Argus/Cosina STL 1000
| ||
|
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.
From the original owner's manual, it appears that the "STL" abbreviation stands for "Spot" focusing, "TL" (through the lens) metering.
There are a number of minor model variations: One lacks a hot shoe and has strap lugs on the front of the body (and this version is sometimes just marked STL[1]). There are black and silver versions, and examples including a hot shoe (rather than a clip-on cold shoe) have a flatter design to the pentaprism cover.
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 models than the ones considered here.
Notes
- ↑ eBay auction #264694925182 of an "STL" (archived at the Wayback Machine) shows several photos of such a model, with the unusual serial number 0200888.
Links
- Argus advertisement announcing Argus/Cosina cameras in the October, 1970, Modern Photography (Vol. 34, No. 10; page 101)
- Argus/Cosina STL 1000 (hot-shoe) manual and "STL" manual (PDFs) from Mike Butkus' OrphanCameras.com
- Additional views of the hot shoe version from Francois Massin on Flickr
- Object record for a black "STL" and a hot-shoe "STL 1000" at the Argus Museum online collections database
|
| With different strap lugs, self-timer lever image by Firda Beka (Image rights) |
