Argus Seventy Five

Argus 75 1949-1964

The Argoflex Seventy-Five and Argus SeventyFive were two name variants of the same model of pseudo TLR, produced by Argus in the USA, beginning in 1949. The main body was molded from plastic, while the film door is a painted metal casting. The front panel and viewfinder hood are in a contrasting satin-finish metal. A cloth neck strap is permanently attached to the top of the body. Images were 6x6cm on 620 film. It featured a doubleexposure prevention, as well as a reminder when the film has been wound. A red-painted shutter blade is visible through the lens only after the shutter is cocked. The lens was branded as a 75mm Lumar and was a single meniscus element in front of a fixed aperture of approximately f/11. The shutter runs around 1/50 of a second, with a small slider next to the shutter release selecting between "Inst" (instant) and "Time" (actually bulb).

A standard Argus Seventy-Five kit would typically have included a leather protective case, flashbulb

24 My Vintage Camera Collection holder (mounted with two pins 1-3/16" apart), and a slip-on accessory "portrait" lens to focus in the 3-to-4-foot range. The final version of the SeventyFive in production until 1964 had slightly redesigned graphics, becoming the Argus 75. Argus also offered two higher-specification variations on the SeventyFive, adding a focusable lens: the Argus 40 and the Argus Super Seventy-Five.

“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.”

- Ansel Adams

My Vintage Camera Collection 25