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16
Argus B
Year Manufactured: 1937
Introductory Price: $25.00
Approximate Introductory Price in 2003 Dollars: $320.00
Serial Number Range: Middle A Range
Shutter Type: Prontor II
Lens Speed: f/2.9
Aperture Settings: f/2.9, 3.5, 4.1, 5.6, 8, 11, 16
Shutter Speeds: 1/175
th
sec, 1/100, 1/50, 1/25, 1/10, 1/5, ½, 1, B(ulb), T(ime)
Extinction Meter/Calculator: No
Flash Synch Tubes: No
This distant cousin was a fancier version of the Argus A, which featured a higher-
quality Prontor II shutter rather than the standard Ilex Precise. The Prontor II shutters
were imported from Germany, and the start of hostilities in Europe probably hindered
their further export. This, combined with the rather high cost, was the reason that the B
was dropped from the product line. The great advantage of the Prontor II shutter was the
longer shutter speeds (up to one second) and the addition of a self-timer.
The Argus B is now a genuine collectors’ item. For this reason alone, one should
not attempt amateur repairs or modifications to this camera. The Prontor II shutter on the
Argus B is unique from other Prontor II shutters in that the words “Argus Anastigmat”
were printed written directly on the faceplate.
The Argus B will not be addressed in this text, merely because the Prontor II
shutter is so different from the Ilex Precise.