I killed my Argus C-44 :(

The processional is up to you, but the burial should proceed as soon as possible as not to show you any disrespect to the dead.

 

In other news, KEH and Collectible Cameras may have to start doing background checks on its buyers :)

My condolences for the loss of your camera.

Almost as annoying as damaging your camera is the fact that a C44 with all the lenses, accy. viewfinder, meter,

etc., went for only $21. yesterday at that auction website. I thought for sure it would go up the last few minutes of

the auction so ignored it to see later that it ended at a mere $21. How annoying. Did you buy it?

NO!

DOH! Ya had to go and tell me that, didn't you John?

 

I was looking at a few cameras, but the ones I saw had problems...there was a C-44 but they said the shutter wasn't working. I don't know, maybe I just wasn't using the right terms to search under. It's weird, "C44" sometimes won't turn up anything, but "C-44" will, or if you just look for "Argus." Of course, then you just wind up finding a million C3's for sale. Not that I would mind having another "Brick"...just because...but that's not what I'm looking for right now.

 

I admit though, I did kind of get distracted. I was looking for another C-44 for a while, then I got curious and started looking up 8mm movie cameras. I have a thing with 8mm cameras too...almost as much as Argus cameras, except I usually can't afford the ones I really want.

...This is why it's important not to scroll down too fast. I mean *Joseph*

8mm? Hey, I have a Revere 8 with a Revere-Nikkor lens. It has a weird clamshell bakealite type case. Also have an old Eumig 8 with flecky green finish. Plan to sell them if I ever can find them again. Oh, wait, have a Yashica 8 with - get this - an "autofocus" zoom lens. Autofocus in this case means it stays in focus no matter where you zoom it to. I remember where that one is.

Chris, I get the sense that in addition to regretting the damage caused to the C-44 because it's yours and you cherish it, there's also genuine regret that the world is now less one more working vintage camera - and it happened while it was entrusted to you. I'm sure many here understand, and sympathize with you.

 

One reason I value this particular forum is that it expresses so well the idea that we are all custodians of this vast, currently undervalued heritage which has played a critical role in the social, political and cultural birth pangs of the technological age. I also appreciate that it does it while maintaining a healthy sense of community, where people are (usually) happy to help one another by sharing what they have. Normally it's just information, or expertise, but sometimes it goes further than that. (No need to name names - you know who you are, Brian.)

 

So this is just to say thanks to all p.netters who make this site such a great place to hang out.

Having the birthday is much better than the alternative.

Mark, that's it exactly. Thanks. I guess it is kind of a feeling of guilt. I know how many people have probably used

that camera before me, everywhere it's been and all the pictures and memories it captured. It has been around much

longer than me. I mean, yeah it's just a camera it's just an object, and I can always just get another one. But you

do kind of have to respect something that's been around that long and was still working. That's another reason why I

like vintage cameras. They're a lot of fun to use - a real, metal, mechanical camera. But also you just know they all

have a story to them, of all the pictures they've captured. I always really like Gene M's posts because of that, it feels

like you're going back in time.

Rock on! C-44 and C-3! Happy Birthday!

Chris,

 

Looks like Brian S. will be putting you in touch with a replacement. Hurray! This is a great community.

 

I use an Argus every now and then and love my C-44, so much so that I recommended it to my mother, who is 58, and she snapped up one at a local camera swap meet.

 

Long live Argus! Long live film!

 

--Micah in NC

I got on this thread way too late. I have several drawers full of C3/4/44/44R cameras. I'm very happy you got a replacement but equally sorry at the demise of the original.

 

I've seen the C4x series shutters actually stop working while I was testing firing them after just getting them, and heard others tell tales of how theirs never finished the first roll before the shutter went to lunch.

 

The shutter is the great weakness of the C4X series. I've even broken them while firing them after cleaning the blades, before the blades had completely dried. And, it's normally considered be game over time when it happens. If you are used to the C3, you know that dirty blades won't break the shutter... you actually get negative transfer when switching to the C4X line of cameras.

 

Two things I did, and I stopped having broken shutters. First, when you get one, and before you test fire it the first time, throughly clean the shutter blades... the slightest stickiness seems to cause a shutter linkage failure. Second, after you clean the blades, allow for overnight before you try the shutter. Just the drag from cleaning fluid alone will snap the linkage.

 

I'm just glad you got a replacement. The things grow on you :)