Uncoated Lenses

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

Pre 1946 Argus cameras all have uncoated lenses. 50mm. If that would do. From a variety of different companies. And on the C models, the lens screws right out so no big deal. I have a 1941 Argus C3 which has uncoated glass is a heavy chrome plated brass barrel. Really quite a lens to hold - I haven't tried using it yet though.

Pre-war Perfex cameras also have uncoated lenses, in a screw mount (38mm I think?). But they never made any wide angle for the Perfex, just 50mm and 100mm I think.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

You have good advice upthread -

Though something that would pass for a wide angle on APS-C are nearly non-existent in pre-coating days, there are lots of old cameras with uncoated 50mm lenses, sometimes even 45mm.

Look for 1930's German viewfinder folders for 127 and 35mm, most had 50mm triplets like Steinheil Cassars. Most are f/3.5, but some even had f/2.9's. Buy a wreck, the lens is probably still good. If you can get the "T" on the shutter to work even better. Unless you find a bargain don't bother trying for one with a rangefinder as these go for way too much.

This is one of mine - but there are so many models and types of these its impossible to call out just one make.
http://forum.mflenses.com/watson-welta-weltix-from-1938-t30500,highlight,%2Bwatson.html

There are also plenty of old American 35mm cameras from the 1930's you can steal such a lens from, as Mos says, you can look for any old bakelite Argus A like this - http://www.vintagephoto.tv/argusa.shtml,
Kodak 35 - you want the pre-war ones - Kodex shutter to be sure - http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Kodak_35
Falcons - http://www.vintagephoto.tv/falconf.shtml,
Perfex - big advantage with these is that they had interchangable lenses ! -http://www.vintagephoto.tv/speedcandid.shtml
And there are others.

Anything in these categories should be cheap, except perhaps for a Perfex in good condition.
Pre-WWII Argus C2's and C3's aren't easy to spot among the hordes of post-WWII Argus C3's, but if you are good at spotting details on ebay pictures you could also manage it.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Thanks Luis.

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

A good way to spot a prewar argus is the lack of aluminum. As you can see on mine the advance knob and lens barrel are both chrome plated. Post war models used aluminum for these parts.

Also prewar C/C2/C3 models used a chrome shutter cocking lever. Sometime around 46/47, about the same time they started coating lenses, they switched to a black painted lever. The very last Argus cameras from the 60s reverted to chrome though, but they'll look obviously different from the early Argus cameras (you can see one in the background, the lens barrel is totally different).

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

If you're going to use a lens from a C-3, you will also need the screw in mount out of the camera.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Argus cameras are very rare in the UK, I don't think they were ever sold here.

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

Hmmmm. Well most Praktiflex lenses were uncoated, the cameras themselves are far more common than the lenses for them though, so it'dbe easier to get a lens attached to a body. The tessar was a common lens on these. Same flange distance as m42, but a different throat diameter (m39? m40? it escapes me at the moment).

I think the earliest Finetta lenses were also uncoated, they may also be under 50mm, but these aren't easy to find either.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Praktiflex is very rare here, don't know if I've ever seen one for sale. Have seen a couple of Finettas but those are pretty rare birds too.

Babu Bhatt · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 1:13 am Post subject: Re: Uncoated Lenses