The Argus Model AA is a fairly simple fixed-focus one shutter speed 35mm camera that was manfactured in the years immediately prior to WW II, production ending in 1942. It features the normal black bakelite Model A body, uncoated f:6.3 triplet lens, and internal flash synchronization through a pair of electrical sockets on the side with the same size and spacing as the popular Argus Model C-3.
I found my Model AA recently at a large antique center in western Ohio. It needed extensive restoration.
After my work on the camera was complete, I discovered that this particular one works okay with either M class flash bulbs, or with electronic flash (although it begins to vignette a bit using electronic flash when the aperture is set at the larger end of its range).
On the day after Thanksgiving, when most people were either recovering or shopping, I loaded the AA with a 12 exposure roll of Walgreens house brand ASA 100 print film and went out to give it a test.
Corner vignetting in the landscape shots was most probably caused by my homemade sun hood.. I need to shorten it by just a little.
The old grist mill is on Big River in Cedar Hill, Missouri, a bit over 10 miles from here.
The library building is the new location of the High Ridge branch of our local public library. The building was dedicated this past month.
The electronic flash picture was with a small fairly generic unit, switched to manual mode. Note the slight vignetting, because of shutter timing and size of aperture.
The bulb flash picture was with an AG-1B bulb mounted in a little Tully flash unit.
All images are ©2005 E.J.Kowalski