This 35mm metal brick of a camera was a lucky find one year when I was on a vacation for my birthday. I stumbled into a photo store and found a full shelf of cameras priced at only $7 each! I did some digging, found plenty that were labelled as “for parts,” but some were fully functional. Of course, used cameras priced so cheaply must have some quirk, right?
Without a battery on hand, I had no way of checking all of the functions to make sure everything was 100% in working condition. I grabbed 4 quick scores and ran out. Happy Birthday to me!
Once I got back to a place where I could do some research without any time limit, I found what a deal I had scored. The cheapest of the cameras I grabbed were priced at $25-75 each! And that didn’t always take lenses or filters attached into consideration.
The Argus STL 1000
Two of the cameras I snagged were Argus STL 1000 SLR (Single Lens Reflex) Cameras. One had a bad viewfinder, but the other appeared to be working ok.
Months later, I took it out, cleaned it up, and prepped it for shooting. It did have an issue, as I suspected it might, but nothing detrimental. The only problem I found was a broken light meter. Having used a light meter for some experimental, old-school cameras and my favorite TLR, I was not shaken by my findings.
This just meant I wouldn’t be using a battery in the camera. I could live with that. The viewfinder, lens, and filter all got a proper cleaning, then I tossed in some Kodak T-Max 400 film to try out my new toy.
Any issues I ran into were entirely due to my quick metering for some photos; the times I took to slow down and meter carefully were the ones that turned out as more favorable photos.
The Camera Build
This camera, as I mentioned above, is all metal. It sits heavy in the hand, and feels like it could do some damage if you were to swing with it. Many fans of this particular camera have mentioned dropping it and not noticing any damage or malfunctions whatsoever! Truly, this camera is a beast when it comes to endurance and wear.
Focusing
A fun and new part of playing with a new camera every week or so is the focusing mechanisms. The Argus STL 1000 has a micro prism focusing mechanism. If you haven’t used this before, it can be tricky, especially when shooting objects that have a ton of texture. Though, it didn’t take too long to get used to, and I think most of the photos turned out just fine
The ISO 400 film was great to shoot, just before the sun started to set, because it allowed me to play with a few different shutter speed options. Ranging from bulb to 1/1000, this Argus camera was plenty useful around the property I was shooting.
It is LOUD
The one thing I’ve not yet mentioned: my favorite thing about this camera is the shutter. I cannot begin to express the joy of shooting with a camera that is so loud! Part of the reason I grabbed this camera, along with a spare, is because of the volume! This is because of its Copal Metal Square Shutter.
I would argue it is one of the best traits this camera has, and maybe that is because of how much I love the volume of this camera. But if you combine the pleasure of the sound, the unparalleled durability, and the quality photos that come out in the end, it is a worthwhile camera to shop for and pick up.
Now, if you do go looking for this camera, it is worth mentioning that a more common version is the Argus/Cosina STL 1000. This version looks the same, and functions the same, for the most part. One difference is the split-image micro prism focusing screen and the name plate on the front.
Final Remarks
There are likely some of these cameras floating around for $50 on average. Compared to many of the other entry-level SLR cameras out there, this is a fun option since the cost is lower, the quality is on par, and it will survive the potential accidents.
Kodak T-Max 400 was good to me in this camera, and I am looking forward to popping in some Ultramax 400 and seeing the color shots from this beauty!
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