Argus C33 (1956)

A 35mm rangefinder camera with a bright viewfinder and interchangeable bayonet mount, known as "The Brick" for its boxy American design.

Overview

The Argus C33 is a 35mm rangefinder camera introduced in 1956 by American manufacturer Argus, best known for their earlier C3 model. Dubbed "The Brick" for its distinctive, boxy silhouette, the C33 was designed as a more advanced evolution of the C3, adding pro-style features like a coupled exposure meter and interchangeable bayonet lenses. It features a large, bright viewfinder with a prominent rangefinder patch, a comfortable metal film advance lever, and a leaf shutter with speeds from 1 second to 1/300th plus B. Despite its ambitious upgrades, the intended market shift from C3 owners didn’t fully materialize. Today, it's considered the finest of the Argus "brick" series and a favorite among enthusiasts for its bold styling and solid build.

Specifications

Product type	35mm Rangefinder Camera
Shutter	Leaf shutter with speeds from 1 second to 1/300th plus B
Weight	2 lbs. 2 oz (for camera with 50mm f/2.8 lens and exposure meter)
Lens mount	Interchangeable bayonet mount
Viewfinder	Combined rangefinder and viewfinder
Film advance	Lever Film Advance
Film rewind	Lever Film Rewind
Exposure meter	Coupled to shutter speeds
Flash sync	Flash bulb sync, but not electronic flash
Tripod mount and shutter cable release	present
Loading	Easy back door film loading
Filter system	Uses Series VI filters for all lenses
Strap lugs	None on the body

Design

The C33 features a unique, boxy body shape with a textured black finish and polished chrome accents on the shutter release, advance lever, side panels, top plate, and other controls. The bayonet lens mount is praised as the best-designed and easiest to use among Argus interchangeable systems. The viewfinder offers a large, bright image with a generous rangefinder patch—larger than those found on screw-mount Leicas. The 180-degree non-ratcheted metal film advance lever is large and comfortable, while the plastic film rewind lever retracts completely into the body, though its structural strength has been questioned.

Context

Introduced in 1956, the C33 was positioned as a premium upgrade to the iconic Argus C3, adding professional features like a coupled exposure meter and interchangeable lenses via a refined bayonet mount. Argus, originally a radio manufacturer, had entered the 35mm camera market in 1936. The C33 was marketed as a "fine, precision instrument"—easy to use yet fully featured—but failed to attract strong uptake from C3 owners. It stands as the most advanced and capable model in the Argus "brick" series, representing a bold but ultimately niche attempt to modernize a classic design.

Market

The Argus C33 is not common today, and complete outfits—especially with its notably large Ever-ready case—are difficult to find. It appears on vintage marketplaces such as Chairish, though current market prices are not widely documented. Its collectibility is bolstered by enthusiast praise and its status as the pinnacle of Argus’s rangefinder engineering.