Adapting an argus C3 to electronic flash

[rentavet]

While changing a speaker out I noticed the size of the RCA tip and thought it looked about the same as the flashbulb ports on the brick.  It turned out to be exactly the same.  stripped some wire dug out my 30 year old solder and iron found a spare hotshoe and voila. 

Stealth yellow electrical tape

Now I just have to see if the flash will synch without adjustment.  I think it might since Argus advised bulb synch at 1/50 so that should have been the delay for bulb flash. 


Argus C3 Flash workaround by rentavet, on Flickr

[LarryD]

Now that is something. Good thinking.

[radiophoto]

I tried this a couple of years ago, and it didn't work -- I used screws and wire clips, so the equipment was different, but the process was the same.

You will probably have to take the front cover off and get at the sync lever.  Rick Oleson's got an instruction and a diagram for it at his page:

http://members.tripod.com/rick_oleson/index-120.html
http://members.tripod.com/rick_oleson/index-125.html

If yours works without it, that's awesome!  And the 1/8" jacks are a very good idea.

[rentavet]

As you can see I'm a little concerned about marring the front of the camera
I had it open to try and get the slow speeds back but still ended up with only 1/300 pretty much
Even following Rick's instructions.  I don't remember what wouldn't work,  that was a couple of years ago. 

I pulled out my other brick that doesn't have film in it and I can see a flash from the back when I fire it. 

maybe I'll run a roll of BW through it today and find out for sure. 

[radiophoto]

Um...yes, I can see where you wouldn't want to mark up such a pristine surface.

If you got a flash at all, that's better than I got, which was nothing when the shutter fired.

[Todd G]

I did this once, and it should work at 1/25th, maybe even at 1/50th.  Don't think it works at the highest speeds, if I remember.  The shutter blades aren't fully open when the flash trips.

My adpater consisted of a pair of brazing rods, machined down on each end, one end to fit in the camera and the other to fit into a cord I had that someone had spliced together with a graphlex plug on one end and a PC end for flash on the other.  Then the brass rods had to be bent so the ends were close enough together to fit into the plug.  Weirder looking than your set up, but it did work.

[rentavet]

film is drying................ looks a little thin...............I'll know tomorrow night or tues

[br1078lum]

I would have gone with the green electrical tape, that way you can sell it to some cheesehead in Wisconsin.  No, you don't want to mar that 'pristine' surface, not at the sake of ruining the originality of the camera.  It's a good looking setup, hope it syncs okay.  You could always add a capacitor to the circuit to slow down the trigger if need be.

PF

[rentavet]

Seemed to synch OK,  will try 1/50th next time


devon by rentavet, on Flickr