Everything We Know About Kate Middleton's Camera Collection

Honouring 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge captured portraits of Holocaust survivors with their children and grandchildren. Kate is said to have been inspired by Dutch artist Vermeer, who “specialised in capturing domestic scenes, and toyed with light and focus,” as Vogue writes. Her photos certainly look like paintings, which has got me wondering, what camera does Kate Middleton use?

Of the two images featured, the portrait of Yvonne Bernstein and her granddaughter Chole provided some insight into Kate’s camera of choice. This was all thanks to the EXIF metadata attached to it, which, as tech site OSxDaily explains, is “raw information about the picture file, containing details about the camera and settings used to take the picture.”

While the info stored on Bernstein’s portrait didn’t list the camera used, it did contain the lens used, which was an EF 50mm f/1.2L USM. A lens made by Canon, described as its “a consummate low-light performer” and one that “allows fine creative control over focusing and depth of field,” as the manufacturer writes. The perfect choice for this poignantly intimate series.

This lens can be used across Canon’s EOS professional L series range, but according to site Digital Camera World, Kate has worked with the EOS 5D alongside the PowerShot digital pocket camera. The EOS 5D is one of the compatible cameras listed for the lens, so there’s a high chance that this was the camera she used for her Holocaust Survivors series. The EOS 5D retails for £2,799 on Amazon, while the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens will set you back £1,210.

“I wanted to make the portraits deeply personal to Yvonne and Steven [Frank] — a celebration of family and the life that they have built since they both arrived in Britain in the 1940s,” the Duchess said. “The families brought items of personal significance with them which are included in the photographs.” As Vogue writes, the project was supported by The Royal Photographic Society, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, and Jewish News.

Last June, the Queen passed down her patronage at the Royal Photographic Society to Kate, who is known to be an avid photographer. “The Duchess of Cambridge has a longstanding interest in photography, and this patronage will further highlight the beneficial impact that art and creativity can have on emotional wellbeing, particularly for children and young people,” @kensingtonroyal captioned an Instagram post celebrating Kate’s patronage. “Learning photography is a fun and engaging way to help young people develop confidence and self-expression, and to help develop new skills.”