So I found an Argus C3.

S

Stephanie Brim

Mental Experimental.
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Always wanted one of those. Bricks are cool. The thing of it is that this one comes with all three of the known lenses for the C3 plus the accessory finder and I'm guessing that I'll be able to get it for less than 50 bucks. So here's the thing.

What the hell can I sell so that I can get this monster?

I'm pondering giving up an old Nikon body that is not working yet repairable to at least absorb some of the cost. I also have a slightly loose focus 50/2 Nikkor that I could part with. But I think that I may be able to swing it without selling anything.

Does anyone else have one of these? What do you think of it?
 
Hi there!- can't you get a C-3 on eB*y for less than 50? I managed to get a c-44 for just over 22.

Save some bucks!

PS-- the C-44 came with some vintage unexposed Ektachrome 100. I haven't been able to figure out how old it is. If it is from the 60's or 50's the background radiation may have fogged it significantly. Do you want this? Your for free if you wish.
 
Stephanie Brim said:
Always wanted one of those. Bricks are cool. The thing of it is that this one comes with all three of the known lenses for the C3 plus the accessory finder and I'm guessing that I'll be able to get it for less than 50 bucks...

Does anyone else have one of these? What do you think of it?
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I had one; I wasn't using it, so eventually I sent it off to someone who was willing to give it a home. It took pretty decent pictures but was kind of a PIA to use: stiff focusing (actually the lens was quite smooth, it was the RF coupling wheel that was stiff); painfully finger-poking shutter release button (the later ones with the larger-diameter shutter release are much more user-friendly); inconvenient film advance and rewind; etc.

But tens of thousands of Americans documented their families' lives with C3s all through the late '40s and '50s -- making who knows how many trays of Kodachrome slides that probably would include some poignant gems of Americana now if the kids hadn't chucked them all out in the last decade to make room for their collections of limited-edition Beanie Babies or whatever. So I suppose that trying to do serious photography with a C3 is a worthwhile sociological as well as photographic project, regardless of the pain involved!

Speaking of pain, probably the thing that comes closest to making your outfit worth $50 is the fact that it includes all three lenses (I assume that would be the 35mm and 100mm Sandmars along with the 50mm Cintar?) and the finder to go with them. You do realize, don't you, that these lenses are at best what you might call semi-interchangeable?... i.e., you can actually remove one and replace it with another, but it's more like partial disassembly rather than simple interchange: You have to set the lens to infinity, unscrew the cap over the rangefinder's intermediate coupling gear, remove the gear completely, unscrew the lens, screw in the new lens, set it to infinity, put the gear back on, and screw down the cap :p

More bad news: I believe Argus made only the three lenses for the C3, but there were more -- I dimly recall seeing a 135mm Soligor (new old stock, in box) at a camera store's junk sale back in the '70s, but stupidly passed on buying it (even though I owned a C3 at the time) because I knew the lenses were such a nuisance to interchange! Just think, if I had bought the thing and hung onto it, I probably could sell it on eBay today for... oh, maybe 10 or even 15 dollars!
 
Heh. I hear that they do take nice photos and that the lenses *are* a pain in the ass, but I wanted one anyway to say that I had used one. I'm done for at least three weeks anyway due to buying greyhoundman's 35RC, so it's all going to development and scanning now.
 
Ooooh. Yeah, that would be nice. I'll let you know. At the moment, though, I'm all about the comparison of the Canonet and 35RC in a decent controlled study. Same film, same light conditions, same time of day. Considering both have semi-lengendary optics I'm curious as to how they'd stand up next to one another.
 
Stephanie Brim said:
Always wanted one of those. Bricks are cool. The thing of it is that this one comes with all three of the known lenses for the C3 plus the accessory finder and I'm guessing that I'll be able to get it for less than 50 bucks. So here's the thing.

What the hell can I sell so that I can get this monster?

I'm pondering giving up an old Nikon body that is not working yet repairable to at least absorb some of the cost. I also have a slightly loose focus 50/2 Nikkor that I could part with. But I think that I may be able to swing it without selling anything.

Does anyone else have one of these? What do you think of it?
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Hello Stephanie, At one time I had about 9 of the things with all the lenses and finders, I still have a a couple of mint ones and some lens but all I ever use is the 50mm lens. They take nice pictures and you get strange looks when you use one. "what kind of digital camera is that" so they are fun to use. Regards, Dave
 
Stephanie,

I'll send you a C3 with the 50mm for free if you want it. I have 3 and I think I can live with out one. I have not shot a roll of film in any of them yet. If the one I send doesn't work out I'll refund your money. :D

Wayne
 
Well, considering that my next camera choice is a Contina, it'll probably be a good couple of months before I go and get one of these, but it'll happen. At the moment I'm watching for a Zeiss Contina III, Contina II, or a Kodak Retina IIIc. I'll be getting camera happy now that I'll have some money.
 
Wayne, if you're serious I'll take it. I love cameras. As long as it works I'm happy...decent optics and mechanical function is all I ask for. The camera itself can be a beater. :)

Course, it doesn't have to work either. Anyone know of where I could send the thing to get it fixed if it *didn't* work for some reason?
 
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Stephanie,

I am serious, in the past week I have had people send me a couple of free lens. One J-8 and one Tamron 90mm SP Macro with the extention tube in mint condition. So, I figure I will keep up the spirit.

PM me with your address and I'll get it out in the mail on Monday.

If you are looking for a quite shutter these are NOT the camera. They have a very definite ping when they go off.

Wayne

P.S. Behind the word Zeiss, you want it to say Contax IIa or Contax IIIa on your wish list. ;)
 
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Nah, not looking for a quiet shutter. The Canonet and the Olympus will both have very quiet shutters. I'm just looking for something different that I can use.

Also, if you want, I can give you the funds for the shipping via Paypal.
 
I have been putting together a Argus C3 kit. My self-imposed limitation has been not to spend more than $1 for any part of the kit. So far I have 2 C3 bodies with leather never ready cases, 2 flash attachments, 1 wideangle lens, 2 50mm lens, 1 lenhood, 1 seriesV filter adapter. So far, I have spent a total of $4. I had to pass on a deal of pair of C3 for $5 because it exceeded my spending limit. i still am looking for one more C3 body and a tele lens.
 
I figure that since now i'm getting one I didn't have to pay for that I'll go looking for the lenses. It'll come with the 50 so I'll need to find the 35 and 100 along with the accessory finder. May never actually use them, but I may be able to at least find the damn things somewhere cheap. Hopefully.

And I've seen some photos taken with the 50 and *damn*; the lens is actually quite nice. I think I'll be very happy with mine.
 
Stephanie Brim said:
Wayne, if you're serious I'll take it. I love cameras. As long as it works I'm happy...decent optics and mechanical function is all I ask for. The camera itself can be a beater. :)

Course, it doesn't have to work either. Anyone know of where I could send the thing to get it fixed if it *didn't* work for some reason?
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Hello Stephanie, If it doesn't work send to me and I will CLA the thing, no charge. They are easier to work on than the C4's but the front cover still has to be peeled back to get at the shutter mechanism. IMHO the C-3's are less prone to problems than the C-4's which almost always have a slow shutter. on those adjusting that requires almost complete disssembly. Regards, Dave
 
Okay. I'll have to run a roll of film through it first to see where the problems lie and then I'll send it off. So it'll be a couple of weeks I'm guessing.
 
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