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Love vintage Hifi, too!
Hi all,
I see a lot of threads about Konicas, Canonets etc.....but not much about the old Voigtländer Vitomatics.
For me, these cameras are one of the greatest rangefinder cameras ever in a cool 60's style.
Here is why. This is the Voigtländer Vitomatic IIIb. Which uses a selenium light meter, while the later IIICS uses a CdS cell instead. Nearly everthing else is identical. The chrome finish is bullet proof! While nearly every Leica has scratches more or less, the Voigtländer chrome finish is so hard, that I havent seen a camera with scatches so far.
It has a very, very quiet leaf shutter with built-in self-timer. It's called "Prontor SLK-V" The "V" stands for Voigtländer, but I don't know, if there are some Voitländer patents inside. She shutter goes from B to 1/500th. The shutter release is not on the top of the camera but on the side. Very ergonomic!
Film loading is very easy, too. Look at the baseplate! Isn't it sweet?
On top of the film window, you see a little sprocket. This cocks the shutter! It means that this camera will not work without film or with film, that is not correctly inserted. Great!
For film rewind, you have to push that little button on the side of the camera. Then, the rewind crank flips up automatically and the film is ready for rewind. I like the mechanism.
Even the smallest piece in the rewind crank is made of metal.
Did I mention the Ultron? This is a truly great lens. For more information, you can read a good article here.
Then the finder! This is a 1:1 finder, means you see everything in the same size than in reality. If you are a right eye shooter, you can leave both eyes open, while watching.
Unfortunately the finder is not moving for parralax correction. BUT there are the light meter and the chosen aperture/shutter time combination mirrored into this finder! Hard to photograph, but here you see the correct setting at 1/125th 5.6.
Then, there is no setting on top of the camera. You set everything with the three rings on the lens barrel.
In fact, you need only two. The distance ring, of course and the aperture or the time ring.
If you have set the correct light metering, you can turn the time ring and the setting light setting still keeps correct. E.g. if you set it to 1/250 4, and you move the time ring to 1/125, the aperture moves to 5.6 automatically.
And at the end of the scale e.g. if you are at 1/125 2 and you still have not enough light, then you need to move the aperture ring only and it takes up the time also to 1/30 2.....
Oh, I apologize for my english! Can't explain, but in reality it's a pleasure to use. I always use the aperture ring only to set the time as well! You can do it with one hand and there is no need to set something on top of the camera like on the Leicas.
The ASA/DIN settings are also made with one of these barrel rings. The blue dots on one of them is used for filter correction. Again a great nice little feature!
The film counter is on bottom of the camera. Not the best solution, but it's going to zero automatically. There is a window in the leather case for this:
The case is nice, too. The front cover can be flipped out easily, turning the never-ready case into a half-case. I wished, Leica did this with their M3 cases! Unfortunately the inside cloth is always deteriorating a little bit:
Again, the big finder:
To be continued....
Now, show us your Voigtländers, guys!
Jan.
I see a lot of threads about Konicas, Canonets etc.....but not much about the old Voigtländer Vitomatics.
For me, these cameras are one of the greatest rangefinder cameras ever in a cool 60's style.
Here is why. This is the Voigtländer Vitomatic IIIb. Which uses a selenium light meter, while the later IIICS uses a CdS cell instead. Nearly everthing else is identical. The chrome finish is bullet proof! While nearly every Leica has scratches more or less, the Voigtländer chrome finish is so hard, that I havent seen a camera with scatches so far.
It has a very, very quiet leaf shutter with built-in self-timer. It's called "Prontor SLK-V" The "V" stands for Voigtländer, but I don't know, if there are some Voitländer patents inside. She shutter goes from B to 1/500th. The shutter release is not on the top of the camera but on the side. Very ergonomic!
Film loading is very easy, too. Look at the baseplate! Isn't it sweet?
On top of the film window, you see a little sprocket. This cocks the shutter! It means that this camera will not work without film or with film, that is not correctly inserted. Great!
For film rewind, you have to push that little button on the side of the camera. Then, the rewind crank flips up automatically and the film is ready for rewind. I like the mechanism.
Even the smallest piece in the rewind crank is made of metal.
Did I mention the Ultron? This is a truly great lens. For more information, you can read a good article here.
Then the finder! This is a 1:1 finder, means you see everything in the same size than in reality. If you are a right eye shooter, you can leave both eyes open, while watching.
Unfortunately the finder is not moving for parralax correction. BUT there are the light meter and the chosen aperture/shutter time combination mirrored into this finder! Hard to photograph, but here you see the correct setting at 1/125th 5.6.
Then, there is no setting on top of the camera. You set everything with the three rings on the lens barrel.
In fact, you need only two. The distance ring, of course and the aperture or the time ring.
If you have set the correct light metering, you can turn the time ring and the setting light setting still keeps correct. E.g. if you set it to 1/250 4, and you move the time ring to 1/125, the aperture moves to 5.6 automatically.
And at the end of the scale e.g. if you are at 1/125 2 and you still have not enough light, then you need to move the aperture ring only and it takes up the time also to 1/30 2.....
Oh, I apologize for my english! Can't explain, but in reality it's a pleasure to use. I always use the aperture ring only to set the time as well! You can do it with one hand and there is no need to set something on top of the camera like on the Leicas.
The ASA/DIN settings are also made with one of these barrel rings. The blue dots on one of them is used for filter correction. Again a great nice little feature!
The film counter is on bottom of the camera. Not the best solution, but it's going to zero automatically. There is a window in the leather case for this:
The case is nice, too. The front cover can be flipped out easily, turning the never-ready case into a half-case. I wished, Leica did this with their M3 cases!
Unfortunately the inside cloth is always deteriorating a little bit:
Again, the big finder:
To be continued....
Now, show us your Voigtländers, guys!
Jan.
Last edited:
paulfish4570
Mentor
why a fine, enthusiastic article! it does, indeed, look like a killer cam ...
errorlogin
Love vintage Hifi, too!
Thank you. I really love that cam!
Here is the rangefinder patch. It is only a little yellow spot, not disturbing you, if you dont need it:
Here is a pic, I took with that camera:
This is soo good looking, I think:
Here is the rangefinder patch. It is only a little yellow spot, not disturbing you, if you dont need it:
Here is a pic, I took with that camera:
This is soo good looking, I think:
Joe Vitessa
Well-known
Yes! I love my IIIb, too. (Even though it only has the Skopar lens.) I'd love to get one with the Ultron. The Ultron on my Vitessa is really great. The only problem I've found with the Vitomatics is that the rangefinder patch can fade to the point of nothingness. Great cameras, though. Thanks for posting.
Joe
Joe
River Dog
Always looking
So, you like it then?
farlymac
PF McFarland
I've only got the B model, but like it's big brother, it's a really nice camera.
Voigtlander Vito B With Vivitar CdS Meter by br1078phot, on Flickr
I like what it can do, even with the Color-Skopar.
Gnarly by br1078phot, on Flickr
Gone To Seed by br1078phot, on Flickr
PF
Voigtlander Vito B With Vivitar CdS Meter by br1078phot, on Flickr
I like what it can do, even with the Color-Skopar.
Gnarly by br1078phot, on Flickr
Gone To Seed by br1078phot, on Flickr
PF
errorlogin
Love vintage Hifi, too!
Yes, that's true. But in most cases it fades away only because of dirt or kind of haze between the rangefindermechanism.
The top cover can easily taken away. And with some care, the mechanism can be cleaned. Then the patch will be much clearer. On my IIICS I did not see any patch at all before cleaning. Now it's great!
Here is a picture of the little sister. The Vitomatic II CS. It has a Color Skopar lens and the CDS metering. On the left of "Voigtländer" on the front window it has a black switch, wich is for battery testing.
Jack Conrad
Well-known
Vitomatic IIa for comparison.
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
Here is a pic, I took with that camera:
Jan.
The simple but thoughtful way you showcase your print is really unique.
I really really like it.
pinkarmy
Well-known
mine
Vitomatic IIIb Ultron 1:2/50 with Proximeter I
farlymac
PF McFarland
Oooh, I got beat out on the last second for one of those Proximeters. But I'm over that now.
PF
PF
Borghesia
Well-known
Great review, thanks for your effort ! It got me interested in this camera.
hendriphile
Well-known
When I first handled a Leica M many years ago, I thought the shutter was rather noisy. That was because I was so used to my Voigtlander (in this case, the Vitessa T). That Synchro-Compur shutter was so quiet!
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Great presentation! I will confess that I am not a fan of those Voigtlanders with "sliding switch" shutter release; looks ugly (I think) and it doesn't help with camera shake.
pinkarmy
Well-known
mine came with my second Vitomatic IIIb.
to be honest it is more about vanity than practical.
Muggins
Junk magnet
Those are the camera equivalent of Steed's suits in The Avengers - 1960s fashion at its sharpest! I have a IIa like Jack Conrad's, with the Color-Skopar, and it's a joy to use thanks to that vast viewfinder but it's not half as cute as your IIIs.
Wish I'd held onto my big-finder Vito C, but I passed it on whehn I got the 'matic. Ah well. Anyone have a dead one, by the way? Mine, like the owner, is missing a screw from the top casing.
Adrian
Wish I'd held onto my big-finder Vito C, but I passed it on whehn I got the 'matic. Ah well. Anyone have a dead one, by the way? Mine, like the owner, is missing a screw from the top casing.
Adrian
Corto
Well-known
Great stuff. I absolutely love my Vito CLR.
Mudman
Well-known
I've got an old Vitomatic as well, the one that doesn't have a built in rangefinder. I'll take a photo because it was used so much that the chrome is completely worn off on the left side. I've been meaning to get it in working order at some point, the advance lever doesn't cock the shutter.
