June, 1951 ad for Argus C-4 camera
Toronto. When its an Argus C-4! The Argus C-3 was an awkward rectangular weighty thing loved by all. In 1951, Argus took a shot at replacing it with a C-4 camera but the C-3 lived on.
This ad on page 19 in the June, 1951 issue of Popular Photography introduced the C-4. A similar ad in LIFE was the subject of an earlier post, (the power of marketing). Note that the C-4 was also badged C-four on its lens ring. It went through many iterations including as a C-44 which gave back the interchangeable lenses common to the C-3 (somewhere I read the C-3’s rangefinder drifted and the camera needed to be opened for adjustment then closed to test – this article suggests a port in the top plate allows a simple adjustment to be made).
Thanks to my good friend and photo historian for sharing this advertisement with us. If you feel a need to add a C-4 (or indeed anything else) to your collection, drop in on one of our fairs, auctions, sales, or other events! You can even simply browse and see what our ancestors (or old coots like me) did to get decent photos.
