Specifications#
- Brand
- Argus
- Model
- C3
- Camera type
- Large-sensor compact
- Released
- 1939
- Sensor size
- 35.0 × 24.0 mm (Full frame (35 mm))
- Crop factor
- 1.02×
- Lens
- Interchangeable
- Made in
- Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Specifications merged from Wikipedia. Spot an error? Tell us.
Sensor size compared#
Focal length equivalents & field of view#
Multiply any focal length by 1.02 to get the full-frame field of view. For fixed-lens cameras use the real focal length printed on the lens (e.g. “6.1–18.3 mm”), not the 35 mm equivalent.
| Lens on this camera | Full-frame equivalent | Horizontal | Vertical | Diagonal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mm | 10 mm | 120.5° | 100.4° | 129.5° |
| 12 mm | 12 mm | 111.1° | 90.0° | 121.0° |
| 14 mm | 14 mm | 102.7° | 81.2° | 113.2° |
| 16 mm | 16 mm | 95.1° | 73.7° | 106.0° |
| 18 mm | 18 mm | 88.4° | 67.4° | 99.4° |
| 20 mm | 20 mm | 82.4° | 61.9° | 93.4° |
| 24 mm | 24 mm | 72.2° | 53.1° | 83.0° |
| 28 mm | 29 mm | 64.0° | 46.4° | 74.3° |
| 35 mm | 36 mm | 53.1° | 37.8° | 62.5° |
| 40 mm | 41 mm | 47.3° | 33.4° | 55.9° |
| 50 mm | 51 mm | 38.6° | 27.0° | 46.0° |
| 56 mm | 57 mm | 34.7° | 24.2° | 41.5° |
| 70 mm | 71 mm | 28.1° | 19.5° | 33.7° |
| 85 mm | 87 mm | 23.3° | 16.1° | 28.0° |
| 100 mm | 102 mm | 19.9° | 13.7° | 24.0° |
| 135 mm | 138 mm | 14.8° | 10.2° | 17.9° |
| 200 mm | 204 mm | 10.0° | 6.9° | 12.1° |
| 300 mm | 306 mm | 6.7° | 4.6° | 8.1° |
| 400 mm | 408 mm | 5.0° | 3.4° | 6.1° |
| 600 mm | 612 mm | 3.3° | 2.3° | 4.1° |
| 800 mm | 816 mm | 2.5° | 1.7° | 3.0° |
Depth of field table#
Total depth of field at each subject distance, using a circle of confusion of 29.4 µm (the 0.030 mm full-frame standard scaled by the crop factor). Detailed tables: 24 mm f/1.8, 24 mm f/2.8, 35 mm f/1.8, 35 mm f/2.8, 50 mm f/1.8, 50 mm f/2.8.
| Focal | Aperture | 50.0 cm | 1.00 m | 2.00 m | 3.00 m | 5.00 m | 10.0 m | Hyperfocal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 mm | f/1.8 | 5.8 cm | 23.8 cm | 1.01 m | 2.46 m | 9.31 m | ∞ | 8.35 m |
| 21 mm | f/2.8 | 9.0 cm | 37.8 cm | 1.71 m | 4.84 m | 69.1 m | ∞ | 5.37 m |
| 21 mm | f/4 | 13.0 cm | 56.1 cm | 2.93 m | 13.0 m | ∞ | ∞ | 3.77 m |
| 21 mm | f/8 | 27.4 cm | 1.44 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 1.89 m |
| 42 mm | f/1.8 | 1.4 cm | 5.8 cm | 23.6 cm | 53.7 cm | 1.52 m | 6.57 m | 33.3 m |
| 42 mm | f/2.8 | 2.1 cm | 9.0 cm | 36.9 cm | 84.5 cm | 2.45 m | 11.9 m | 21.5 m |
| 42 mm | f/4 | 3.1 cm | 12.8 cm | 53.2 cm | 1.23 m | 3.71 m | 23.8 m | 15.0 m |
| 42 mm | f/8 | 6.1 cm | 26.0 cm | 1.12 m | 2.81 m | 11.8 m | ∞ | 7.54 m |
| 71 mm | f/1.8 | 0.5 cm | 2.0 cm | 8.1 cm | 18.5 cm | 51.9 cm | 2.11 m | 95.2 m |
| 71 mm | f/2.8 | 0.7 cm | 3.0 cm | 12.6 cm | 28.8 cm | 81.1 cm | 3.33 m | 61.3 m |
| 71 mm | f/4 | 1.0 cm | 4.3 cm | 18.1 cm | 41.2 cm | 1.17 m | 4.90 m | 42.9 m |
| 71 mm | f/8 | 2.0 cm | 8.7 cm | 36.3 cm | 83.6 cm | 2.43 m | 11.8 m | 21.5 m |
| 118 mm | f/1.8 | 0.1 cm | 0.7 cm | 2.9 cm | 6.6 cm | 18.6 cm | 75.3 cm | 263 m |
| 118 mm | f/2.8 | 0.2 cm | 1.0 cm | 4.5 cm | 10.2 cm | 28.9 cm | 1.17 m | 169 m |
| 118 mm | f/4 | 0.3 cm | 1.5 cm | 6.4 cm | 14.6 cm | 41.3 cm | 1.68 m | 118 m |
| 118 mm | f/8 | 0.6 cm | 3.0 cm | 12.7 cm | 29.3 cm | 83.1 cm | 3.44 m | 59.3 m |
Equivalent aperture#
Exposure is identical at the same f-number on any format; equivalence only describes depth of field and total light.
Night-sky exposure limits#
Longest exposure before stars trail. The NPF rule accounts for pixel pitch and is stricter than the classic 500 rule — use it for pin-sharp stars on high-resolution sensors. (NPF needs a known resolution and is omitted here.)
| Focal length | 500 rule |
|---|---|
| 14 mm (14 mm eq.) | 35.0 s |
| 20 mm (20 mm eq.) | 24.5 s |
| 24 mm (24 mm eq.) | 20.4 s |
| 34 mm (35 mm eq.) | 14.4 s |
| 49 mm (50 mm eq.) | 10.0 s |
Handheld shutter speed guide#
The reciprocal rule uses the equivalent focal length. High-resolution sensors may need one stop faster than this for pixel-sharp results.
| Focal length | No stabilisation (1/equiv. focal) | With 3-stop IS | With 5-stop IBIS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 mm | 1/25 s | 0.3 s | 1.3 s |
| 49 mm | 1/50 s | 1/6 s | 0.6 s |
| 98 mm | 1/100 s | 1/13 s | 0.3 s |
| 196 mm | 1/200 s | 1/25 s | 1/6 s |
Lens#
The Argus C3 has a built-in, non-interchangeable lens. Use the real focal length of that lens with the tables above; its full-frame equivalent is that number × 1.02.
Similar cameras#
Other Full frame (35 mm) cameras from around the same time.
Frequently asked questions#
What is the crop factor of the Argus C3?
The Argus C3 has a crop factor of 1.02× relative to 35 mm full frame (diagonal 42.4 mm vs 43.3 mm).
What size is the Argus C3 sensor?
35.0 × 24.0 mm (Full frame (35 mm)), an area of 840 mm² — 97% of full frame.
Is the Argus C3 full frame?
Yes — its sensor is the same 36 × 24 mm size as 35 mm film.
How long can I expose the night sky with the Argus C3?
With a 20 mm lens (20 mm equivalent) the 500 rule gives 25 s.
Sources & licences#
- Wikipedia: Argus C3 — CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikidata Q3503360 — CC0
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources