venchka
Veteran
There is a Tower rangefinder camera for sale locally. I don't know the model but it has a Roenstock Heligon 1:2 f=50mm lens and a built in meter. Any clues?
Here's a photo:
Here's a photo:
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Stephanie Brim
Mental Experimental.
Towers are good cameras in their own right and that lens should be pretty good. Depending on the price I'd say pick it up. Looks like a pretty compact little guy.
burninfilm
Well-known
Looks like a terrific old RF. Rodenstock lenses are very nice, and the Heligon has the same basic lens design as the Schneider Xenon. As many Kodak Retina and Agfa Karat users have shown, these Xenon and Heligon lenses are very capable and very sharp.
Heck, I even found a site a while back where someone mounted the 0.75 Rodenstock Heligon on a Nikon S3. Interesting!
Check it out here!
Anyway, I'll stop rambling. If the camera is working OK and seems to be pretty clean, I'd suggest buying it and trying it out. You could always sell it to another forum member if you don't like it. Heck, I'd buy it if the camera was local to me.
EDIT: By the way, I forgot to mention that it looks an awful like it was produced by Iloca. Not uncommon, as Tower often sold rebranded cameras from other manufacturers. For instance, check out this camera at the Matt Denton site:
Tower 51
Heck, I even found a site a while back where someone mounted the 0.75 Rodenstock Heligon on a Nikon S3. Interesting!
Check it out here!
Anyway, I'll stop rambling. If the camera is working OK and seems to be pretty clean, I'd suggest buying it and trying it out. You could always sell it to another forum member if you don't like it. Heck, I'd buy it if the camera was local to me.
EDIT: By the way, I forgot to mention that it looks an awful like it was produced by Iloca. Not uncommon, as Tower often sold rebranded cameras from other manufacturers. For instance, check out this camera at the Matt Denton site:
Tower 51
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Stephanie Brim
Mental Experimental.
Right...you can always sell it...to me...if you don't like it. 
venchka
Veteran
I'm going to resist this time. I will cure myself of GAS one way or another.
Here's the link. I hope the seller doesn't mind. He says he doesn't want to ship, but he might change his mind. There is ARGUS gear as well.
Vintage gear in Houston
Here's the link. I hope the seller doesn't mind. He says he doesn't want to ship, but he might change his mind. There is ARGUS gear as well.
Vintage gear in Houston
Stephanie Brim
Mental Experimental.
If he has a C3, THAT I'm interested in...I need one that doesn't leak. I'd have to register on the forum to get in. Can you tell us prices and how to contact him off the board?
venchka
Veteran
No prices posted. I don't know the person & I just declined his merchandise. He may or may not be in a good mood.
Sign up for the Texas Photo Forum. It's not a bad place & I could use some film user company!
Here's a link to all the gear...
Photos of gear
C3 & C4 I think. An Argus 100mm lens too.
This looks nice...
Good luck!
Sign up for the Texas Photo Forum. It's not a bad place & I could use some film user company!
Here's a link to all the gear...
Photos of gear
C3 & C4 I think. An Argus 100mm lens too.
This looks nice...
Good luck!
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
I've actually never looked closely at an Argus. I love that hinge for the back -- looks like miniature door hinge!
Stephanie Brim
Mental Experimental.
That is a good camera. It's a later version of the C3, methinks.
If someone can get me in touch with him I'd be very happy. I'm nowhere close to Texas so I really don't belong at that forum, but I'd really like that Argus.
If someone can get me in touch with him I'd be very happy. I'm nowhere close to Texas so I really don't belong at that forum, but I'd really like that Argus.
venchka
Veteran
Steph,
I've asked for permission to give you his email address.
Cheers!
I've asked for permission to give you his email address.
Cheers!
Stephanie Brim
Mental Experimental.
Thank you.
Someone PMed me here about one, but the 100mm lens, if for the C3, would be interesting. I've heard it's good...
Someone PMed me here about one, but the 100mm lens, if for the C3, would be interesting. I've heard it's good...
venchka
Veteran
PM sent.
Good
Good
Stephanie Brim
Mental Experimental.
WOOO! Thanks. I'm emailing him now.
burninfilm
Well-known
If you could, I'd appreciate having his e-mail address as well. If not, no big deal, but he does have some stuff I'm interested in.
jlw
Rangefinder camera pedant
"Tower" was a house-brand name used by Sears for cameras they'd purchase from a number of OEMs. This particular one looks very similar to the Argus V-100, except with a top-mounted instead of front-mounted shutter release. I used to know what German contract manufacturer made the V-100, but that information has escaped from its memory cell.
The V-100 had a good lens and shutter, but the body was a bit cheesy and operation was semi-quirky. If I recall correctly, it had one of those rapid advance levers built into the "shoulder" of the camera, rather than on top, and you removed the back by lifting the rewind knob past an interlock and turning it in the opposite-to-normal direction; this would cause the back to pop completely off under spring pressure!
The bottom camera looks like a "Match-Matic" C3, an otherwise-standard version of the Argus C3 except for its light leatherette and the fact that the knobs were marked with symbols for use with a shoe-mounted selenium meter that came with it. The idea was that the match-matic symbols would make it easier to set than standard f/stops and shutter speeds (although it was marked with these, too.) I don't think the idea ever particularly caught on, but it did yield an, er, distinctive-looking camera -- perfect for carrying when you're wearing your white buck shoes and plaid madras pants!
The V-100 had a good lens and shutter, but the body was a bit cheesy and operation was semi-quirky. If I recall correctly, it had one of those rapid advance levers built into the "shoulder" of the camera, rather than on top, and you removed the back by lifting the rewind knob past an interlock and turning it in the opposite-to-normal direction; this would cause the back to pop completely off under spring pressure!
The bottom camera looks like a "Match-Matic" C3, an otherwise-standard version of the Argus C3 except for its light leatherette and the fact that the knobs were marked with symbols for use with a shoe-mounted selenium meter that came with it. The idea was that the match-matic symbols would make it easier to set than standard f/stops and shutter speeds (although it was marked with these, too.) I don't think the idea ever particularly caught on, but it did yield an, er, distinctive-looking camera -- perfect for carrying when you're wearing your white buck shoes and plaid madras pants!
Stephanie Brim
Mental Experimental.
He has the meter for it as well, and also the viewfinder for the 35/100, plus the 100mm lens. It's tempting, and I'm making a decision.