Argus, is it America's Leica? or America's FED?

Just expanded my Argus collection with an A model.

....not sure which specific A model until I see it though. ;)
 
I alwasy thought the Kodak Brownie as America's camera. I can't think of any camera being compared to a Leica. BTW wasn't the VW a German car?:D
 
Never had one, never wanted one, never saw the reason for it. Yes it was an American made camera but I get the same feeling as I did when ever I took a ride in my friends Nova, there must be something better. With all the great ideas Americans have I can only look to products like the Argus as the results of marketing people who have no hands on experience in the area they are developing products or marketing to. I just never wanted a brick around my neck.

B2 (;->
 
bmattock said:
The C-4 was often commonly modified with the "Geiss America" option, which gave it replaceable lenses. If you see a C-4 with a silver handle sticking out of the base of the lens, that's one of them. CQ has a write-up on them.
Click to expand...

edited: I have a C-4, which is Geiss modified. The 50mm lens is excellent. I said that already.
 
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I picked one up a few weeks ago for $5 :eek:

Took me all of an hour to have it fully working with clean and bright viewfinder and rangefinder. Focus was even easy to turn...
 
Sorry if the scans are too large, but the Argus lens delivers.
I may have used the 50mm 2.8 and the 35mm lens too.

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Nice shooting Raid :) As always I enjoy your shots!

As for large scans, it's no problem - if you use the FireFox web browser you can right click a large image and choose "view image" from the menu, it will shrink the image to match your screen resolution.

You can also use postimage.org to post your pics, it shrinks them too.

Cheers,
Craig
 
spystyle said:
Nice shooting Raid :) As always I enjoy your shots!

As for large scans, it's no problem - if you use the FireFox web browser you can right click a large image and choose "view image" from the menu, it will shrink the image to match your screen resolution.

You can also use postimage.org to post your pics, it shrinks them too.

Cheers,
Craig
Click to expand...

Thank you, Craig.
I will try out these options.
 
I need to make a trip to Florida so I can get some boat shots like your Raid.

Nice work..
 
I friend of mine back in High School discovered a rather unique advantage to the dorky RF coupling on the C-3. If you "mis-align" the gear teeth by two (I think, but maybe one) in the proper direction you end up with a coupled RF that corrects for the infrared focus shift.

Also, I believe the statement that C-3 lenses are all coated is probably correct. I can't remember seeing one with an uncoated lens in the quarter century I worked behind the counter in camera specialty stores. I have seen uncoated lenses on the earlier C and C2 versions. There are quite a number of variants of "the brick":

http://arguscg.tripod.com/id11.html
 
bmattock said:
The C-4 was often commonly modified with the "Geiss America" option, which gave it replaceable lenses. If you see a C-4 with a silver handle sticking out of the base of the lens, that's one of them. CQ has a write-up on them.
Click to expand...

... not to be confused with Argus' own interchangeable lens C-4 variant called the C-44.
 
colyn said:
I need to make a trip to Florida so I can get some boat shots like your Raid.

Nice work..
Click to expand...

Thank you, Colyn.
I make use of whatever is available to me,and the outside of the fish market turned out to be very good for photography.
 
Dwig said:
Also, I believe the statement that C-3 lenses are all coated is probably correct.
Click to expand...

I sold one on eBay awhile back that had the uncoated lens. The early models from 1938-mid 40's were uncoated..
 
About 10 years ago my roommate and I walked into Pro Camera in Charlottesville, VA, my college town back then. I was a regular at that place - think I was there to buy film or something. Bill Moretz, owner of Pro Camera, jokingly asks my roommate if he wanted to buy a camera. "I only have a dollar in my pocket, if you have one for sale at that price, I'll buy it."

Bill smiles, walks to the backroom, and a minute or two later emerges with an Argus C-3. The transaction was made with a handshake, both parties laughing.
 
Hey my Argus C4 came in the mail today, it's in mint condition as is it's leather ever-ready case. If I didn't know any better I'd think it was only a few years old. It must have been in safe dry storage for many years. It even has a little skylight filter :) All is marked "made in USA", it's quite gorgeous :) It's very big too - the fixed fifty lens is also very big, it protrudes like a zoom lens. And the camera is heavy - this is a serious machine for a mere 20 bucks, I like it :)

I'll take some pics of it later when I'm done with my work :)
 
Just received a C3 as part of a lot of 9 cameras. I've got it loaded and need to have some fun with it.
I handed it to my wife, no camera person is she, and asked, "What do you think the nickname for this camera might be?" She said, without hesitation, "The Brick."

Nailed it on the first try.
 
Sweet, I figured why not and ordered a C3 as well :) In the meantime I have taken photos of my Argus C-Four CLICK to see

More cameras and lenses can be seen HERE, including evil SLRs :)
 
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