Argus C-four
Argus C-four

Argus C-four

The C4 is a 35mm coupled-rangefinder camera built by Argus from 1951 to 1958 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Less handsome than the C-3 and more advanced than the Argus A, the C4 is a solidly built piece of equipment that feels like it will stand up to moderate use on a daily basis.

The viewfinder with superimposed rangefinder is particularly good and film loading is a snap. This particular camera shares its chassis with the Argus 21 Markfinder, though not all C4s do.

I recently ran my first roll of film through this camera, four years after first posting it on this site. I am pleased with the results though the images are softer than I typically prefer. Kodak 400TX is also not my usual film stock, so this camera may need to be revisited. 

MakeArgus
ModelC-four
Year1951- 1958
Format35mm
ShutterArgus leaf
SpeedB,10,25,50,100,300
LensCoated Cintar
 f2.8 50mm
Focus3ft to ∞
Aperturef2.8 to 22
Light MeterNo
Rangefinder Yes

Sample images taken on Kodak 400TX, stand-developed HC110 30 min.

4 Comments

    1. Not sure, but I’ll going to try again with a slower speed film and if that helps. As for looks, I believe they were trying to get away from the “brick” look of earlier Argus models and they succeeded to a degree, though at the expense of build quality. I much prefer the feel of the C-3 to this.

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