tgh

<p>Somewhat of a side note on "professional" 35mm use, but the Farm Security Agency (FSA) known for many of the Great Depression era photos was an early user of 35mm. The head, Roy Stryker, wanted to standardize their photos on either 35mm or 3.25x4.25 inch film as much as possible. This photo division operated from 1935 to about 1942 and during the first year two photographers who used 35mm almost exclusively, Carl Mydans (Contax) and Ben Shahn (Leica) accounted for half or more of the total negatives made that year.<br>

A photo of Carl Mydans in 1935 holding his Contax is here:<br>

<a href="http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/fsaall:@filreq(@field(NUMBER+@band(cph+3c20968))+@field(COLLID+fsa">http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/fsaall:@filreq(@field(NUMBER+@band(cph+3c20968))+@field(COLLID+fsa</a>))</p>

<p>Roy Stryker himself made a few photos for the collection in 1937, and all were made on 35mm.<br>

I'd suspect it's possible that 35mm negatives account for over half of the total FSA collection. But the most famous images almost all were from larger formats.</p>

<p>Carlos,<br>

It might depend on which normal lens. I used to have a Fujica ST701. Several normal M42 lenses I had access to would mount and work correctly. These were Fujinon 55/1.8, Pentax 55/1.8, a Chinon 50/1.7 and a Yashica 50/2. But with a chrome-nosed Yashica 50/1.4, while it would mount, the rear of the lens extended far enough back into the camera that the mirror would hit at infinity focus. Same lens worked fine on a Yashica TL-E body or a GAF L17 body. Not sure if the Fujica had a longer mirror than the others, or if it was just mounted farther forward.</p>

<p>The N90s can be set in 1/3 shutter speed increments. That is, 1/500, 1/640, 1/800, 1/1000. As Lily mentioned, the aperture can be set steplessly in manual or Av mode.</p>

<p>Probably no definitive answer to "ugliest", but a contender would have to be the Argus Autronic 35. It had the boxy brick-like shape of the C3, but it replaced the 1930s charm with 1960s gaudiness. Topped off with a bubble-fronted light meter on top that makes the Nikon F Photomic head look almost streamlined.</p>

<p>Up front, I'm not a camera repair person. This is just from very limited experience with hands on repairs and speculation as to the cause of your problem.</p>

<p>I used to have a Nikkormat FTn which either would not trip the shutter or would trip it sluggishly after the release was pressed. The camera had other serious problems so with little to lose I removed the bottom plate to have a look inside.</p>

<p>Despite the shutter release button being on the top right of the camera as you look through it, the mechanism that actually releases the shutter is on the bottom and to the left of the mirror box. There's a long rocker arm lever running over half the length of the camera positioned so that when the shutter button is pressed down a long pin running the clear through the height of the camera presses down on one end of this arm and the arm pivots so the opposite end pushes up to actually release the shutter. The pivot for this rocker arm is a very small pin, about the size of a watchband pin, only a little shorter. This pin mounts into the camera chassis, from front to back, near the middle of the camera. The hole it slips into is actually behind the shutter speed ring. To remove this pin you'd have to remove the lens mount, the aperture ring and the shutter speed dial. The lens mount and rings hold this pin in place.</p>

<p>As others have said, there is no direct link between the aperture dial and the shutter release. But this pin is positioned directly next to the back of the assembly that contains the aperture ring and shutter speed dial.</p>

<p>On my FTn, either this pin or the hole through the rocker arm had become so worn that it let the rocker arm shift out of alignment, which is what caused the shutter release problems.</p>

<p>So just speculation, but if there is corrosion, misalignment, incorrect assembly or such, when you move the aperture ring it could jiggle things just enough to allow the linkage to complete its movement and release the shutter.</p>

<p>Do you have to keep holding the shutter button down while you twist the aperture, or if you release the shutter button then twist the aperture does the shutter still go ahead and trip? If the first is the case, then this rocker arm linkage could be related to the problem. If the latter, then probably it's something else. But either way sounds like a mechanical problem rather something you're doing incorrectly.</p>

<p>I have a copy of the December 1972 Modern Photography issue which contains their 1973 camera report on 47 models. <br>

Among just the 35mm SLR automatics, included are:<br>

Petri FT EE - shutter priority<br />Miranda Auto Sensorex EE - shutter priority<br />Mamiya/Sekor Auto XTL - shutter priority<br />Konica Autoreflex T - shutter priority<br />Honeywell Pentax ES - aperture priority<br />Beseler Topcon unirex - shutter priority in a leaf shutter<br>

Not on the 47 camera list, but mentioned in a "first look" article elsewhere in that issue is the Canon EF - shutter priority.<br>

I think the Canon F1 also had an external attachment that allowed shutter priority. The Nikon F2 may have too.</p>

I think I can make out "RY" on the lens serial number, which would be 1950. A late one!

 

These things can grow on you. I've got still got three, and even sold one other. Mine are from 1945, 1946 and 1949. The '45 one has the protruding shield painted black, from war-time material shortages I suspect. Actually makes the thing look kind fo sharp.

 

These are often claimed to have failed at competing with the Argus C3, another ugly beast in its own way. But the C3 was made for almost 30 years. The Kodak 35RF only lasted for about 12. And judging by the number that seem to come up on eBay, they must have sold fairly well. Unless the same twenty-seven cameras just keep changing hands.

<a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~jamesahall/argus/C3/winding.html">C3 wind instructions.</a>

The earliest Argoflex which had a bakelite body with molded Art Deco stripes on the sides was actually designed to take either 620 or 120. There's a neat little spring loaded "wing" on the wind shaft that compresses out of the way for 620, but extends for 120.

I'd never heard of one before reading your post. Apparently it was made and sold only in France. A google on the French spelling, "Kodak Modele 42" yields quite a few hits, though most are in French. Appears to be a close relative of the Kodak Tourist from the late 1940s/early 1950s. No idea as to the value, though I'd guess at least a bit more than a Tourist since it's far less common.

Pull out on it and twist slightly to release the internal mechanism for rewinding.

Christopher - Your post made me realize that somehow, without really intending to do so, I've got a quartet of Weltis. Until this evening, I really never had them all in one group at the same time, but they've been scattered around in different places/shelves/drawers. Apologies for the less than stellar photo to show them, but none are quite like yours, or the one posted on the other website, though all are recognizable as from the same maker.

 

A few more detailed notes on these examples features for comparison with yours. Won't really answer your question on the history of Welti Watson 35's, but you can see where yours fits into the pattern of these. I'm guessing yours was probably made between #2 and #3 of these.

 

Top left - Welta Watson. Flat knobs with a stylized "Welta" and "R" on the rewind knob. Wind release is by pressing the flat tab on the front, in front of the frame counter. 5cm Welta-Freital lens, with apertures from 2.9 to 16. Focusing distance marked in feet with the DOF table on the back in feet, with English verbage. Pronto shutter with speeds of B, T, 25, 50, 100 and 125(!). There is no body release for the shutter. It's a single, self-cocking lever on the shutter rim. Viewfinder offset to the left with an accessory shoe in the middle of the top deck. There's a blank metal plate in the middle of the back, as if to engrave the owner's name. Tripod socket is 1/4th inch via an adapter from 3/8ths inch.

 

Top right - Welta Welti. Again, flat knobs with the same script "Welta" and "R" on the rewind knob as on the Watson. Wind release is by lifting the wind knob up and turning slightly. 5cm Steinheil Munchen Cassar (#312150) with apertures from 2.9 to 11. Focusing distance is in feet with the DOF table on the back in feet with English verbage. Compur shutter with speeds T, B and 1 to 300th. No body release for the shutter. Release lever is on the left (in the photo) of the shutter rim with the separate cocking lever on the right. Viewfinder and accessory shoe are the same as the Watson. Also a blank metal plate, but this one's in the middle of the bottom. Tripod socket is 1/4th inch only.

 

Bottom left - Welta Weltix. Taller, knurled knobs with only black arrows on them and a "R" on the rewind knob. Wind release is by the red-painted button on the top, in front of the shutter release, which is on the top deck of this camera, though the cocking lever is on the shutter rim. 5 cm Steinheil Munchen Casser (#395012) with apertures from 2.9 to 16. Focusing distance is marked in meters and the DOF table on the back is in meters with German verbage. Viewfinder is closer to the middle of the top deck and there is no accessory shoe nor any blank plate. Tripod socket is 3/8ths inch.

 

Bottom right - Welta Welti I. Postwar version. Taller knobs, same as the Weltix. In fact, the entire top deck is identical to the Weltix, except the viewfinder is again offset to the left of an accessory shoe. Wind release is the same as the Welitx. 50mm MeyerOptik Trioplan coated lens with apertures from 2.9 to 16. Focusing distance is in feet with the DOF table on the back in feet with English verbage. Vebur shutter with speeds of B and 1 to 250th. Cocking lever is on the shutter rim. Unlike the other three, this camera needs film in it to fully work the shutter. You can cock the shutter, but not trip it until the inner wind mechanism has been advanced. Both top and bottom are chrome, with a stylized "Welta" on the bottom. An East German Triangle 1 with 37/378/1001 is embossed in the back leather, and a faint green "Germany USSR Occupied" stamped near the back rlease. Tripod socket is 1/4th inch only.

 

The Welti I at bottom right could be nearly 20 years newer than the Watson at top left, but it's interesting just how little they changed, though the Welti I has greater differences than the rest.<div></div>

Leica did, and still does make geospatial products. I've no idea if these are related to such, but if so, they'd certainly be related to a geologists work.

 

http://gi.leica-geosystems.com/default.aspx

Thanks for posting. And very interesting "Fuzzy's Folly" link. If you go to it, and click on the Photographer's Bio link on that page, the photographers in No. 3 are identified, with the exact same photo posted there.

On my book shelf is a copy of "Where War Lives", by Dick Durrance II.

Durrance was a Specialist 4th Class in the Dept. of Army Special Photographic Office. In his forward he claims he was inspired to dig out, print and publish the photos he'd made with his own personal Nikon F after seeing Oliver Stone's "Platoon".

 

The book includes one photo of two GI's and a Vietnamese interpreter interogating a captured Vietnamese. One of the GI's has two Nikon F's around his neck, one with metering prism and a zoom lens on it. The other with an eyelevel prism and what appears to be a standard or wide angle lens, though neither looks like a Nikkor lens.

 

The only photo of Durrance himself in the book, shows him in March 1968, sitting in a bunker, with a Rolleiflex TLR cradled on his lap, and a holstered 45 at his side.

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.

Cecilia,

 

To summarize what's been said, and add more - your large negatives are either 116 or 616. This size was popular for Kodak, and a few other makers, in box and folding cameras through from around 1900, up to around the time of WWII. Negatives were 2.5 x 4.25 inches, which corresponds to 6.5 x 11 cm, and there were eight negatives on a roll. Before 1932, the film was 116. Then at the same time Kodak introduced 620, it also switched to 616. Like 120/620, 616 was the same film as 116, just a smaller diameter film spool. Kodak quit making 616 cameras around 1950, though they made the film for many years after that. Neither Leica nor Argus ever made a camera for 116 or 616 film. I don't believe Leica ever made a still camera for anything other than 35mm, unless it would have been a special purpose model. Argus made cameras for 35mm, 120, 620 and 828, which was essentially 35mm roll film with no sprocket holes and a paper backing. Argus 120 & 620 cameras all made 2.25x2.25 inch (6x6cm) negatives.

 

It is almost impossible to tell what specific camera made a negative from just the negative itself. I say almost, since there are a few cameras that made distinctly shaped images on the film. Kodak Duaflex cameras, a pseudo-TLR box camera from the 1950s for 620 film, all had unique tiny "ears" at the top corners of the negatives. But there were four models of the Duaflex, and all four made this same shaped image.

 

But while you usually can't determine a camera from the negative alone, you can tell alot from the negative, and if you've got the actual camera at hand, you can tell alot more.

 

You mention your father had both a Leica and an Argus C3. Negatives made with each of these can be separated easily, even if you don't have the cameras. Leica cameras ran film through from left to right, as you looked through the camera. Argus C3's ran film from right to left. So if you hold the 35mm negative strips up so the images appear upright, ones made with a Leica would have earlier images on the roll to the left, later ones to the right. Argus C3 negatives would have earlier images on the right, later ones to the left. Easy if the films have frame numbers, but even if not, it's sometimes possible to tell which image was made first in a sequence from the contents of the image. So if you know for certain that your father only had two 35mm cameras, one Leica and one Argus, you can sort out which negatives were made with which one by the orientation of the images on the film.

 

Next thing is, all cameras leave a unique "fingerprint" on a negative. With high precision made cameras such as a Leica, this can be very, very slight. But lower-end cameras, such as Argus are easier to tell. Argus used a largely bakelite body, including the film gate. During manufacture, or later use, it was easy for this to get chipped, ever so slightly. That would leave a tell-tale mark on negatives made with that particular camera. Or bakelite often wouldn't form to an exact straight line, as the metal film gates in a Leica would, so negatives made with a particular Argus might have a slight wave on one edge of the image. Using this, if you actually have the camera to compare to the negative, it's often possible to say for certain that one specific camera made one specific negative. Or, if you don't have access to the cameras, you could sort through negatives from several rolls of film and determine this batch was all made with camera X, that batch with camera Y and that other batch with camera Z, even though you may not know what model those three cameras were.

 

I've attached a rough scan of negatives made with two cameras for an example. The top one was made with a Balda 35, a scale focusing 35mm folding camera made in Germany in the late 1930s. It had a primitive film advance arrangement, similar to an Argus C3, which made for widely uneven fram spacing. But notice too the image corners are gently rounded and both the left and right edges of the frame bulge inward. The sides of the film gate were thin sheet metal and weren't precisely straight.

 

The bottom image was made with a Balda Super Baldina, a telescoping lens, 35mm rangefinder, made in Germany by the same company in the early 1950s. Its film advance was more similar to that on a Leica. Note here the frame spacing is much tigher, and more consistent. And the image corners are more sharply squared, but there is a very slight dimple in the top right corner. Not clear from the scans, there are also a few minute nics or bumps on both negatives from small burrs or nics in the film gates. Both the frame spacing and the image shapes are consistent for all rolls run through either of these cameras.

 

If we had nothing but these two negatives, we could say for certain they were made with two different cameras, and neither was made with an Argus C3, unless the the camera was always held upside down. Also would be doubtful that either was made with a Leica, since the negative edges would be much cleaner and straighter.<div></div>

Fascinating glimpse into another world. Most all "found films" are, but especially when they come from another culture.

 

When I first looked at it I was thinking, maybe, 1965 for some reason. But what strikes me is the almost complete absence of much visible in the image itself that would date it precisely - early 1960s or fifteen earlier or later.

When you scan them, include the entire frame on at least one when you post it. The exact shape of the image, such as rounded corners, little "ears" at a corner etc, can sometimes give a hint about the camera used. Also the angle of the shot can suggest whether it was an eye-level camera such as a folder or a waist-level camera, like a box camera.

Winding the film knob tensions the shutter, but it either needs film in the camera or with the back off you can trick it by turning the film sprockets as you wind the knob on top.

 

The shutter release is on the outside rim of the lens/shutter, at about 11 o'clock as you look at the front of the camera. It's got a shield over it, but the peg sticking out the back is what you press.

 

It's a really acwkward looking camera design, but has a nice lens.

I don't think there is, or maybe even could be such a list since they seem to have changed the serial number styles through the years. But you can get a vague idea from subtle feature changes. These are approximate, and could be off a couple of years either way, but a general list I've accumulated is:

 

Pre-war - 10 shutter marked shutter speeds, changed to 7 about 1941. Earliest ones had a paper label inside for the serial number, before about 1939.

 

1942-1943 - chrome wing shaped cocking lever changed to black (wartime material shortage?)

 

1944-1945 - Old aperture series (3.5, 4.5, 6.3...) changed to modern series (3.5, 4, 5.6, 8)

 

Around 1945, coated lenses.

 

Around 1949-1950, Weston Film speed reminder dial changed to ASA.

 

Around 1950 the lower half of the RF changed from blue to yellow, though earlier cameras may have been updated. Really early ones were clear on both top and bottom of the RF.

 

Around 1950-1951, 10 hinge screws (5 on body, 5 on back door) changed to 8 (4 and 4).

 

Around 1952, Argus nameplate first appeared on camera front. About this same time the frame counter changed from a chrome or silver painted metal one to a black plastic one.

 

Around 1953, colormatic settings appeared on lens, shutter speed and focusing dial.

 

Around 1954, first accessory shoe, held on with three mounting screws.

 

By around 1955, the marked shutter speeds had been reduced from 7 to just 5 and the film speed reminder dial had disappeared.

 

Around 1956, accessory shoe changed to one mounting screw in the middle.

 

1958 until the end of production in 1966 or 1967, C3 Standard, with more modern styling. Shutter button changed from a stovepipe to a button shape, cocking lever changed to a teardrop shape, aperture ring changed to a funnel shape around the lens front instead of on the very front.

 

The Matchmatic beginning about 1957 was the same, except it had tan leather and instead of conventional shutter speeds and apertures it had EV values for use with an accessory meter. The meter gave the light value in EV and you then set the exposure by whatever value added up to the EV. The lens was marked 3 1/2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and the shutter speed dial marked 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, which corresponded to the normal C3's markings of 10, 25, 50, 100, 300. So if your light meter read EV 12 you set the aperture and shutter to whatever added up to 12. 5 + 7 or 6 + 6 or whatever. The Matchmatic also reverted to a metal frame counter.

 

Nice C3 shots in your gallery. C3's are pretty capable cameras. Certainly not outstanding compared to higher dollar cameras of the same vintage, but decent within their limitations.

"Candid" and "miniature" were common marketing buzz words for 35mm cameras in the 1930s. Also were applied to 828 Bantam or some half frame 127 cameras. Leicas were marketed as, "The original candid camera". Sort of like "compact" or "auto" were the words of the 1970s and 1980s, or even something like "digital" is now, the key word the advertizer wants to get out to grab a potential buyer's attention.

 

"A" was the model number, but it didn't show up on the camera itself, except sometimes as part of the serial number inside. Argus rarely if ever displayed the model number on a camera body, and usually not even the Argus name. On C3 models, the Argus nameplate wasn't added on the front until the early 1950s after the camera had been on the market for over 15 years. For a couple of years, the "A" was the only Argus, so it wasn't necessary to hang a model number on it.

 

In Greek mythology, Zeus fell in love with a beautiful maiden named Io. Rival god Hera, out of jealousy, changed her into a heifer and set a monster with one hundred eyes, called an "Argus", to watch over her. And from that, the term Argus came to be associated with a watchful guardian.

 

Then in the mid 1930s, the International Radio Corporation (IRC) in an attempt to diversify their product line and make money in the late depression, introduced the bakelite 35mm camera which they called the "Argus". They were attempting to capitalize on the candid camera craze of the day and provide an inexpensive option compared to the Leica, Contax or even the Kodak Retina. Which explains the prominent "Candid" on the original box.

On an R3, if the shutter isn't getting power (dead or missing battery, poor or broken circuit connection), then the shutter will trip at a mechanical 1/100th no matter what the shutter speed is set at except B, which stays open as long as it's held down. And if the I/O switch is set at O, the shutter won't trip at any speed, with or without a battery. The I setting both turns the meter on and unlocks the shutter button. So it sounds as if no power is reaching the shutter of either of these. If a fresh set of batteries are inserted correctly, when you press down on the index peg with the white triangle on top which is at the corner of the ASA dial, the battery check light on the left end of the camera should light up.

I've got two of these simple little guys. Kind of fun to use. More focusing options than an Argus A, but less shutter speeds. They must have been big on the give away as premiums list which left them in the hands of people who never used them much, since I've seen several in near new condition, still in the original box. One of mine has the same apertures yours does, but the other starts with F/7.7 and omits the normal F/8 setting for one with a built in K-2 yellow filter.

 

Figure about 1/50th for the shutter speed. On the Plus-X I've run through mine, this seems to give expected exposures.<div></div>

Few of my "classic" cameras cost me more than $20, none more than $100, and most less than $10. If all of them lose 100% of their value, the total will be less than the depreciation of value which a new DSLR incurs in a few months.