My family and I were recently in Jeffersonville, Indiana, where my son was taking a class. Just to pass some time, my wife and I decided to walk around the downtown area of Jeffersonville. We came across an antique store called Sugar Maple Antiques & Gifts. While we were looking around, my wife called me over and was excited about something she had found. She had found a vintage camera, complete with a leather case and neck strap. Although the leather case was in a bit of disrepair, the camera was in really good condition. I looked the camera over and even tested the shutter and it seemed to work just fine, so I decided to buy it. I figured for $25, even if it doesn't take pictures, it would make a pretty cool conversation piece!
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| Leather case |
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C-3 with 50mm f3.5 lens
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| Inside the C-3 |
After I got home that evening, I began researching everything I could about the camera. According to Wikipedia, "The Argus C3 was a low-priced rangefinder camera mass-produced from 1939 to 1966 by Argus in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA." The Wikipedia article also noted that the C-3 is commonly known as "The Brick". I soon figured out why...it's heavy! As I kept digging, I found another resource where I was able to identify the specific model of my camera and the year it was most likely manufactured. The website, Argus Collectors Group, is a great repository of information about all things Argus cameras! Based on the model number, which is found inside the back of the camera, this camera was produced in 1948. As you can see from the above pictures, it's in really good shape for being 67 years old!
Even though the camera is in pretty good shape, it still needs to be cleaned up a bit on the inside. I was able to find some YouTube videos that will walk me through how to safely clean the camera and get it working. I'm excited to try and shoot a couple of rolls of film with it and see how it works! I'll post some of the pictures (if they turn out!) and share how things went.
Even though the camera is in pretty good shape, it still needs to be cleaned up a bit on the inside. I was able to find some YouTube videos that will walk me through how to safely clean the camera and get it working. I'm excited to try and shoot a couple of rolls of film with it and see how it works! I'll post some of the pictures (if they turn out!) and share how things went.
Does anybody else like antique stores? What's your coolest find? I'd love to hear your feedback, so feel free to leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts!
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