Argus C3

[jennyandernie]

We have finally got one !

One camera missing from our collection is an Argus and for some time we have had an eye out for a good one. Got one from e-bay this week, a C3, and it appears to be in almost mint condition.

Now all we have to do is test it; so looking forward to using it and seeing how it performs.

Must admit I rather like it if only for its individuality.

Ernie

[Randy]

The Brick. That's one I don't have either. I've been trying to get an Argus C44.

[kiev4a]

I've got the Argus A3 that was made in 1940-41. All metal body--sort of an art deco design. Unfortunately, I've never got around to shooting any film with it. The C3 was sort of the Volkswagen of 35mm cameras in America after the war. A C3 around the neck set the user off from the box Brownie mainstream.

[herron]

I've got a nice brick...have never used it, however. My nephew pointed it out on the shelf..."Oh, look! A Harry Potter camera!"

Wonder if that increases its worth at the moment?

[kamera]

I have a couple C3's, one of which is mint and I love to use. In fact, I just took a shot of it two days ago to post.

It seems different folks get a C3 but then do not try it or experience some difficulty.

There are two items to be careful of.

1. The black shutter set button on the right side of the body is usually positioned such that if one is not extremely careful your finger catches on it as it returns to its position it was in before cranking it.

I merely repositioned mine so it aims lower toward the bottom of the camera...works great.

2. You can not rely on the film counter. You also must carefully watch, listen and feel as you advance film. There will be a soft click when advanced to the next frame.

As a safeguard, I advance twice to get a full, not overlapped frame. This works great with mine and with others they tell me, and still get the proper number of exposures on a roll...maybe a couple less. But it beats all frames being overlapped.

You will find the lens is still a great producer of images.

Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI

[jennyandernie]

Thanks for the advice Ron. I will run a short length of B/W before I test it on colour just to see how the advance is.

I load up some re-usable cassettes with short lengths of B/W from a bulk roll of cheap film. These give around 10 exposures which we sometimes use to test cameras.

Ernie

[kamera]

Damn it!!! I was logged in and just spent a 1/2 hour typing, hit post and the board had bounced me out and told me I am not allowed to post to replies. Right now I am pissed...please excuse my french...but will try to redo it all again. Thanks board!!!

Anyway...here is a pic of my totally working Argus C3...body, coated 50/3.5 cintar lens, Argus LS3 meter made for the C3 and an Argus folding flash. The flash takes 22.5 volt batteries which are no longer available except possibly through batter specialty sites. I was fortunate to obtain the last 4 batteries from a local Radio Shack and have them frozen in ziplock baggie.



I erred earlier in saying to move the shutter arming lever toward the bottom of the camera.
Must be my old age brain as that would only complicate matters. Instead...reposition the lever toward the top of the camera!!

This is rather long, but is the foolproof way to load, advance and expose film. If you follow the instruction manual or your instinct you will end up with overlapping frames.

TO LOAD:

1. Insert film in right hand slot.
2. Pull leader over to take-up spool on left.
3. Insert leader fully so that the leader extends out about 1 INCH OR FRACTION MORE.
4. Press to the left, the 'advance lock-release toggle' on the top of the camera adjacent the
film counter dial and HOLD.
5. Advanc the film TWO(2) FULL ROTATIONS of the wind knob for proper seating of film on the
take-up spool.
6. Make sure film is flat and engaged as you normally would.
7. Close the back and make sure fully latched as you normally would.
8. Move the rewind knob in direction of arrow to tighten film in canister as you normally
would.

ADVANCE TO FIRST FRAME...this takes THREE(3) advances to insure fresh film is in position.

9. Press the advance lock-release toggle and hold.
10. Advance the film by rotating the advance knob about 1/4 to 1/2 turn ONLY. RELEASE THE
TOGGLE and continue advancing the film until a MODEST RESISTANCE is felt as the film
sprocket locks and resists the further advance film. Wind film SLOWLY so as not to go
past the point of resistance.
11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 TWO(2) more times. Fresh film now in position for exposing the
first frame.
12. Set film counter to zero(0) by rotating the dial clockwise. Remember though not to put
much reliance on the counter.

SHOOTING THE PICTURE AND ADVANCING FILM:

13. Cock the shutter using the arming lever on the lower right front of the camera.
14. Make sure the ring around the shutter release button is set to"I" and not to"B".
15. Focus on subject.
16. Determine exposure and set shutter speed and aperture.
17. Compose picture and fire the shutter with the release button on top the camera. Use
caution to keep your fingerf from interferring with the movement of the arming lever so
as not to spoil shutter speed.

ADVANCE TO NEXT FRAME:

18. Repeat steps 9 and 10 TWICE. This may waste some film, but with this old camera and
its idiosynchrocies, the advance does not always work correctly and overlaps of pictures
results.
19. Continue to take pics until roll is used up.

END OF ROLL AND FILM REWIND:

20. At end of roll you will feel an ABNORMAL TENSION at a point you would not expect the
film lock to engage. Do not go past this point.
21. Move the rewind knob on bottom of camera in direction of arrow until all the film comes
off the take-up spool and has been rewound back into the canister.
22. Open the back and remove exposed roll of film.

NOTE:

1. Advancing the film in the C3 is "by feel" mostly and the exposure counter does not give
correct results.
2. Make it a habit to advance to the next frame immediately to prevent memory loss of
whether or not it needs to be done before exposing film again.
3. I have no doubt included some "known" steps and did not intend to question anyone's
intelligence. But to get it down pat in my mind originally, I went step by step in writing
the instructions.

Once the possible frustration of getting use to all this is gone, you will find the "brick" a fun
camera to use. And I always have someone come up to me and ask about the "funny and
old looking" camera.

Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI

[Microdad]

Here's mine... I picked it up a few months ago at a local shop. I've only shot one roll through it but haven't taken it in for processing yet. It's definately a weird camera but it's interesting to work with.

It had a flash unit and a box of bulbs that came with it but the flash won't fire. I haven't had a chance to look at it yet but I only have this one Argus so I'm too chicken to work on it.

[kamera]

And the shutter arming lever is in the correct position for not having your finger interfer with
its movement. Did you reposition it??

Most have the lever positioned horizontal or downward where your finger gets in trouble.

Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI

[paul7]

I bought a C3 in the 70's without any idea of where I'd use it. Interestingly it came in handy on a few occasions when I wanted to purposely shoot double exposures.

[jennyandernie]

Finally got around to testing the Argus. Found it fun to use and it gave better results than we thought it would. Here are a few of the photos we took.

Long Melford Church


A Suffolk Punch heavy draught horse


Long Meford Hall Gardens


Long Melford


Jenny and Ernie

[John Parry]

Imagine No 2 coming at you at 25mph with a knight in full regalia on his back. That guy would take some stopping!

And by coincidence (or maybe not) you picked up the means of stopping them in the next picture. We don't see poldered yews in the north (saw some in Hawley recently). Nowadays it's just a tradition, but originally they were poldered to produce longbows. High tech - and in their day they were definitely rocket science. Didn't take our knights long to realise that you never took a charger within 500 yards of a longbow. Fortunately, it took some others considerably longer to catch on!

Regards - John

[landsknechte]

Having only played with one brick, I can't say how represenative my experiences are, but I've been pleasantly surprised with the images that came back from the test roll. Gorgeous rendition of the "b-word" - quite impressive for a lens that only goes to f/3.5, IMHO.







I'm hooked.

Incidentally, mine is nearly identical (slight difference with the accessory shoe), and has the cocking lever for the shutter positioned the same way.

[landsknechte]

It was some expired (2001-ish) Plus X Pan.