аЯрЁБс > ўџ > @ ўџџџ = џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС #` №П ) bjbjmЅmЅ .2 Я Я ! џџ џџ џџ Є Є Є Є Є Є Є Є И @ @ @ @ L И Ч Ж l l l l l l l l F H H H H H H $ } h х ^ l Є N l l N N l Є Є l l А А А N Z Є l Є l F А N F А А Є Є А l ` .мг*ж @ Ј ю А F 0 Ч А C C А А f C Є 0 l Ў | А d њ T l l l l l І l l l Ч N N N N И И И D ќ D И И И ќ И И И Є Є Є Є Є Є џџџџ The Argus C3 was a low-priced rangefinder camera mass-produced from 1939 to 1966 by Argus in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. The camera sold about 2 million units, making it one of the most popular cameras in history. Due to its shape, size, and weight, it is commonly referred to as "The Brick" by photographers (in Japan its nickname translates as "The Lunchbox"). The most famous 20th-century photographer who used it was Tony Vaccaro, who employed this model during World War II.
he C3 was introduced in October 1939 as an improved version of the C (19389) and C2 (193842). All three models shared the same "brick" design, attributed to Gustave Fassin, but the C3 was by far the most successful. The original Argus C was equipped with an uncoupled rangefinder which required the user to manually rotate the lens barrel to match the rangefinder reading, while the C2 coupled the rangefinder to the lens to allow one-step focusing. The C3 added built-in flash synchronization but was otherwise identical to the C2. It originally retailed for $35, equivalent to $643 in current dollars.
This camera was designed by Gustave Fassin, a Belgian optics designer moved to the US in the 1920s. He worked for Kodak and Bausch & Lomb in Rochester. He started working for Charles A. Verschoor, president of the International Radio Corporation (later known as International Research Corporation and later Argus). In 1936 he designed the Argus A, Argus' first photographic camera and first sales success. Later, Fassin designed the Argus C as well as an enlarger, a printing easel and a slide projector.
Gustave Fassin made such a good design that the C-series cameras remained almost unchanged during their entire lifespan. It should have been quite shocking to find a prewar designed camera in the retail stores of the mid-1960s. Camera technology changed a lot in the 1960s, but the Argus C3 kept being the same camera. In fact, it was covered by a lifetime guarantee! They did know how to make cameras, didn't they? Later Argus cameras were improved with brightline viewfinders (Argus 21) or combined view/rangefinders (Argus C4), but none of these new features were added to the C3.
The original Argus C of 1938 had a rangefinder not coupled to the lens. The very first version had a lever to switch between fast and slow shutter speeds, but it was soon replaced by a second version with a more simple and reliable shutter without any switch. The Argus C2 was born also in 1938 adding just an idler gear between the rangefinder dial and the lens. Adding internal flash synchronization turned an Argus C2 into an Argus C3, and that's how it was born in 1939.
The C3 proved hugely successful, selling approximately 2 million units during its 27-year production run. Although the boxy design was neither stylish nor ergonomic, customers were reportedly drawn to the camera's "scientific" appearance with its many gears, knobs, and dials. The C3 also developed a reputation for rugged durability and sharp, high-quality images. Photographers affectionately nicknamed it "the brick". The C3's enduring popularity allowed it to outlast nearly all of its American competitors, including the Kodak 35 Rangefinder, but it was not able to compete with the flood of inexpensive Japanese single lens reflex cameras entering the market in the 1960s and was finally discontinued in 1966.
Although the design is over 75 years old, many C3s are still in use. The cameras are inexpensive on the used market and their simple construction makes them relatively easy to repair.
MODELS:
The series began in 1938 with the Argus C, equipped with a rangefinder which was not coupled to the lens. Focusing a C is a two step process, first finding the distance using the built-in rangefinder, then focusing the lens by rotating it until a scale on the side matches the distance given by the rangefinder. Very early production C cameras had high and low range shutter speeds marked on the speed dial, with a separate switch to select the desired speed range. The high/low speed selector was soon deleted from production, and speeds controlled by the rotary dial with 10 marked speeds.
The C was replaced within just a few months by the C2, with a geared coupling between the rangefinder and the lens, greatly accelerating focusing and making the camera much more convenient to use. Finally, in 1939 the C3 was introduced, with electrical plugs on the cameras left side for a battery-powered flash, synchronized to the shutter.
The basic C3 model underwent only minor revisions from its introduction until it was discontinued in 1966. For instance, the number of shutter speeds was lowered from ten to seven to five, an accessory shoe was added, and the exposure reminder dial on the back of the camera was removed. There was a variant featuring color-coded exposure controls known as the Colormatic. A second-generation C3 with an improved lens and more comfortable controls, the Standard C3, came out in 1958, though it was otherwise nearly identical to its predecessor.
Three variants were offered in addition to the basic C3: the Matchmatic as offered for auction, Golden Shield, and C33. The first two, produced from 1958 to 1966, were sold with a selenium light meter attachment but were otherwise essentially identical to the Standard C3. Both models also featured distinctive finishes: two-tone tan and black leatherette on the Matchmatic and metallized PET film coating on the Golden Shield. The C33, sold from 1959 to 1960, was a significant departure from the basic model though it still featured the classic "brick" shape. It offered numerous improvements over the older model including an integrated rangefinder and coupled light meter.
The two-tone leatherette C3 Match-Matic was produced between 1958 and 1966, and its retro styling still appeals to many collectors' eyes today. But beneath the skin, the Match-Matic is largely the same old Argus "brick" sold since 1938 (and discussed further in the Argus C3 article.)
The cosmetic makeover may been influenced by 1950s automobile styling from Detroit, a near neighbor to the Argus factory. Functionally, the significant change was an attempt to "simplify" exposure settings, by removing the familiar f/stop and shutter speed numbering. Instead, a dedicated clip-in meter provided EV readings; the user was expected to mentally add integers on the shutter and aperture dials until the total equaled the desired EV value. In addition to the numerals, the front dial indicates shutter speed ranges for "action" (briefer) and "scenes" (longer) exposures. (The 8 corresponds to the C3's top shutter speed of 1/300 sec.)
The non-standard Matchmatic numbering scales may be problematic today, if the meter has gone missing, or has stopped working (after 50 years, either is quite possible).
Calculating flashbulb exposures was also "simplified." With the shutter set at the indicated #5 mark, blue "Flash Finder" numbers corresponding to different distances could be read off the rangefinder wheel; the lens opening was set to match. This system was calibrated for Kodachrome slide film and #25B blue flashbulbs; other film & bulb combinations required adding or subtracting a conversion factor.
The Match-Matic was supplied with the standard 3-element 50mm f/3.5 Cintar lens, but with a Series V retaining ring to accept drop-in filters.
The Argus C3 Matchmatic has re-found fame as having been used as a prop in several Harry Potter films. Screen character Colin Creevey is seen taking pictures with the camera in the first film "Chamber of Secrets" where in one famous scene he asks Harry to turn Hogwart's student Ron toward the camera so he can photograph him vomiting slugs after a spell goes awry. In a later scene his trusty Argus C3 Matchmatic protects him from being killed by the gaze of the Basilisk. Having viewed the snake-like monster's gaze through his camera, rather than directly, he was merely turned to stone rather than killed. The camera, unfortunately, had its film burned by the Basilisk while Collin was perfectly restored by a magic potion. In the film Colin's Matchmatic is not equipped with its dedicated light meter needed to set the exposure but that would be of little concern to a young wizard.
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