Why you bought that thing

When I was nine, I was fascinated by the Argus C4. I don't know why

this particular camera "got" me so much, but it sure did. It was

quite expensive for that time, so I didn't get one; but the desire

stayed 'way back in my mind.

 

About a year ago, I finally bought one. It's actually a good

machine, but the metal is flimsier than you would expect from a

camera in that price range. The lens OTOH is very decent, and the

shutter speeds seem to be accurate. I'm attaching a shot recently

made with my example.

 

I'll be entering the C4 into my rotation. (I rotate vintage cameras

because they stimulate me to see and work in different ways.) I

wouldn't say it is my favorite camera now, but it is a nostalgic

satisfaction to have it around and use it.<div></div>

I had an argus C4, it was stolen before i processed any film.

 

But i must say it was a real pleasure to use! The rangefinder was suprisingly bright for it's vintage and price, and i woul gladly go back and get one.

 

every argus photo I have seen really makes me think that it is a forgotten breed. The color is really fantastic in an almost surreal way, I cannot put my finger on it, but the balance seems a little bit strange, yet completely realistic.

I want a MF folder to impress the chicks.

 

"My, but that's so cute and tiny!"

 

Then I'll open it.

 

"Oh, MY! But it's so *big* now!"

I found a C4 in a junk store in Truth or Consequences about a year ago. They had a tag on it for about $35 -- a lot more than I would be willing to pay for any camera with a broken shutter; guess I should just make an offer on it. I think it has the same same shutter as the C3, which is very easy to fix.

<br>   

I also love the color cast in the old argus lenses. I've seen some similar results from disposables. Not sure what the formula is, but I find it very appealing. If I can figure out the process, I'll attach a picture made with the standard 50mm Cintar on my C3. I also have a presentation put together recently on <a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/presentation.tcl?presentation_id=217382">The Brick</a>.<div></div>

Great shots -- both of them. No reason in the world why snyone can't take decent

photos with an Argus. However, the two photos above also show it's the eye and the

mind behind the camera, not just the lens in front of the film...

 

I took a C3 and C4 on my trip to NM and Co this summer, as well as my Nikons and

med format stuff. They both did pretty well.

 

Mark

Mike, the C4 shutter isn't quite as easy to service as the C3, and it's a little more fragile. it's a neater camera once you've fixed it, though, handles very nicely.

 

i do have some c4 notes at http://members.tripod.com/rick_oleson/index-127.html

 

:)=

rick,

<br>

Thanks for the link. I see from the innards of the C4 you've sketched, that it is a totally different animal from what I had been led to believe. If I get my hands on one of these, I'll approach any major surgery with caution.

Just in case some of you folks don't know the C4, I'm attaching a beauty shot from the manufacturer. Feast your eyes. How could a nine-year-old gearhead resist that thing?<div></div>

does anybody know how to make a C4 sit right-side-up on a shelf? mine is so nose-heavy i haven't even been able to ballast the film chambers enough to make it sit straight. i have a C44 with a 35mm lens, whose lens hood was just the right size to make the camera look neat on the shelf, so that's how i display it....

 

oh, back on the subject of servicing these: the only weak link is the little lever that pushes the shutter blades open and closed (they're forced back shut, not just spring-loaded like in other shutters)..... if you find one with a sluggish shutter, especially one that wants to hang open, don't force anything and don't wind the shutter again. take it home and clean the shutter before operating it, so you don't break the little bugger. once it's clean it'll run forever (or til it gets dirty again)

 

:)=

Re: getting the camera to sit up straight: does the C4 have a flat bottom? The reason I ask is that two of my old cameras (Pax & Paxette) both have circular "bumps" on the bottom that interfere with correct camera posture. I ended up making little display boards for both of them with holes drilled for the bumps to go into, and now they sit nicely.

I still have an Argus C-4. It still takes great photos, but the biggest handycap is its owner.

Just got back some prints I took with an Argus C-3 -- the one that

is being sent around the world as the "World Argus Argosy"

project. 50 people all over the place get the camera, take

photos, upload the best ones to the web site, pass the camera

on to the next person, etc. A fun thing, you know. Here is one I

posted: http://www.photo.net/photo/1743398

The world Argus web site is:

http://www.merrillphoto.com/argusargosy.htm