Argus C3 focal plane to lens flange distance

[vaantique]

Anyone know the distance from the film plane to the front of the lens flange on

the Argus C3?

 

I'm trying to make an adapter to use a 50mm cintar and 135mm Soliger on a Pen F

that I have no usable lenses for. I have an endoscope adapter for the Pen F and

the front plate and original lens from an Argus and I'm going to machine an

adapter to use the lenses.

 

I've got the length for the lenses for the Pen and the Argus's distances are

longer from my experiments trying to focus through the viewfinder, so I know it

will work.

[dan_fromm2]

Wouldn't lenses in OM or M-42 mount be better? IIRC, there are adapters for mounting both on Pen Fs.

[vaantique]

These just happen to be lenses I have, they work well on the argus, I like their look, and I don't have any other lenses that would attach.

 

Also this is just an experiment! I'd like to make an adapter so I could use the Pen F.

[colin carron]

You might try setting up the lenses and camera body in place and focus them using a loupe onto a piece of ground glass placed over the film frame. Then carefully measure the distances you need to make the adaptors.

[dan_fromm2]

Colin, since you're in this thread I'm going to make it drift. A lot. Apologies to Marshall.

 

Colin, if you're not aware of this site http://www.airrecce.co.uk/cameras/post_ww2_allied_cameras.html you might want to take a look. The site's worth rooting around in. And since you're interested in the things, I hope you'll be pleased that I have a 100/5.6 S.F.O.M. lens coming from France by slow boat, sorry, economy post. The lens cost all of Euro 1.5, postage was about fifteen (15) times that. I have no idea whether I'll be able to use it -- the odds are against -- but finding out is worth the price, if not a little more.

 

Cheers, and apologies again to Marshall,

 

Dan

 

To get back on track, Marshall, please pardon my ignorance. I wasn't aware that Allied Impex (owners of the Soligor brand) sold any lenses for the C-3. There must be a story behind yours, please share it.

[vaantique]

I bought it with a complete C3 Matchmatic with the case. (I also bought two rolls of developed negatives taken with it and found a reflection of the photographer and the camera in a mirror on one of the frames!)

I had to make a viewfinder mask to get the correct coverage in the viewfinder, but it's a good lens and I think it will work well on the Pen F.

I found a picture of it online (with some other 3rd party lenses)

http://arguscg.tripod.com/id63.html

(scroll down near the bottom)

 

I'm using a Cintar and the aluminum front plate to use for mounting threads off of a regular C3 I bought for parts and the case.

[patrick j dempsey]

I think it's around 40... best to measure it yourself though. The C3 focusing is pretty tight so it will be difficult to actually focus these lenses on the Pen F I would think.

[richard_oleson]

I measure it at 42mm. Could be off a fraction, it seems to measure about 42.2 from the flange to the pressure plate.

[richard_oleson]

The lens thread, by the way, is 34mm in diameter, 24 threads per inch.

[colin carron]

Dan, thanks for the link. I bought the RAF recon book you recommended - both link and book very interesting. Any idea what the SFOM lens will fit? I was only aware of SFOM spy camera stuff.

[dan_fromm2]

Colin, it fits the Omera 30 camera. Look here: http://caea.free.fr/fr/coll/vautour2b_omera30.html

 

Also take a look on ebay.fr. There's a S.F.O.M. 681 camera with 120/2 on offer. Too dear for me.

 

Marshall, thanks for the link.

[colin carron]

Interesting. Still a spy camera but on a bigger scale. I recently acquired an F24 with 8" Pentac but dud shutter. Also looking to test my 36" f6.3.

[dan_fromm2]

Um, Colin, I don't think that a submini like the Sfomax is in the same class as y'r F24 or the Omera 30, neither of which will fit in a pocket. It takes a real stretch to think of an aerial camera as a spy camera.

[dan_fromm2]

Colin, you spurred me to look harder for Omera cameras. It seems that the 100/5.6 SFOM was used on Omera 30, 31, and 33 cameras. In addition to the long lenses mentioned on the site I've sent you to, the 33 also took a 44 mm Wild lens. Super Aviogon, probably, but who knows? Also, various Omeras used lenses from Angenieux and Berthiot as well as from SFOM.

 

This link http://www.flugzeugforum.de/forum/showthread.php?t=11228&page=8 contains a post with an image of several Omera 33s. You'll have to register to view the image. They look like small aerial cameras, no surprise.

 

Also, an Omera 30 has been used in France for map-making. This isn't what the cameras were made to do and there's no mention about whether as used for mapping it has, e.g., a reseau plate.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan