Brash American 1956 Argus C44 versus Precise German 1952 Zeiss Ikon Contax IIIa
Lens German f2.8 versus German Zeiss f1.5
flash x-sync versus strange cable
Maximum shutter speed 1/300 versus 1/1250 of a second
Minimum shutter speed 1/10 versus 1/1
Meter No versus Yes
Self timer No versus Yes
Rangefinder slight edge to the Zeiss
Smoothness of focus, film advance and speed clunky versus as smooth as silk
Distance scale for hyper focal length easy to read by looking down at camera versus badly placed hard to read scale.
Setting f stops easy because end of lens does not rotate versus difficult because end of lens with f stop rotates making the controls rotate around the camera also because of the smoothness of the focus unless you lock the focus (easy to do) changing f stop could affect focus position.
Sound of shutter starter pistol versus silencer
Ease of changing lens very difficult versus less difficult
Ease of loading film better design and built in takeup reel versus removable take up reel and clumsy loading partially outside the camera
Cost $55 versus $280
Fun factor Argus as the Zeiss is just too precision crafted to use as a fun camera
Reliability Zeiss still going strong but the Argus is dead may it RIP
Image Quality You be the judge but I suspect the legendary Zeiss f1.5 will win out
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| Which is Which: Canon 350D, 1956 Argus C44 or 1952 Zeiss Ikon Contax IIIa? |
Argus
Argus
Argus
Zeiss
Zeiss
Zeiss
Zeiss
Answer to which is which lens question:
Top: 1956 Argus C4 50mm lens at f11 at 1/100sec
Middle: 1952 Contax IIIa at the same setting
Bottom: Canon 350D 24 – 105L set at 40mm equivalent f9 1/40sec with polarizer