A quick look at an Argus C3

5 comments on A quick look at an Argus C3
2 minutes

The Argus Camera Company of Ann Arbor, Michigan, pretty much single-handedly brought 35mm photography into the mainstream with its C-series rangefinder cameras. The C3 is the best known and most available of the series; millions of them were made between 1939 and 1966.

Argus C3

The C3 was the Volkswagen Beetle of amateur photography – it was relatively inexpensive and looked funny, but it did the job well and lasted forever. Like the Beetle, even though Argus changed the camera little by little over the years, one C3 looks pretty much like any other. Based on its five-digit serial number and its uncoated lens, my C3 is from 1945 or early 1946. Other subtle clues to its age include that its rangefinder window is tinted blue (not yellow, as in later years), it has seven shutter speeds (older models had ten; later models had five), the shot counter is chrome with black numbers (later models were black with white numbers), and the back sports two chrome strips and a film speed guide (later models deleted these).

Argus C3

C3s remain common and easy to find even 42 years after Argus stopped making them. My C3 is nearly in mint condition, which is not unusual and did not command a premium price. I paid less for this camera than it cost to ship it to me!

Many, many people learned the fundamentals of photography behind a C3, and C3s have taken many beautiful photos, both then and now. The C3 is also fairly simple to maintain and repair, and plenty of information about how to do it is available on the Web, such as here. Mine appears to be in good working order, but when I one day run a roll of film through it I’ll know for sure, and may be glad for all these online repair resources!

Do you like old cameras? Then check out my entire collection.


Comments

5 responses to “A quick look at an Argus C3”

  1. Michael Avatar

    I’ll stick to the digital world from now on. I really like my Canon A620. I can get some amazing pics with it and it’s swiveling LCD screen. Just the other day I was drooling at the Canon S5 with 12X optical zoom, but can’t really justify getting another camera for the amount of pics I take.

  2. Jim Avatar

    I really like my digital Kodak Z730, so I know what you mean. I’ll run film through my old cameras only to satisfy my curiosity and nostalgia.

  3. Bernie Kasper Avatar

    What a cool old camera, I bet it would be amazing to play around with some “old” film prints !!

  4. Arthur Smith Avatar

    Great article1 Have a C3 with the coated Cintar 50mm lens that my father gave me, and some expired film my girlfriend’s sister kindly donated. Plan on blasting a few rolls through it this summer!

    You can check out my blog, which covers all things Polaroid, at http://www.arthurpolaroid.wordpress.com

    -Arthur

    1. Jim Avatar

      Thanks for stopping by, Arthur!

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: