55 Years Ago - April 1959

[marc_bergman1]

<p>Welcome to April 1959.</p>

<p>This first article is the Modern Photography tests for the month.</p>

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[marc_bergman1]

<p>This second article is about Medium Format photography done in a Q&A format.</p>

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[marc_bergman1]

<p>This third article shows what MF films were available.</p>

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[marc_bergman1]

<p>This bonus article shows new products. It was in the April 1959 issue of US Camera magazine.</p>

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[marc_bergman1]

<p>Here are the camera equipment ads for the month.</p>

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[marc_bergman1]

<p>Here are a coupe of dealer ads for the month.</p>

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[marc_bergman1]

<p>That is it for April 1959. All comments and suggestions are welcome.</p>

[john_cooper9]

<p>April 1959 I was in school in England and 14 years old. I had saved up money for a new (old stock) Kodak (I think) 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 folder with a f/6.3 lens. I had fun with it but can't find any negatives from those days!</p>

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>Wonderful Marc, my Linhof is a sensible camera...must tell my wife! In Nov. 1959, as a strapping eight year old, my family made the big move from farming in the arid north west of Victoria to the beachfront village of Merimbula in NSW. This was a move that I'm forever grateful for!</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Thanks for all the work it takes to get this on line. Good for you.</p>

[Karim Ghantous]

That's mad! I love it! And how about

that Konair Ruby? Looks like an

interesting camera.

 

The typography was very nice in

places. And those dealer ads - they

stayed that way across three decades.

I have American magazines from the

'70s and they are exactly the same.

 

IMHO those magazines, ads and all,

have always had a magical aura about

them. As much as I love our modern

tools, the magic is not often there.

[steve_levine]

<p>These articles illustrate that by 1959 "photography" had reached a technological plateau. In 1959 cameras like the Hasselblad 500C, Leica M3, Nikon SP, Nikon F and various Rollei's etc, were as good as cameras would ever be optically and mechanically.</p>

<p>Only really high end optics improved and evolved, nothing really got better with cameras after this time, only easier.<br /> Things like AF and auto exposure film cameras were really only cake decoration in my opinion.</p>

<p>As always thanks for the entertaining posting.</p>

[marc_bergman1]

<p>John - I hope you can find some of those negatives. It is interesting how resilient film negatives can be. Just when you thought all is lost they turn up in another shoe box.</p>

<p>Tony - When I was 2 my family moved from the farmland of Iowa to the resort city of Santa Barbara, CA. What a lifestyle change. It was springtime 12 months of the year.</p>

<p>JDM - Thanks for your kind words.</p>

<p>Karim - It seems to me that a distinctive ad was very important back then. You can still see it in some products today but not in camera equipment. It could be the fact that you need a 20 page ad to do a modern DSLR justice. </p>

<p>Steve - For some types of photography I like all the modern conveniences but it is great we can make different choices. There is something very different about using an all manual camera. Thanks for your thoughts.</p>

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[rick_drawbridge]

<p>Much appreciated, <strong>Marc</strong>. Once again I re-discovered all sorts of interesting things that had slipped my memory. As others have observed, so far as true "photography" went, as opposed to "capture" or "imaging", the cameras of this era were about as good as it got.</p>

[rogerwb]

<p>Thanks for another trip down memory lane, boy am I feeling old.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Thanks, Marc. I may possibly have this issue somewhere among all the magazines I inherited from my dad, but it's been a while since I looked. Back issues are indeed a useful resource. Back in college (when my dad and I still dried fiber prints on a Prinz electric print drier, I would pass the time looking at old photo magazines while I waited for prints to come off the drier. </p>

[marc_bergman1]

<p>Rick - One of the things that stand out for me is how each 5 year period seems distinct. 1954 some designs seem a little crude, 1959 show a maturation of design, and 1964 show a distinct refinement. Think of the mid-sixties equipment you have. You expect it to be well designed in fit, finish, and function. </p>

<p>Roger - It is all in your state of mind. I was a child of the fifties. I just received my Medicare card. About the only time I feel old is when someone calls an 80's piece of equipment 'vintage'.</p>

<p>Mike - For my long ago home darkroom I would rather listen to music than read. I remember using Beseler processing drums with motor base. Very relaxing. </p>

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