As the Adelaide Camera Expo quickly approaches, we got to know the co-owner of PhotoCo Camera House inside Adelaide Central Market.

As PhotoCo will host the Adelaide Camera Expo – the largest camera event in the state, showcasing a range of guest speakers and a flea market-like pop-ups – we talked to Paul Bulley to learn more about the iconic Central Market staple.

As photography and PhotoCo is generational, we learn from Paul that family is everything to him.

CityMag: Tell me about PhotoCo Camera House.

Paul Bulley: We’re proudly the oldest camera store in South Australia. It was started by my grandparents way back in the early 60s, and it’s been the same place ever since. My parents had it after my grandparents and now my brother and I are co-owners.

CM: What do you specialise in at PhotoCo Camera House?

P: We actually have the largest range of second-hand photographic gear in Australia. So that’s our little niche, both film analogue cameras as well as digital. We post half a dozen items, lenses, cameras, and vintage stuff interstate every day.

CM: How did you find that niche?

P: That’s always been our specialty. We’ve just loved finding gorgeous old cameras, fixing them up and reselling them.

In a way it’s recycling, but there are a lot of quality products that were made 40 years ago. You know, Hasselblad, Nikon, Canon, and it’s great to just – these gorgeous, old mechanical cameras – to maybe replace light seals, re-grease them and give them a new lease on life, instead of them ending up in the bin.

Paul’s grandparents who started PhotoCo Camera House in 1965

CM: Tell me more about the generational aspect of PhotoCo Camera House.

P: My grandpa was the photographer in the English Navy, and then moved out here to Australia with his wife from England and started PhotoCo. We’re all passionate photographers, and that’s pretty much how this expo’s come to be.

CM: So did you pick up a camera because your grandpa and dad were taking lots of photos?

P: I literally had cameras instead of teddy bears. So, yeah, as a kid, I had been crawling as a toddler in the Central Market – there wasn’t childcare – so I would just hang out in the market. I’m sure I’ve broken many, many cameras over the years.

It’s easy to be good at something if you’ve grown up in the industry as well.

Pirlta wants to come to the Adelaide Camera Expo. Illustration by Angus Smith.

CM: I’d imagine you personally have a big collection of cameras. Is that true?

P: I do, but one of our staff actually has one of the biggest collections, almost, in Australia. He’s got probably close to 4000 cameras. He’s a camera collector, and he jokingly is probably one of our best customers.

I’ve got a gorgeous old Rollei 35. It’s a beautiful old mechanical camera made in Germany. It’s a film camera. I just love that I’ve taken many photos on probably the last three holidays I’ve been on with my family, and I still haven’t finished that roll of film, so I’m just excited to see what’s on there and relive that.

I’ve got an old Minolta camera. That was my very first camera. It was called an SRT-101. I still love that old camera and then I’ve got newer digital cameras. I use Nikon, Fuji and Canon professionally, just depending on what sort of job I’ve got.

CM: How do you differentiate the difference between brands?

P: Honestly, from growing up in the industry, I don’t see any difference in quality in the brands. They all make good quality stuff. I swear we’re probably the only store that doesn’t work on commission.

So one month, some stores will say Canon’s better than Nikon, then the next month, they say the opposite because they’re always getting a little commission from the brands.

But we’ve never done that and the reason being is that they all make entry-level cameras. They all make mid-range amateur and they all make pro, and the quality is pretty similar across everything. So to answer your question, to me, is just my confidence in using the equipment.

Adelaide Camera Expo 2023

CM: Let’s move on to the Adelaide Camera Expo. What can we expect?

P: We’re not event coordinators, we’re just passionate photographers, and we’re just trying to do our best to make an event happen. We’re lucky enough to have the Adelaide Central Market as a pretty freaking awesome venue.

This year we’ve got the Saturday, which is all about education. So Saturday’s workshops and photo walks.

So Sunday, pretty much to sum it up it’s 50 per cent brand new gear, like a trade show, and then 50 per cent second-hand swap meet. It’s like a flea market. Half the market will be flea markets, second-hand, private resellers, selling gear, and then the other 50 per cent is the biggest brands in photography showcasing the latest technology.

On that Sunday, we’ve just got James West and Ollie English doing some awesome music, and then we’ve got five hours of guest speakers up on the stage that are all free to listen to once you just get in through the gate.

CM: Is this expo only suitable for already established photographers? Or can beginners enjoy the fun as well?

P: There’s nothing worse than exclusivity. We just want to be as open to the photographic community as possible.

In our store, we’ve got such a wide variety of people that come through. We’ve got the leading photographers in Australia that come through, and then we’ve also got so many customers every day just saying ‘hey, I want to buy my first film camera. I’m so nervous. What do I get?’

We’re doing a free studio that we’re setting up with a professional model, and one of our staff will be there. The main aim is for anyone to rock up and learn how to shoot with a studio with a professional model and take some great photos.

It’s just about empowering beginners as well as pros.

The PhotoCo Camera House Adelaide Camera Expo will take place this weekend from 10am until 4pm at the Adelaide Central Markets.

Find out more and book tickets through the website.

Adelaide Camera Expo 2023