Argus V-100

[melek]

It's the lesser-known model in the Argus lineup. We all know about the C3 "Brick," the A series and the C44 models with interchangeable lenses, as well as its line of bakelite TLRs.

What I didn't know about until very recently (a reminder about how much I don't know) was the Argus V-100.

This was made in West Germany in the 1950s, and there were two variations of this model available. This one came with a 52mm f/2.8 Cintar II lens. From what I can tell during my restoration, it's a coated triplet. The other variant has a 48mm f/2.0 Cintagon II.

There isn't a lot of information available about this camera, other than it was made by Iloca, a manufacturer of lower-cost cameras.
Here are some of its features:

• Uncoupled two-range selenium meter. The meter on this camera doesn't work.
• Coupled rangefinder
• Synchro-Compur shutter using the LV/EV system of interlocked aperture and shutter speed dials.
• Removable back
• Manually set count-down frame counter

It's a very well made camera with three notable quirks:

– First, this has one of the tiniest eyepieces that I've seen on any post-war camera. Anyone who wears eyeglasses would have had – and still will have – a very difficult time using this viewfinder.

– Second, the viewfinder is positioned right next to the film-advance lever rather than the center or left side of the back of the camera. I'm not kidding when I thought that maybe this was made by Voigtlander, because that camera maker was known for its quirky controls. If you're a right-eyed photographer, it's inconvenient, because you can't keep your thumb on the film advance. If you're a left-eyed photographer, it's equally uncomfortable because your nose presses against the right side of the camera, leaving no room for your hand to hold the camera.

– Third, there is no obvious way to open the camera back. It's a two-step approach. First, you pop up the rewind knob by pushing that small button on the back. It's the one with the white arrow. Next, keep pushing that button and pull up hard on the rewind knob. Continue to pull up on the rewind knob while turning it in a clockwise direction until you hear a click and feel resistance. Turn it some more, and a flap on the side of the panel will turn outward and the back will spring loose. In German tradition, the back is removed for loading the film.

I haven't run any film through it. However, while doing some reading, I noticed that some people said the lens was sharp and others said the opposite. I thought about that and checked the collimation. Sure enough, the lens on this camera was off at infinity by quite a bit. I collimated the lens, and I'm now ready to test it.

I'll have more on this camera later.

This camera was very dirty. Of course, the shutter didn't fire, and the viewfinder was soiled, and the rangefinder was out. I corrected everything. The gilded mirror is in so-so condition. I might try something to add contrast to the secondary image.

It cleaned up real nice, as the saying goes.

[Julio1fer]

Looks vaguely similar to some quirks of the Vito CLR if my memory serves me. The triplet lens is probably quite decent, and the shutter would be the expensive type, so it probably was not a bottom-feeder camera when it appeared.

Never had heard of this Argus model, but I am far from a specialist.

[PFMcFarland]

Agfa bought out Iloca around 1960, and used their designs on the Selecta models. My favorite Iloca was the Aut-O-Matic, with its Rodenstock Ysarex 2.8/50 lens. It also had a larger viewfinder window. https://flic.kr/s/aHsjwYUrx6

I looked at a V-100 in an antique store about a year ago, and decided not to bother with it. Besides the ergonomically incorrect features you mentioned, Mike, they were just asking too much for something that wasn't in working order.

You can cut a small piece from a colored plastic folder tab to insert in front of the rangefinder window to help with the contrast on the beam splitter.

PF

[minoly]

It will be interesting to see more about this model, Mike. Argus was selling a lot of cameras in the 50's, I think, so I wonder if this line was the most "fully-featured"? Lots of people trusted the C-3 and the little exposure guide that Kodak put with every roll of Kodachrome to get a good roll of slides, so they'd need some convincing to move up the line. The impressive looks of the V-100 would have been a good start.

Bill Delehanty

[Brian]

Now I know why Kodak moved the wind lever to the bottom of the camera when they put the Meter in. Hard to know what the designer was thinking about with the VF so close to the advance lever, and probably why it is so small.

[melek]

I have it loaded with some Ilford FP4+ at the moment. I've been out shooting at lunch. It's a nice camera, but the rangefinder spot is very dim. It handles very nicely.

I always try to approach every camera with a clean slate, but maybe I've used too many cameras, because when I pick it up, my eye goes to the left side in search of the viewfinder. Then I have to remind myself that it's on the other end of the camera. If the designers had simply swapped the positions of the mirrors, the viewfinder would have been on the left.

I'll have more comments soon.

Overall, I find it to be a handsome camera. It isn't too heavy, and it feels good in my hands.

I paid $14.99 + about $8 for shipping after winning the eBay auction. I was the only bidder.

I started servicing the camera at 8 a.m. and was finished by about 1 p.m.

More to come ...