a Leica M2 using a 35mm lens and Kodak Tri-X film – but the AP recently stirred controversy by questioning that assumption.

So could it actually have been taken with a Pentax camera? Or a Nikon camera? And does this even matter?

The first rumor

Officially titled The Terror of War, the image depicts a heartbreaking scene of a 9-year-old girl, Phan Thị Kim Phúc, running down a road after suffering burns from a South Vietnamese napalm attack during the Vietnam War in 1972.

The journey of the photo most famously known as Napalm Girl has been complex. In 1973, Nick Ut received both the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography and the World Press Photo of the Year. This year, however, questions have arisen regarding the image's true authorship and the camera that was used.

A documentary called The Stringer, directed by Bao Nguyen, claimed that the image was taken by another photographer named Nguyen Thành Nghe. You can read the story here.

After a year-long investigation, the AP remains firm in its assertion that Ut is indeed the photographer – but questions whether the photo was in fact taken with a Pentax.

The camera behind the image

The AP statement says, "It was also likely, though not certain, the image was taken with a Pentax."

While I have no information as to why this happened, I can just speculate. For many photographers during the Vietnam War, including those from AP, it was normal to carry multiple cameras to make sure they could shoot important scenes, even if they ran out of film.

Nick Ut is and was a loyal Leica user, and in 1972 he had an M2 with him, so it makes sense that many would assume that's what he used for the shot. Plus, Nick himself has said he used the Leica.

Still, he had other cameras on hand, including a Nikon and a Pentax. The Pentax belonged to his brother, an AP photographer who lost his life on an assignment in Vietnam.

So why does AP think it's a Pentax – and why now?

Well, AP's statement doesn't clarify this. It said images taken with a Pentax and Nikon camera have similar features and imaging characteristics, which adds to the confusion.

According to the AP, the characteristics of cameras from the Seventies – whether Nikon or Pentax – are pretty similar. It may require some expertise (and a good loupe) to determine the truth, but does this really matter?

After all, is it important to know if this image was captured with a Leica, Nikon or Pentax? What truly matters is that this moment was recorded and that the image exists. But rest assured, you'll be the first to hear about any updates.

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