Argus Camera the C3 35mm That You Wish You Had

Camera By Gil

The Argus Camera

The Argus Camera that I have is called the C3. It is a 35mm film rangefinder. It is manufactured by a company named Argus. It was manufactured in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA from 1939 up to 1966. It has sold over 2 million units. Making it one of the most popular camera of all time. Because of its shape, size, and weight some photographers started to call it as “brick” and in Japan it was nicknamed “The Lunchbox.”

The film format it uses is 135 (35mm) and its picture size is 24×36 mm. It uses a leaf as shutter and the shutter speed can be adjusted from 1/10 up to 1/300. The viewfinder it uses is a coupled rangefinder. The lens is interchangeable and for film advance and rewind you can only do it manually.

The Argus Camera C3 model was a vast improvement from the 2 previous ones. The C3 compared to the other 2 has a coupled rangefinder. It means that the user would not have to rotate the lens barrel manually to match the rangefinder’s reading. It also has a built in flash synchronization. It retailed for 35 USD at that time. Many people were drawn to it because of ita durability and and sharp quality images. The Argus Camera C3 model was constructed from metal castings and bakelite plastic.

The Argus Camera C3 model that I came in possession of was a version called matchmatic. It was different from the regular model because of its two tone tan and black leatherret body. It was sold with a selenium light meter, but the one I havr was missing it. It also comes with a leather case. The one I got also has a case but the strap was torn off from the main leather case. All in all the camera is still in good condition physically except for some signs of age. Like all the other cameras I have I will ask my friend to see if the camera still works because I don’t have much knowledge pertaining to the inner mechanisms of camera. If you are into collecting cameras this one is definitely a must own camera because of its age, how it looks, and most of all its durability can’t be questioned.