Argus Electric Eye 345X
After a decade of corporate turmoil, the Argus brand attempted to revive their fortunes with a series of Instant Load cameras for 126 film, the format made hugely popular by Kodak's line of Instamatics. A later 1970s series denoted by model designations ending in "X" were able to use Magicubes, as a small badge on the camera front indicates. These models from Japan also gained a more "mod" styling language than the earlier, boxy, 126 models provided by Balda in Germany.
The Electric Eye 345X improves on the rudimentary 146X by offering automatic control of the shutter speed using a CdS photocell.[1] The camera is still fixed focus and has a single fixed aperture. The Argus Museum dates it to circa 1972.
The same camera seems to have been offered in France by Flash as the Astral S30 Electric Eye.[2]
Notes
- ↑ A 1974 Argus product list (pg. 24) refers to this as a "2 step shutter"—in contrast to the Argus Electronic 355X which had a full range of shutter speeds. Product flyer posted online by Pacific Rim Camera.
- ↑ See the Astral S30 page at collection-appareils.fr
Links
- Object record for an Electric Eye 345X at the Argus Museum collection database
