P3D Argus C3 Stereo Hacking

["H a r o l d B a i z e" <baize@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

David Tiede wrote:

>I am interested in learning more about the "hacked" 
>together stereo camera created from several Argus C3 
cameras.  

Well, as part of a change in emphasis at the Oakland 
Camera Club, I will be talking about my experiences 
in hacking the C3 Argus Stereo at our next meeting,
Tuesday August 4th. I won't be giving a step-by-step 
tutorial, but I will explain the process and give some 
tips. I have to admit, I'm no expert at stereo camera 
hacking like Sam Smith, but it should be informative.

>I do not know how to find such old cameras 
>from local flea markets but have noticed several 
>for sale on ebay.  
 

Price varies drastically. Try to get them for about $10 
and don't pay more than $20 each for clean fully 
functional cameras. IMHO.

>are all these cameras equivalent 
>from the hacking standpoint or is a certain time period 
>important?  I would be interested in any further details 
>or references to previous posts about this subject.

There were changes in the model over the years, some 
cosmetic, others more substantial. In the sixties they 
came out with a deluxe model that had better styling, 
tan leatherette, and a lens housing that provided 
lens shading. Unfortunately the aperture dial was 
only marked up to f/8 whereas the original goes to 
f/16. The main thing is to get cameras that are 
as similar as possible. For that reason it would be 
best to find an old used camera store or second hand 
store with a number of C3s that you can 
compare to find the best matches. Also, you should 
try to find three, or even four, because something 
always goes wrong and you will need spare parts.

Harolddd.



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