Geiss
Geiss-America was a company in Chicago that offered accessories for Argus cameras. Starting in 1952 they announced innovative lenses under the Sandmar brand for the Argus C3, whose Cintar normal lens had not outwardly seemed interchangeable.[1][2] These were manufactured by Enna Werk of Munich, Germany. In 1954, Geiss offered a series of Enna Lithagon lenses for the Argus C4, by means of a proprietary, dealer-installed lensmount modification.[3][4] Argus answered with its own interchangeable-lens C44, but most consider the Geiss C4 to be the more functional system.[5]
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| Tele-Sandmar 100 mm Argus C-3 lens image by Cletus Awreetus (Image rights) |
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| Geiss-modified Argus C4, with Lithagon lenses (and other accessories) image by Mark O'Brien (Image rights) |
Notes
- ↑ This was announced and advertised in early 1952; however by 1953, Sandmar wide and tele lenses were selling under Argus's own brand.
- ↑ Geiss-America Sandmar interchangeable lenses manual (PDF), from the Argus Collectors Group
- ↑ As noted in an October, 1954, Popular Photography roundup of new products.
- ↑ Promoted in a December, 1954 U.S. Camera advertisement.
- ↑ For example, see praise at Stephen Gandy's Cameraquest.
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