Argus/Cosina STL 1000

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The STL 1000 as first advertised image by Ted Court (Image rights)

Version with hot shoe added image by Francois Massin (Image rights)

This was a line of 35mm SLRs made in Japan by Cosina but using the Argus brand name, beginning about 1970. The argus/cosina STL 1000 (styled in lowercase on the nameplate) accepts M42 lenses. Small model variations include a black model, a version with a squarer pentaprism hump which includes a hot shoe, and a version where the self-timer lever lacks the black trim piece.

This camera uses stop down metering with a needle indicator in brackets at the side of the viewfinder. The meter circuit is designed to get power from a PX 625 mercury battery, unfortunately no longer available.

Argus had also offered other STL 1000 models without the Cosina name attached: these were different rebadged Japanese models than the one considered here.

Links

• Argus advertisement announcing Argus/Cosina cameras in the November 1970 Popular Photography, pg. 61, scan courtesy Jerry Vaci on Flickr
• Argus/Cosina STL 1000 manual from Mike Butkus' OrphanCameras.com
• Additional views of the hot shoe version from Francois Massin on Flickr

With different strap lugs, self-timer lever image by Firda Beka (Image rights)