Argus Argoflex - true tlr

[alexkerhead]

I have wanted one of these for a while, and finally grabbed one on ebay. You see slews of 40s and 75s on ebay, but not too many of these. It has the 75mm f/4.5 anastigmatic varex coated lens. It has the geared focusing system, similar to the kodak reflex. The quality is on par with the Japanese TLRs of the same era.

As always, here are the images.

[Reiska]

A very nice Argoflex. Early Argoflexes had a plastic body, I suppose. Does it use 120 film?
Can you say an estimate when it is built?

The focusing system is similar to Voigtlander Brillant and
a Russian Ljubitel, which actually is a Brillant copy.

[alexkerhead]

This one has a full metal body.

It uses 620, so I guess late 40s through the 50s based on that and the style.

[SidW]

May 4, 2008 8:33:57 GMT -5 Reiska said:

... Early Argoflexes had a plastic body, I suppose .... Can you say an estimate when it is built? ...

Reiska, the Argoflex E, 1941-1948, was bakelite. It had coupled focusing, stops and several shutter speeds, but no flash sync.

The Argoflex II (shortlived with a malfunctioning frame counter) and Argoflex EM 1947-1948 were metal.

The Argoflex EF (1948-1951) was metal, now with a hot shoe for flash.

The Argoflex 40 (1951-1954) was plastic and the beginning of the end - uncoupled focusing, fewer stops, shutter just instant and bulb.

Subsequent versions were simple plastic, instant, fixed focus cameras in fancy dress.

The Varex lens was used from 1941 to 1954, then discontinued. I got interested in the Argoflexes on account of the Varex name of the lens. You may be familiar with the trouble that Ihagee had with their Exakta Varex cameras in the USA from 1950 onwards, Argus having already registered the name by 1941.

I didn't get anywhere with how the name was coined by Argus and by Ihagee (an inspired guess is that Ihagee were thinking of VARiabel EXakta, i.e. the exchangeable viewfinders). The trail has gone cold. Conspiracy theorists might like to note that Ihagee registered a US patent in 1941 for "a reflex camera with detachable camera hoods", but the name Varex doesn't appear in it.

Some sites with an Argoflex interest:

arguscg.tripod.com (Argus collector group)
www.argoflex.com (especially advertising and manuals) This one seems to have lapsed
www.olegvolk.net/gallery/technology/oldcameras/ (photographs)
www.butkus.org/chinon/index.html (manuals) home page, then follow Argus links
www.collection-appareils.fr/argus/html/argoflex.php (photographs)

Anyway, Alex, enjoy your Argoflex, and if you prowl around those sites maybe you'll get a date for it. You say the lens is coated, so that should put it in the late 1940s at the earliest, one of the last Argoflex E, or the EM if it's metal, or EF if it has flash sync.

[Reiska]

S.W.

Thanks for the links!

Yes, that old "plastic" was bakelite and the the other was guttapercha,
good for the burning lens .
That var/ex guess sounds good, how it is
connected with a lens is more puzzling.

[alexkerhead]

Thanks for the info, Sid!

Based on the info, I surmise it is a Argoflex EF. I used my olympus modern flash(hotshoe connection only) on it, and it worked like a charm.

[Dave]

The first real camera I used as a 13 year old was my father's Argoflex E. I bought one cheap some years ago simply as a souvenir, but the bakelite is so chipped that it obviously would have light leaks all over. As I recall, I had some nice slides from Dad's camera.

I'm looking for a good EM or EF now. I'd like to play with it for old times sake and they are cheap enough to allow that.

Good luck with yours,

Dave

[mickeyobe]

This is the pre war bakelite argoflex.








Various argoflexes: From left to right: Argus 40 - Logo Variant, argoflex , argoflex Pre War, argus super seventy-five, argus seventy-five, Argus 75.


Mickey

[alexkerhead]

Thanks for the pics Mickey!

[Robert Ross]

Hi All

Bought the Argus TLR EF last year and disassembled it, cleaned it and LIGHTLY lubed where necessary. Most difficult part was getting the lens gearing synchronized and meshed just right.

Takes really acceptable negs for a box of this caliber.....and lots of fun to use.

Robert