Argus C3 rangefinder

[Niner]

I was thinking about getting one. It's about as retro as you could want. I saw one in a display last week at the Battleship Alabama. It has been around since 1939 and ended production in the early 60's with the influx of Japanese cameras. American made, it was sold to the tune of about 2 million copies during it's production run. It's all mechanical. No light meter. No batteries needed. It's 35mm. It was known as the "brick" in it's day. Split screen range finder focus was as cutting edge at it got back in the day. I'm looking for one for cheap...as in $10 plus shipping. They are always on eBay all the time so it's not out of the question.

Oh.... I read where Jimmy Carter had one while he was in the Navy and it is now on display in his museum. On the other hand.....maybe that is an indication that I really don't need to spend the money on a wild notion.

[joseyclosey]

For 10 dollars it's worth a dabble Robert, it's always something to play with.

[Niner]

I sold an old trumpet mute to a guy that wanted it the other day. I sold it to him for about exactly the price of one of those camera's on eBay including the shipping charge. The camera is in the mail.

Guess I'll see what condition it is in and if I can make it take some photos or not pretty soon.

[Niner Delta]

Are there still places to buy film and get it developed????........

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[Niner]

I got it. It's bigger and clunkier than I realized. And that's just great. I love that retro camera made like a tank look. It seems to function alright. The focus works. The shutter clicks with varying speed depending on the 7 set speed settings and the F stop slide seems to be working. Just have to try it out.

It's weight, with the leather case, is a hefty two pounds and four ounces. Maybe, besides the shape, that's why they called it the "Brick". And by the way there is a knob on the bottom of the case that links by screw with a fitting on the bottom of the camera to secure the camera to the case.

I've photographed it with a "standard" SLR to show size relativity.

[Niner]

I looked in one of my two camera bags and found a roll of 200 speed film that I had bought a couple of years ago. So... off to experiment.

The camera has no light meter. I guessed . I used a F9 and a shutter speed of 100. It was a sunny day. I figured the film had some margin of error. Well.. the biggest problem was trying to determine how much turn to go from one exposure to another. I read an old instruction booklet online and it wasn't exactly clear. There is a counter knob that you set to O and a clutch type mechanism that releases and locks the advance. Then there is the film advance knob. At first I advanced what turned out to be too much negative to begin the shoot. Then I advanced the film too little because I was looking at the counter knob and not advancing the film enough. So the early shots were stacked one on top of the other because of less advance than needed. In any case by the end of the roll I had got the hang of it...more or less. The split screen range finder thing worked pretty good, but my eyes aren't all that great and there was some error because of that. There was some blurr to the photos, but that could be partly camera shake at 100 speed shutter setting.

I'll attach a few examples.....including one that shows multiple exposures due to not advancing the film far enough.

The only real down side is that it cost me all of $8 to process this film. I think I may get some B&W film, if they still make it, and get out my old darkroom equipment and develope the film my self and then get cheap prints made. But... this is an adventure in camera technology of the past, 75 years past, and not something I plan on doing to replace my much much better, and way cheaper to use, digital cameras.

[Niner]

That last multiple exposure. I used a little IrphanView software on it.

Really artsy fartsy isn't it?

What would happen if I had one of these photos printed on a fair size "canvas" print? Would it look like "art"?

Art is mostly something that is "art" because of what a salesman, who can add some "expert" opinion mumbo jumbo will be able to sell it for I suspect.

[Niner]

The local online news had a story about an art festival. I stole this image from one of their photos as an example of something that passes for art. And....maybe really is art...but what do I know?

[Niner Delta]

To me, that looks like the place an artist cleans his brushes...........

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