Argus Argoflex E

Photos by Sylvain Halgand text by Sylvain Halgand. From the collection of Sylvain Halgand. Last update 2023-10-17 par Sylvain Halgand.

Manufactured or assembled in USA from 1940 to (Circa) 1949.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 1181

See the complete technical specifications

Chronology of cameras Argus

Argus is known for its Argus C3 and a variety of other 35mm cameras, but it was also a manufacturer of more or less advanced Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) cameras. These cameras, which use 620 film and produce 6 x 6 cm negatives, are typically made of plastic, except for two models made of metal.
Some models have a linkage between the taking lens and the viewing lens, providing a true reflex focusing. Many are fixed-focus, while others have a distance adjustment without an impact in the viewfinder. The shutters on these cameras are modest.

On July 29, 1949, Leonard A. Wilkinson, an inventor, and Argus Cameras, Inc. filed patent No. 2,664,799 for a coupling system of shutter cocking and film advance to prevent double exposures. The patent sketches depict a TLR.

Models	Years	Made of	Lens	Shutter		Sale price

Argoflex E	1940-49	Bakelite	4.5/75	Argus 1/10 to 1/200, B, T	Basic Argoflex model with coupled lenses.	$61.12 (1949)
Argoflex EF	1949-51	Metal	Varex 4.5/75	1/10 to 1/200, B, T synchro	Coupled lenses	$74.75 (1949)
Argoflex EM	1949	Metal	Varex 4.5/75	1/10 to 1/200, B, T	Like the Argoflex EF, but without flash synchronization; coupled lenses	$64.40 (1949)
Argoflex Seventy-five	1949-57	Plastic	f/13	synchro	Fixfocus	$14.89 (1950)
Argoflex 40	1951-53	Plastic	f/4.5	1/25 to 1/150, B synchro	Fixfocus Upgraded version of the Argoflex Seventy-Five	$39.95 (1951)
Argus Seventy-five	1955-58	Plastic	f/13	I, T	Fixfocus	$14.95 (1956)
Argus Super Seventy-five	1955-58	Plastic	Lumar 8/65	I, T Synchro	Similar to the Argoflex Seventy-Five, but with distance adjustment.	$22.50 (1956)
Argus 75	1958-64	Plastic	Lumar /75	I, T	Fixfocus, Brown
Argus 40	c.1955	Plastic	4.5/75	1/25 to 1/150, B	Features similar to those of the Super Seventy-Five.	$37.95 (1955)

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The Argoflex E is the first model in the series, and it's made of bakelite, a fragile material popular in the late 1930s. The lenses are coupled, and the focus can be seen in the viewfinder.

Interesting links or bibliography :

Popular Photography de Mai 1941

Popular Photography de 1940

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