Difference between revisions of "Argus C4"

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According to photo magazine ads, the Argus C4 retail price was $99.50 USD in 1952.<ref>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/nesster/4405572791/ Argus C4 for Christmas, Ad]</ref> A 1954 ad, lists the C4 retail price at $84.50.<ref>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/nesster/5035958950/ Argus C4 1995 ad]</ref>
 
According to photo magazine ads, the Argus C4 retail price was $99.50 USD in 1952.<ref>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/nesster/4405572791/ Argus C4 for Christmas, Ad]</ref> A 1954 ad, lists the C4 retail price at $84.50.<ref>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/nesster/5035958950/ Argus C4 1995 ad]</ref>
  
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==Specifications==
 
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==Specifications==
 
 
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* [http://www.arguscg.org/manuals/c4/c4camera.pdf Argus C4 manual] from the [http://www.arguscg.org/ Argus Collectors Group]
 
* [http://www.arguscg.org/manuals/c4/c4camera.pdf Argus C4 manual] from the [http://www.arguscg.org/ Argus Collectors Group]
 
* [http://www.cameramanuals.org/argus/argus_c4.pdf Argus C4 manual] from [http://www.butkus.org/chinon/ Butkus Orphan Cameras website]
 
* [http://www.cameramanuals.org/argus/argus_c4.pdf Argus C4 manual] from [http://www.butkus.org/chinon/ Butkus Orphan Cameras website]
* [http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-120.html How it Works: The Argus C4 Shutter]
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* [http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-120.html How it Works: The Argus C4 Shutter] at [http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/ Rick Oleson's]
* [http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-127.html C4 Repair notes]
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* [http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-127.html C4 Repair notes] at [http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/ Rick Oleson's]
 
* [http://www.cameraquest.com/arggeiss.htm Geiss modified C4] at cameraquest.com [http://www.cameraquest.com]
 
* [http://www.cameraquest.com/arggeiss.htm Geiss modified C4] at cameraquest.com [http://www.cameraquest.com]
* [http://www.collection-appareils.fr/x/html/page_standard.php?id_appareil=629 Argus C4] at [http://www.collection-appareils.fr www.collection-appareils.fr] by Sylvain Halgand
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* [http://www.collection-appareils.fr/x/html/page_standard.php?id_appareil=629 Argus C4] at [http://www.collection-appareils.fr www.collection-appareils.fr] by Sylvain Halgand (in French)
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Revision as of 05:16, 30 March 2017

The Argus C4 is a 35mm fixed lens, couple rangefinder manufactured by Argus, Inc. In the 1950s, Argus sold over 300,000 Argus C4 35mm rangefinder cameras. It had one of the best implementations of a viewfinder with superimposed rangefinder, an easy film load concept and a hot shoe for attaching and connecting a flash without cable. It had a modern design, but no interchangeable lenses.

The C4 design is an improvement over the Argus 21 Markfinder, which did not have a coupled rangefinder. The popularity of the camera led to consumer demand for an interchangeable lens version. At first, this demand was met by a Geiss-modified version of the C4, known as the Argus C4 Geiss, that could accept Lithagon lenses. Later Argus released the Argus C44, which became their standard interchangeable lens rangefinder.

There are several versions of the C4, with the earliest (Version 1) sharing main body elements of its precursor, the Argus 21, or Markfinder. The initial maximum shutter speed was 1/200, but the later versions featured 1/300 sec maximum shutter speed, and X-synch on the hot shoe. An all-black version also exists but is rare and highly prized by collectors. There are less than 10 known examples of the Black C4. Some collectors have theorized that the black versions are prototypes created to attract US Government interest, but no evidence has been found explaining the company's motivation for this version. The black version does not have a stamped serial number.

According to photo magazine ads, the Argus C4 retail price was $99.50 USD in 1952.[1] A 1954 ad, lists the C4 retail price at $84.50.[2]

Specifications


  • Badging: Argus C-Four
  • Manufacturer: Argus
  • Film Format: 135 (35mm)
  • Shutter: behind lens leaf type shutter
  • Shutter Speeds: 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/300, Bulb (early version only went to 1/200)
  • Flash sync: Hot shoe, X-sync or M-sync selector switch (1/50 or 1/100 sync)
  • Lens: Argus Cintar f/2.8 coated anastigmat, Series IV (20.6mm) filters
  • Aperture: 10-blades, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22
  • Viewfinder: Eye-level
  • Focusing: coincident image type coupled rangefinder
  • Meter: none
  • Battery: none
  • Weight: n/a


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References