3008

Voigtlander; Vitessa with Ultron 50mm f2

Currency:USD Category:Cameras & Photo Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 400.00 USD
Voigtlander; Vitessa with Ultron 50mm f2
SOLD
75.00USD+ (16.88) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2015 Apr 17 @ 15:45UTC-7 : PDT/MST
If you want to see an enlarged image, click on the thumbnail image in the lower left of the main image.
You can download a higher resolution image by clicking on the title below the enlarged image.
You can request extra images to be added by contacting HWAC at uwe@fhwac.com or by calling 775-851-1859
The Voigtlander; Vitessa is my vote for the most elegant, well machined cameras in the post-war era.



The Vitessa is a 35 mm. precision camera introduced in 1951 and was available until about 1964 having undergone various developments. The original Vitessa was a fixed lens folding camera, the final version of which was known as the Vitessa L. This model has been dated to 1951.



The Vitessa is a high quality folding camera designed around a quick action film transport and release system to permit rapid sequence shooting, which makes it particularly useful for action photography as well as general photographic work. The lens and shutter assembly is attached to the camera body by leather bellows, and are held in place by spring tensioned parallelogram struts. When closed the assembly retracts into the camera body and is enclosed by automatically opening doors. The camera body fits into a shell comprising a pressed metal back with a wrap-round to either side of the front doors. This shell is completely removable to facilitate cassette insertion and removal.



The unique film transport mechanism is central to the camera design. It consists externally of a plunger - the "Combi-plunger" - which, when in its operating position, extends about 35 mm from the camera top plate, and is designed to be operated by the left index finger. Depressing the spring-loaded plunger has three distinct functions: firstly it causes the take up spool to rotate thus advancing the film one frame. Secondly the shutter is tensioned and finally the film counter is advanced. Once the film has been wound on by one frame, the link between the plunger and the take-up spool is disengaged, so that repeated pressing of the plunger does not advance any more film. The shutter may then be fired by depressing the release button, which is located on the top right of the camera, using the right index finger. Once the shutter has been released the Combi-plunger is re-engaged with the take up spool and the sequence may be repeated, making possible exposures at steady rate, with some observers claiming that one frame per second is achievable. The film counter and the film indicator are fitted behind a window in the front of the body, and they may be set when the camera shell is removed for loading the camera.



The Vitessa is fitted with a high performance f2 Ultron anastigmat lens which is of a six element construction and is coated and colour corrected. The lens aperture is adjustable to f16 by means of a sliding quadrant lever on the top of the lens assembly. Focusing, from 3.3 feet to infinity is achieved by rotating a milled wheel located on the rear of the camera top plate. This moves the entire lens assembly forwards or backwards as required to bring the lens into focus. The focusing movement is coupled to the built-in rangefinder, which works on the coincidence principle of matching two images at the point of correct focus. A distance scale is engraved on a rotating disc which is mounted on the top plate and surrounded by a Depth of Field scale. The disc is coupled to the rangefinder wheel and turns against and index mark to show the distance at which the lens has been set. The distance scale has, additionally, two hyperfocal distance index marks which have matching index marks on the lens aperture scale. These provide useful zone focus settings for the occasions when rapid focusing of the subject is desirable.



From the collection of Don Dondero.

City:
State:
Date: 1951

FHWAC#: 25832