Just acquired a C3 "Brick" and...

[rscottwebb]

was wondering if anyone had any advice for me on using the thing. Never used a rangefinder before. Always used 35mm film (Minolta/Pentax) and now a dSLR (Pentax K10D). I picked up an Argus C3, an Agfa PD16 Plenax and a Kodak Flash Bantam, all for dirt cheap (along with 10 different light meters, several screw-on close-up lenses for my dSLR, shutter release cables and two old land camera lenses: one Polaroid Pathfinder 127mm f/4.5 and one No.2 Kodak Supermatic 127mm f/4.7).

Questions:
1. Can I use regular 35mm film in the Brick?
2. Exposures/shutter speed theories the same as slr's?
3. Focusing...guess distance, set questimated distance on dial and shoot?

Pardon the elementary questions, but as I stated, don't know much about rangefinders. Also, unrelated, anyone have any advice about 120 film in the Agfa?

Thanks,

Randy

 

[robin a]

Hi,

#1-yes
#2-yes
#3-through the view finder you will see 2 images,turn the focus ring until they align and you're in focus.Capable camera,go to Google and try the Argus User Group.Nice,helpful bunch....................Robin

 

[Gumby]

That's about all there is to know about a C3... except a reminder to cock the shutter before shooting. Enjoy it!

 

[rscottwebb]

Thanks

Thanks

Anything special to watch out for with perf 35 mm? Also, 'nother dumb question...how do I know when film is advanced far enough? Will the mechanism stop in the appropriate position? Headed to Google now. Again, thanks for your reply.

Randy

 

[Gumby]

Nothing special to know that I can think of, except to make sure the film is engaged properly in the takeup spool before you close the door. It has been a long time since I used a C3 but I seem to recall that the winding mechanism stops at the next frame. Someone with more recent experience (or a better memory) will surely chime in at some point.

 

[JohnTF]

I never thought them to be "user friendly", but everyone called them "slide cameras" because they used 35mm film. There are a lot easier to use RF's, probably a thread here somewhere on the hardest to use, if so, it will be there. ;-)

Extremely common in their day.

Regards, John

 

[Gumby]

I never thought them to be "user friendly", but everyone called them "slide cameras" because they used 35mm film.

Ha... I never heard that... but it rings true. Most of my childhood was documented with a C3 and Kodachrome. Tray after tray after tray of Kodachrome slides. Mom and us kids standing in front of anyplace we've ever been to... squinting in the sun. When an archeologist eventually looks at them it will be concluded that there was no Dad in our family!

 

[rscottwebb]

Thanks for the input...

Thanks for the input...

Robin, Gumby and JohnTF...thanks for taking the time to offer some input. My "Brick" will get a cleaning today and I'll stick a roll of Ilford B/W film in and take it for a test drive...I could use some aggravation today 😀 I'll let everyone know how things turn out later next week.

BTW: JohnTF...greetings from a fellow Buckeye! I see you're in Cleveland. I grew up just west of there in Milan (near Cedar Point). I just went by there Memorial Day weekend. Of course it had to be while the passenger plane was landing on the westbound end of the PA turnpike. We got kicked off at the last PA exit before Ohio and were left to wing it. Luckily I happened across US 224 and managed to bypass Youngstown and reenter the Ohio Turnpike shortly thereafter. Do me a favor and B@#%$ slap every Cavaliers player except LeBron? I'm within an inch of renouncing my fanship of all pro teams Cleveland. I mean, WTF is up with the Indians (we won't even mention the Browns), and how could the Cavs choke after the season they had? AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGH.

Oh well, GO BUCKEYES!

 

[Pompiere]

Here are a couple links to get you started. If your Argus has been sitting for a while, it may need some cleaning and adjustment. Don't worry, they are not very complicated. About the only tools you need are a couple of small flat screwdrivers. The film winder stops at each frame, but it doesn't release when you fire the shutter. You have to press the little button by the film counter when you start to wind to the next frame. When starting a new roll, you have to set the counter to 1. The viewfinder in the center of the camera is the rangefinder, the one on the left is for framing. A lot of older cameras have separate viewfinders. Focus by guess until you can verify the rangefinder accuracy. The later Bricks have a highlighted mark on the speed, aperture, and focus so you can take acceptable snapshots with average conditions using the common films of the day. On one of mine, it is f8, 1/100, and 15 feet.

http://arguscg.tripod.com/id82.html
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-86.html

I know where Milan is, I'm just west of Port Clinton.

 

[JohnTF]

Robin, Gumby and JohnTF...

BTW: JohnTF...greetings from a fellow Buckeye! I see you're in Cleveland. I grew up just west of there in Milan (near Cedar Point). I just went by there Memorial Day weekend. Of course it had to be while the passenger plane was landing on the westbound end of the PA turnpike. We got kicked off at the last PA exit before Ohio and were left to wing it. Luckily I happened across US 224 and managed to bypass Youngstown and reenter the Ohio Turnpike shortly thereafter. Do me a favor and B@#%$ slap every Cavaliers player except LeBron? I'm within an inch of renouncing my fanship of all pro teams Cleveland. I mean, WTF is up with the Indians (we won't even mention the Browns), and how could the Cavs choke after the season they had? AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGH.

Oh well, GO BUCKEYES!

I watched Florida teams take the World Series, and two championships from the Bucks in one year, and I have no idea why we can be the better team and lose. I am thinking Lakers Sweep, and our mood will match the weather.

Milan, melons? Edison, that Milan? ;-) Nice town.


And - Brian Sipe and the Raiders? I really did not see how we could choke before at least the finals.

We need another PhD as quarterback? Dr. Frank Ryan?

Got a new brick in the garage in the box. Will probably be there a few more years. ;-)

I was OSU correspondent and photographer for the PD for awhile, got my friend appointed in my place, he ended up talking in Brokaw's ear for years on NBC.

I think LaBron will be wearing 23 on different colors in about a year, and then there will be no hope for another ten years.
Perhaps should change the name of the home teams to the Bermuda Triangles?

Regards, John

 

[rscottwebb]

I like Bermuda Triangles...

I like Bermuda Triangles...

John,

Melons, Edison High School (grad. class of '82), yep...that Milan. Florida teams seem to have Ohio's number. I watched Sabathia (IIRC) cost us the Series against the Marlins...he needed what, like 4 good pitches to finish the game and be the hero? Used to like the Gators until we gave them the Nat. Title in two different sports...gotta be some kind of record. 🙁 I wouldn't blame LeBron for bailing out, can't carry the whole team every game and not get sick of it after a while I'd think. Guess we'll have to see. Oh well, Cleveland fans should be used to it by now. Maybe the Browns will do something this year not that Romeo has left the building. I often had to scratch my head wondering what the he** he was thinking.

Randy

 

[rscottwebb]

Film advance release lever

Film advance release lever

Pompiere,

I figured out the release lever a little late...loaded film and tried to advance and stripped about an inch of perf holes off the roll. I just advanced past that and we'll see how it goes. Thanks for the links.

Randy

Edit (to right message this time): I've spent some time in PC myself. Used to hang out at a couple of the bars in the area back in the day. Haven't been there in probably 15 years now.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

You have to remember that everything is manual about this camera.
Work an the routine and you'll find that it can take sharp pictures.

There were about 6 million Argi C3's built over 3 decades. Now that's says something about this camera.

 

[JohnTF]

You have to remember that everything is manual about this camera.
Work an the routine and you'll find that it can take sharp pictures.

There were about 6 million Argi C3's built over 3 decades. Now that's says something about this camera.

Perhaps the cost and they made slides? ;-) I think I have an A? model somewhere as well.

Hard to believe we also used so many 8mm Cameras, life got chopped up in to 3 minute silent segments , still it all worked. Coming out of the depression and WWII, it was amazing to see color in photographs. A lot was Kodachrome. Would be interesting to see what the ratio of snapshots to "other" photography then and now.

Hard to explain the niches some things fill in modern context, but we did not have much that was "Fancy", utility was the philosophy of most.

We used to see a lot of "Four Season" rolls of film at the camera shop, which also sold records, and TV's.

Regards, John

 

[JohnTF]

John,

Melons, Edison High School (grad. class of '82), yep...that Milan. --- Maybe the Browns will do something this year not that Romeo has left the building. I often had to scratch my head wondering what the he** he was thinking.

Randy

Lots of bad luck, still, we seem to be the "farm" team for many others, coaches and players. It did seem as if we had made some good trades this year for the Cavs.

I hear you can get in to an Indians game if you have a C3? ;-)

John