best American Made 35mm

John Wiegerink · Jul 4, 2014

darkosaric said:
I must say that I never heard about most of those cameras beside Argus, and when searching in google - none of USA cameras in 35mm comes even close to Leica, Nikon or Canon rangefinders, or let's say Nikon F SLR. And when one thinks - which todays cameras are made in USA? Nice, good and pretty design cameras are made even in communist DDR and Soviet union, and USA was/is economy No 1. Why?

Why no cameras from USA/economy no.1? Simple, labor cost for return on profits. Making a camera is very "labor intensive" even with todays automation. Now, if you can pay somebody .25 to .75 cents an hour, with NO benefits you might be able to make and sell a camera for a profit. I'm talking in the 1950's - 1970's era of course. Remember that the cameras from the 1930's and 1940's were mainly made in the USA, Great Britain and Western Europe. Yes, there were a few made in other countries, but not many and certainly not many good ones. Then the Rising Sun needed to spur their economy after WWII and turned to things like 35mm cameras and then even into medium format cameras for exportation. Thus, the end of the USA camera industry as we knew it. Oh well, that's life! JW

chrisaisenbrey · Jul 4, 2014

Stereo Realist ?

The Stereo Realist was the most successful 3D camera for 35mm.

It is still today a lot of fun to use it!

John Wiegerink · Jul 4, 2014

chrisaisenbrey said:
The Stereo Realist was the most successful 3D camera for 35mm.

It is still today a lot of fun to use it!

Yes, I still have mine, along with the binder press and battery powered viewer, but haven't used it in years. I actually like the Kodak Stereo camera better, but that's just me. I've been thinking of doing some B&W reversal processing and putting the Realist back in use. JW

ic-racer · Jul 4, 2014

Best for who? The Instamatic was probably the best for Kodak in terms of profit margin. What other metric is there in American Capitalism?

Charles Wass · Jul 4, 2014

I endorse the Kodak Ektra and Bell & Howell Foton as being the best.

Terrence Brennan · Jul 4, 2014

Terrence Brennan said:
How about a Graphic View and Ektar lens in Supermatic shutter?

mopar_guy said:
I'm not really sure that the Graphic View is a 35mm.

Whoops...I should have read the title of the original posting more carefully!

Would you consider the camera to be a 35mm if I taped a piece of 35mm film inside a 4x5 holder, for use in the camera?

Terrence Brennan · Jul 4, 2014

Mustafa Umut Sarac said:
If you count canada as america , elcan lenses and if they produces bodies, are the best.

bdial said:
Leica M4-2
American made, technically speaking.

Hey, just a minute here! I believe that the OP was referring to The United States of America, not North America in his/her post!

Don't get me wrong; I like Americans, I like your great country, and visit it whenever I can. My maternal grandmother was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and a goodly number of my cousins live there. But please don't count Canadians as Americans!! While we may have our differences, were ARE different!

Anyway, best to you all on your country's 238th birthday!

removed account4 · Jul 4, 2014

PDH said:
As the 4th approches, I have only 1 American made camera, a C4, thinking about looking for few others to add to my collection of wokring cameras. Thoughts?

there are a slew of other argus ... a's
they were the first really mass produced amercian 35mm cameras.

GRHazelton · Jul 5, 2014

How about an Argus C 44 with the Cintegon 50mm f2.8 or f2?

This is what I posted to another thread:

As I recall the Argus C44 came with a Cintegon 50mm, in either f2.8 or f2 The 2.8 was four or five elements, the f2 probably 6. Both were well regarded. A triplet faster than f3.5 is really pushing the envelope, as I recall. I still marvel at how many C 3s were sold, and that they seem to be in some demand today.

E. von Hoegh · Jul 5, 2014

(Sigh.)

Kodak Ektra. http://www.cameraquest.com/ektra.htm

Kardon. http://www.shutterbug.com/content/kardon-camera-american-tale Essentially modified a Leica IIIa, but made indeed in the USA.

E. von Hoegh · Jul 5, 2014

PDH said:
As the 4th approches, I have only 1 American made camera, a C4, thinking about looking for few others to add to my collection of wokring cameras. Thoughts?

Deardorff.

narsuitus · Jul 5, 2014

I too was going to say Deardorff until I realized that the original poster wanted a 35mm camera.

Chan Tran · Jul 5, 2014

Yeah I would think Deardorff as best American made camera but well it's not 35mm. I guess American has to do with big thing. The Argus C3 was an OK camera and not that good but I can't think of any American made that is better.

Dan Fromm · Jul 5, 2014

E.:

Sheesh! And sheesh again!

Cheers,

Dan

MattKing · Jul 5, 2014

Would a leica lens made in Canada get half marks?

Prof_Pixel · Jul 5, 2014

I'm not sure how you want to define 'best', but certainly the most successful US made 35mm camera was the Argus C3 that sold over 2 million cameras during its 27 year life (1939 to 1966). I worked in a camera store in Ann Arbor, Michigan (home of Argus Camera) from 1957 to 1962 and sold all the Argus models, but the C3 was, and is, my favorite.

Dan Fromm · Jul 5, 2014

MattKing said:
Would a leica lens made in Canada get half marks?

Is a lens a camera? I thought the OP asked about cameras.

Is Canada part of the US? I thought that was settled once and for all in the war of 1812.

Oh, and by the way, Elcan made mediocre lenses to order as well as good ones.

MattKing · Jul 5, 2014

Dan Fromm said:
Is a lens a camera? I thought the OP asked about cameras.

Is Canada part of the US? I thought that was settled once and for all in the war of 1812.

Oh, and by the way, Elcan made mediocre lenses to order as well as good ones.

Some Leicaphiles seem to think that a Leica lens is the answer to all questions.

John Earley · Jul 6, 2014

Dead Link Removed

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Jul 6, 2014

I think best american 35mm camera is still a japanese , german camera since they are occupied , no army , million american soldier , all industry built by americans and I bet their hard earned money is on american fed papers like germans , brits , french guys , dutch guys , thats why we will watch at world cup lot of penalties been hit outside and let dutch people be happy , if you want good quality egg , your chicken must feel freedom , no stress , lots of foods and men , sex etc... you can enlarge this to these countries.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Jul 6, 2014

at the end , when your chicken been old , you cut it and you must still care for new chickens.

TBL · Jul 6, 2014

http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Brass-Chrome-American-Miniature/dp/0806134348 Glass, Brass and Chrome is a good reference for American 35mm cameras. I own a couple of Bolseys, two Perfexs, a Graphic 35, several Arguses, a Stereo Realist, and a Univex Stereo. Of those the Bolseys and the Realist are probably the best made, though finding a Bolsey without a sticky shutter is near impossible. The Kardon and the Ektra are holy grail type items and I've never handled them, though they sound good on paper.

Terry Christian · Jul 7, 2014

I'd concur with the Argus C3, with the Graflex 35 as runner-up.

AgX · Jul 7, 2014

Chan Tran said:
Yeah I would think Deardorff as best American made camera but well it's not 35mm. I guess American has to do with big thing.

That is why Panavision already was mentioned in this thread.

barzune · Jul 7, 2014

Mustafa Umut Sarac said:
If you count canada as america , elcan lenses and if they produces bodies, are the best.

Leica M4-2
American made, technically speaking.

Hey, just a minute here! I believe that the OP was referring to The United States of America, not North America in his/her post!"

The U.S. is one of 35 countries in America (North & South). Let's not get too parochial here.

best American Made 35mm

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best American Made 35mm

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