ProPhoto 50 Years Ago
There’s nothing like a dip into the archives to reveal just how much things have changed in the professional photography industry, especially over the last couple of decades. In the early 1970s, medium and large format cameras were considered the only choice for professionals, especially for studio work. And black-andwhite film was still in extensive use for many applications. Although colour was no longer thought of as the work of the devil, many pros ran their own darkrooms for processing and printing B&W. Here’s a selection of what was on the pages of this magazine 50 years ago when it was called Professional Photography In Australia. This is a snapshot of the JulyAugust 1972 issue.
Cover photograph: David Franklin; Sydney, London and New York
Test Reports: Pentax ES 35mm SLR People And Places / David Franklin, advertising and fashion photographer.
The Issues: The potential value of the copy photography business / What is photographic quality? / How effectively does the IAP deal with complaints against its members (destined to be an on-going issue for decades to come).
The Advertisers: Union Carbide Australia – Eveready rechargeable batteries / Wild (Australia) Pty Ltd – Leica M5, Lecina Super RT1 Super 8 movie camera and Pradovit TA 35mm slide projector / Bond Colour – colour and B&W film processing services / GCS
Photographic Industrial Sales – Zelox studio flash and darkroom products. / C.R. Kennedy – Pentax Super-Multi-Coated Takumar lenses / C.R. Kennedy – Kowa 6 6x6cm SLR and lenses / Wagners Industrial Division – Courtenay studio flash equipment / Townsend Colortech – professional services using the Kodak VCNA printing system / Maxwell Photo-Optics – Nikon F2 pro-level 35mm SLR / H. Levinson – Sigma 18mm f/3.5 ultra-wide prime lens / Hanimex –
Durst colour heads / Hanimex – Durst A600 and DA900 multi-format enlargers / Kodak (Australasia) – Ektachrome, Ektacolor and Kodachrome materials / William Charlick Limited – Bronica S2A 6x6cm SLR and lenses / R.H. Wagners & Sons – Balcar, Manfrotto, Wagsons and Hirsch products / R.H.
Wagners & Sons – Rodenstock large format lenses / R. Gunz (Photographic) – Schneider Kreuznach Super Angulon large format lenses / Ilford – Ilford FP4 and HP4 35mm B&W film ‘Professional Packs’.