1939-1966 / Argus C3 / Vintage Camera

The Argus C3 is a popular 35mm rangefinder camera made by Argus in Ann Arbor, Michigan, produced from 1939 to 1966. Nicknamed “The Brick” because of its distinctive rectangular shape and size, it featured a rugged Bakelite body with metal castings, a coupled rangefinder focusing mechanism, and a 50mm f/3.5 Cintar anastigmat triplet lens, often made by Bausch & Lomb or other optical manufacturers. The camera has a shutter speed range from 1/10 to 1/300 second, plus Bulb mode for long exposures, with aperture settings from f/3.5 to f/16. It was known for its durability, affordability, and technical design simplicity, selling over 2 million units, making it one of America’s most successful cameras. The Argus C3 also had interchangeable lenses and built-in flash synchronization, appealing to photographers who appreciated its “scientific” appearance and mechanical nature despite its clunky form factor.