Argus C3 series cameras

[Niner]

If you look at the camera pages on facebook somebody is always showing off their C3 "brick". Usually the standard version ..but the series lasted from before WWII until the 60's and the Argus C series was the most produced line of all times.... at least in the US. The line had many variations, even though to the casual glance they all looked the same. I took some photos to illustrate a few differences from a camera made not long after WWII and one called the "matchmatic" made in 1964 if I'm reading the code right.

The cocking buttons were backwards to each other as to cock or fire. The shutter release was a narrow tower on the older model and a mushroom on the newer. The Newer model had a bracket for light meter that was specific to the camera in setting the shutter and aperture. The lenses were not set up for changing aperture the same way and the matchmatic had numbers that related only to the attachable meter and not the standard opening numbers. The shutter speed dial had regular number selections on the older model and something like zone readings on the other to increase or decrease the shutter speed.

There are people that are serious collectors of the Argus C series and know way more about the differences that were made over the years than a casually interested person such as my self will ever know or appreciate.

[Niner]

Just got around to shooting the tan covered one that was among the last made and usually came with a matchmatic light meter. No meter to match numbers for exposure settings made easy came with my camera. Range finder window totally unusable also a bit of a disappointment . I set the range on the distance scale and adjusted the shutter speed by suggestion that "6" was the most often preferred with shots not accompanied by flash or shots not of "action". The lens barrel is different than the original C3. 8 to 3 1/3 as adjusted by turning top ring accounts for aperture. Distance wheel is 3ft to infinity. Either turn the distance wheel or turn the base of the lens. The lens turning is easier.

Had some difficulty getting the clutch wheel film advance lever to catch properly and some images on the film were not squared up or overlapping. I stuck to shots pegged at infinity or close up and most apertures at the 8 mark. And then....horror or horrors... my timer shut off while I was developing the film and getting a bucket of water to rinse the film. Had to guess how far along I was for the 8 minutes development time. Pulled the film out before fixer to see what it was looking like and put back in for another 30 seconds before fixer. Not a great idea. However more of images came out better than I had a right to expect ...all things considered.

There is a pear tree in the back yard I burned more than a few shots on.