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13
3 Models And Variations
This section of the book is neither a detailed list of the various serial numbers, nor a
catalog of every minor variation. Rather, it is a brief overview of the various Argus
models produced.
In the early years of the Argus, several low-production-run variations were
manufactured in an effort to further explore the camera market. These included the
Military Argus, in olive-drab plastic with painted, green hardware, and the Gold Argus,
with brass hardware rather than chrome and a brown body. There are also persistent and
often valid reports of other colors of Bakelite, such as ivory, grey, tan, green, brown, etc.
Trying to document all of these variations, however, is equivalent to hunting for the
Abominable Snowman. Rumors will persist, legends will be passed from generation to
generation, and fuzzy photos will continue to point to “irrefutable” evidence. Cataloging
these deviant models, though, is not the purpose of this book. The author is content to
give an overview of just the main models and leaves that arduous task to some other
brave soul.
It must be pointed out, though, that there is no evidence of an Argus body being
painted by the manufacturer. Any painted Argus is an aftermarket attempt at changing
the color.
The parts commonality of the Argus raises another issue. In the sixty-odd years
since the first camera rolled off the assembly line, many an amateur repairman has
cannibalized parts from one camera to fix another. The Back Cover of the last camera
made in 1951, for instance, would fit the first prototype made in 1936, though they are of
a different style.
Several of the later Argus As and pre-war A2Bs have interesting variations in
their Face Plate design. These are thought to be the result of the Argus corporation trying
to make as may cameras out of spare parts as possible when WWII began and camera
production stopped.
Keep these things in mind when evaluating a camera and don’t jump to
conclusions. The best rule of thumb when dealing with an Argus is as follows: If you
even suspect that your camera is a rare and valuable variation, don’t mess with it!