Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
As the Romans observed there's no disputing taste, but I don't believe the Contessa 35 (I have 2) is a more elegant camera than the folding Vitessas. It's thicker when folded, has a front call focusing 45mm f/2.8 Tessar lens rather than the unit focusing 50mm f/2 Ultron on my brace of Vitessas, and (in the Vitessa L models) a more reliable uncoupled selenium meter. I cannot speak to the overall reliability issue except to say that my Vitessas and Contessas are all reliable (after having their shutters CLA'd ( the common bane of antique analog shooters), and both are capable of impressive on-film performance. For the record, all front cell focusing lenses compromise their optical correction when focused sat close distances, typically resulting in some softness at the edges and corners when shooting close-ups at the widest apertures.
Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
Yikes! Kudos to Fotodiox! I can't believe anyone would go to the trouble of making a DKL-to-M-mount converter considering how few cameras used it, but Vitessa T lenses (designed by the great Albrecht Tronnier) are definitely worthy of putting into service on a Leica M. Good shooting!I don't know if this would help?
Pro Adapter - Deckel-Bayonett Lens to Leica M RF Camera w/ Leica 6-Bit
Fotodiox Pro adapters feature all-metal, no plastic construction to create a secure connection between your glass and camera that will not degrade over time, keeping the lens-camera connection secure with every use. We use chrome plated brass mounts for enhanced durability and reliability. All...fotodioxpro.com
Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
The Retina IIc is an excellent, very well made, and attractive camera and its 50mm f/2.8 Xenon lens is truly outstanding. IMHO its folded form factor is thicker and not as elegant as the folding Vitessas, or for that matter my trusty Retina IIa with 50mm f/2 Schneider Xenon.Excellent article, thank you!
I used to see these cameras in the camera and tourist shop windows all over Manhattan and The Bronx when I was in high school in the late 1960s/early 1970s. I knew nothing about them but they were always interesting to my eye: a fascinating design with its double doors and smoothly finished body. It's great to know more about them now.
I'm tempted to find one, just to enjoy an occasional shooting session, etc. But my favorite RF camera of that period (barring the Leica M) is the Kodak Retina IIc, and I already have several restored and ready to shoot examples of them ... and not enough time to use them all!
"Most elegant rangefinder folder of all time..."? I don't know about that, . But the Vitesse is certainly one of the most interesting in terms of the mechanical design and lovely styling. The Retina IIc is no slouch on being elegant either. Eh? A matter of personal preference, I guess.
G
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
What exactly is the Deckel bayonet mount? Is that a standard term for the interchangeable lenses that mount on a Compur shutter -- so Retina S/Reflex and Vitessa T? (Any others?) I agree, that's a pretty darn handy adaptor, and not very expensive.
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
I believe I have an "N1" (shutter speed and aperture rings not coupled) but with diamond rangefinder patch - not square. Serial No. 55xxx.
Can anyone verify?
Can anyone verify?
ranger9
Well-known
Side quest, but I'm asking here because I figure everyone who might know the answer is already on this thread: Other than various M-mounts, was the Retina IIIS the ONLY rangefinder camera ever to feature multiple auto-indexing framelines?
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
I think that's right. The key phrase being "auto-indexing." It's an impressive camera.
titrisol
Bottom Feeder
It was an mount developer by Deckel (DKL mount) for leaf shutters. It has a flange fcal distance of 44.7mm
It was OK, but only a few cameras used it
skopar steve
Well-known
Thanks for the link titrisol. Looks like that will do the trick.
wrs1145
A native Texan looking for the light.
If Fotodine would just make an M to LTM adapter I'd be very happy.
wlewisiii
Just another hotel clerk
If you mean to use an M lens on LTM camera, you can't. The lenses physically can't do that because of way that Lecia designed them so that they could, in fact, make an adapter to allow LTM lenses to be used on M mount cameras: M mount register being 27.8mm and LTM being 28.8mm so that they could add 1mm thick adapter but you can't subtract 1mm to make the M lenses work the other way.
Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
If your Vitessa N1 has not been modified it is proof that the N1 with uncoupled shutter and aperture controls, a diamond shaped rangefinder patch, and no film advance indicator in the rewind crank actually exists. There were a very wide variety of features on individual cameras within each generic type. The Synchro-Compur MX shutter, PC flash contact in the door, and Vitessa logo on top indicate it's an N.
Hcompton79
Established
Oh it most certainly does, one of the things I learned from Chris Sherlock when I had mine apart for servicing. However it only corrects for horizontal parallax when the camera is held in the landscape orientation. However it doesn't use framelines, but shifts the whole viewed image inside the VF/RF window.
Place a IIa on a tripod so the body stays stationary and turn the focus adjustment and you will see the whole viewfinder image shift left and right slightly as you focus in addition to the rangefinder patch.
largedrink
Down Under
Here's my Vitessa A:
And a couple of photos I took with it:
Matarawa station by Hugh B
Owner, second hand shop by Hugh B
Voigtlander Vitessa A Type 2
Ultron 50mm F2 lens
Kodak TriX 400
And a couple of photos I took with it:
Matarawa station by Hugh BOwner, second hand shop by Hugh BVoigtlander Vitessa A Type 2
Ultron 50mm F2 lens
Kodak TriX 400
Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
The Retina IIa manual makes no reference to parallax compensation, the "Retina models" listing of all Retina models makes no reference to this feature in the Retina IIa section, and when I looked through my own IIa, the viewfinder image does not appear to shift when I view a fixed object and focus the camera over the 50mm f/2 Xenon's entire focusing range. I will put my IIa on a tripod tomorrow to see if it makes any difference.
Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
The following excerpt is from a hands-on review of the Retina IIa by Dmitri posted on analog cafe. Dmitri is a thoughtful reviewer who generally knows what he's talking about, so in the absence of any Kodak Retina IIa promotional material that references parallax compensation I would tend to credit his observations.
"Kodak Retina IIa in use.
These cameras look deceptively small. They can fit in a jacket pocket, but Retina IIa’s have a lot of sharp angles and weigh quite a bit, so they will not sit there comfortably. It’s best to keep one in a bag or use a wrist strap and carry it in hand.
If you know your Sunny 16, this camera is quick to ready after some practice. It took me a bit of time to get used to its tiny aperture lever and a small rangefinder window — but they both work fine.
Note that the viewfinder on these cameras has no parallax correction, meaning you need to aim your camera slightly higher when taking landscape-oriented pictures up close. That, and the fact that you have to set the lens to infinity before folding the camera, is not ideal. But the only folding rangefinder of the era that fixes those issues is Voigtländer Vitessa — one of my all-time favourite cameras."
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
Design wise it is Leica M3 which is in museum for it.
And I totally agreed with M3, twhile his thing has not remarkable design, just a steampunkeesh.
I agree on Mercedes. Our HQ has carpool fleet. I drove Mercedes for first time. Controls and how whole thing operates just awful. Worse I ever drove.
Pegeuot 308e is M3 indeed. Nice and easy.
And I totally agreed with M3, twhile his thing has not remarkable design, just a steampunkeesh.
I agree on Mercedes. Our HQ has carpool fleet. I drove Mercedes for first time. Controls and how whole thing operates just awful. Worse I ever drove.
Pegeuot 308e is M3 indeed. Nice and easy.
Richard G
Mentor
Peugeot 308 2014 or later? Agree. We have 2016 model.
But I like the thinness of this Vitessa. It’s a fantastic review and important detail. Thank you.
But I like the thinness of this Vitessa. It’s a fantastic review and important detail. Thank you.
Hcompton79
Established
He's not wrong, with the absence of vertical parallax correction, you do still need to tilt the camera up slightly at close distances when shooting in the landscape orientation.
Here I've put my IIa on a tripod and clamped a camera to the back looking through the viewfinder window. Not the best quality, and my fingers get in the way for a moment, but I've taken care not to shift the camera body or my phone doing the recording, so that the only shift in view comes from the VF/RF assembly itself, and you'll see the subject shift left as I focus in closer and vice versa.
It's also interesting to note that in this design, the coincident image remains stationary, while the view around it shifts, which is opposite of how most cameras do it. This achieves parallax compensation, at least horizontally, without adding additional complexity. As to why they didn't add vertical parallax compensation, I can only assume it was easier to just do horizontal because you already have something shifting left and right for the rangefinder to work, and that the viewfinder is shifted further to the side in relation to the lens than it is above it.
Dralowid
Michael
If the Vitessa is a 300SL what would be a Citroen DS?