Help dating my new Argus C3?

[chromatic-aberration]

Just got my first brick. Seems to be in good shape, with an accurate rangefinder and a nice bright

viewfinder. Here are the details of the camera, which I'm assuming from the survey on the Argus

Collectors group are relevant to the dating of it.<p>

 

-Argus name plate in chrome.<br>

-black shutter cock lever ribbed (not teardrop)<br>

-Lens states "f/3.5 50mm Argus Coated Cintar"<br>

-Rangefinder has 3ft to 50 then infinity<br>

-Shutter selector has evenly spaced numbers from 10 to 300, each number a different color<br>

-Rangefinder uses a yellow tint<br>

-Accessory shoe is metal with three screws<br>

-switch by film advance counter is 6 sided polygon<br>

-film advance counter is black with white numbers<br>

shutter is a tall cylinder, with the I/B switch at the base<br>

-back is black leatherette divided into three strips separated by chrome dividers, no dial<br>

-Says MPC inside the body, with distinct lettering inside a rectangle<br>

-has a serial number of 1416500 stamped upside inside the camera just under the frame window.<br>

[Charles_Webster]

Argus C-3s are pretty easy to date based on features, not serial number. Look at these photos and feature list to see what your best match is.

 

http://arguscg.tripod.com/id11.html

 

<Chas>

[chromatic-aberration]

From that page, it's somewhere between 1939-1957. Ideally, I was at least hoping to narrow

it down to wartime or postwar.

[franklin_polk]

According to this page (http://www.surprenantphoto.com/argusc3.html), its postwar, right in the middle of production, so maybe the early 1950s?

[Rob_the_waste]

According to information received from Rick Oleson (he's been awesome), the "coated Cintar" evolved around 1946, the chrome "Argus" nameplate came around 1951, the accessory shoe came a couple of years later. So far your's is between 1953 and 57... Mine is older. ;-)

[Rob_the_waste]

In addition, as after looking at the link Franklin provided, I wonder how they differentiate earlier and later models... some features on my camera qualify as early, while other features qualify as later.

[chromatic-aberration]

Hmmm... If early production models had the hinge held on with seven screws, and later

production had five, I wonder where that puts mine with eight.

[don_mckeith]

if you're counting both sides of the hinge, I have a couple with 8 screws and one with 10.

[jeff bishop]

My C3 is actually stamped with a date in white ink inside the back up near the top.

[tgh]

As Rob said, the Argus nameplate first appeared around 1951 or maybe 1952. The first accessory shoes had three screws, later just one in the middle. So '53-55 would be the most likely date range.

[waite_watson]

I've got a 7 speed c3 & a 5 speed c3 & I'm waiting a 'potato masher' flash. The way I read that sight is that 5 speed c3's are synched for Electronic flash & 7 speed c'3 for flash bulbs??Does anyone know if this is correct?I intend to convert the flash handel for electronic flash use.It appears to be impossible to find the Argus to PC adapter I'm told once existed.

[cj8281]

http://www.photo.net/users/philster/Argus/DatingYourArgus.htm#C3B

According to this list yours is a 1956.