Voigtlander: Vito II + Vito B

Scale focus cameras from the original German factory.

Late 40s-early 50s - folding

Voigtlander Vito II  with Prontor S - B, 1s - 1/300

Mid 50s - rigid

Voigtlander Vito B with Prontor SVS - B, 1s - 1/300

Both cameras are equipped with the coated Color-Skopar 50mm, f3.5 Tessar type lens but there's a difference in performance under strong direct or side light situations....

Vito II + Agfa APX100 in Rodinal

Earlier Vito II is more prone to flare...

Vito B + Agfa APX100 in Rodinal

... it seems, coating technology made a leap within a couple of years.

Vito II + Agfa APX100 in Rodinal 

Vito B + Agfa APX100 in Rodinal

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TIPS

The shutter on both cameras will not work unless loaded with film. Got the Vito B for $10 because it was advertised with a non-functioning shutter. A dummy film roll fixed the shutter ;)

Back in the 40s and 50s, most entry level cameras were scale focus only. With the addition of an accessory rangefinder like this Prazisa, it becomes a rangefinder camera ala early Barnack.

Musicfest 2012

Leak 20

A friend sent over a grey Leak 20 for check up. It was working up to spec however the gain was too much - Mullard 5-20 circuit using 3 x 12AX7 - as it was designed with the Leak Varislope preamp which did not have gain in the line stage. So I took out of storage my own Leak 20 which I padded down with resistors back in the early 90s so I can use it with my Dyna PAS preamp mod projects ;)   

Metal film resistors and polypropylene caps, yikes!!! Been there, done that...I kept this for posterity ;) 

Hooked up to the Altec 2-way...the Leak 20 is probably one of the finest PP EL84 amp ever manufactured, yet it was not able to match the transparency of any of my SE amps...no regrets going SE ;).

Zeiss Ikon Nettar 518/16

Budget 6x6 folder from Zeiss with a tack sharp triplet Novar-Anastigmat 75mm f4.5 which according to this source was manufactured by Rodenstock.

Foma 100 in Rodinal 1:100

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Zenobia C 645 folder

No need to spend $$$s for a Fuji or Mamiya. For about $40, one can get into 6cm x 4.5cm medium format with this Zeiss Ikonta A clone. 

Foma 100 in Rodinal 1:100

Fuji Acros in Rodinal

Foma 100 in Rodinal

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Agfa Isolette II redux

New bellows from Sandeha Lynch + e-z install.

Fuji Acros 100 in Rodinal 1:100

Foma 100 in Rodinal 1:100

Foma 100 in Rodinal 1:100

Ricohflex VIIs + Super Ricohflex

Got these cameras because I was fascinated by the twin focusing gears and found the pictures taken by the triplet lens appealing. Essentially these two models share the same specs, the VIIs just a tad older.

VIIs ready for action

Ricohflex VIIs + Foma 100 in Rodinal 1:100

Super Ricohflex + Fuji Acros in Rodinal 1:100

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Kodak Signet 35

Tiny but hefty rangefinder camera that exudes quality. Built on a cast alloy chassis, it is equipped with a premium four element Ektar 44mm, f3.5 lens that can focus (through a ball bearing driven helix) down to 22 inches. Set on a Synchro 300 leaf shutter with rather limited speeds B, 25, 50, 100 and 300, this shutter has a reputation for being unreliable. Perhaps I belong to the fortunate few who acquired a sample with a functioning shutter. ;) The camera has a double exposure prevention mechanism but the shutter has to be manually cocked. When I received the camera, the combined VF/RF was a bit cloudy. But this was easy to clean. Access is through the removal of the top plate - undo the set screws for the wind and rewind knobs and the top comes off. After cleaning, the bluish tinted VF offered bright contrast with the yellow tinged triangular split image RF.

ERA 100, 60 minutes in Rodinal 1:100

This Ektar lens seem capable of giving the Leitz Elmar 50/3.5 a run for the money. The simple handling of this camera reminded me of the Leica II + Elmar 50/3.5 combo with it's own set of pros and cons. Shooting with this camera was a time travel experience to 50s snap shot style photography!

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Found Film - Verichrome Pan 120

To the left is a sealed VP120 expired in Dec. 1967 - to be kept for posterity. On the right is an exposed roll I stand developed in Rodinal 1:100 for 60 minutes. These came in a box of old cameras and expired film.

The roll produced seven frames on a single subject. It seems like the person was bracketing exposure and this was the only one with a hand in the frame which I found, made it just a tad more interesting. It is still not as exciting as found film articles I've seen in the internet. However now I know why long time photo aficionados lament the demise of Verichrome Pan, I would have loved to shoot with this emulsion. It reminds me somewhat of Plus X, but with richer tonality.

Kodak Retina II

Late 40s type 014, the lens scale is metric so it is a European version  Made by Kodak AG in Stuttgart, equipped with a coated Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon 50mm, f2 lens in a Compur Rapid shutter - B, T 1-1/500. Knob wind and manual shutter cocking but equipped with double exposure prevention mechanism. Well designed, built to high standards and very compact. The combined VF/RF moves to compensate for parallax, just wish it was brighter.

Kodak TX400, 60 minutes in Rodinal 1:100

The look of this lens reminds me of an early 50s Leitz Summitar.

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Flexaret IIa

Made by Meopta in the early 50s in Czechoslovakia. Prontor SV shutter - T, B, 1-1/300, Mirar II 80mm, f3.5 lens, a four element Tessar formula.  Initially the 1-1/10 shutter speeds were not functioning but was brought back to life by a dose of Naphtha, judicious use of a blower + shutter exercise. Basic TLR - red window frame counter + manual shutter cocking = no double exposure prevention. The viewfinder is not as bright as the Fresnel equipped Yashica-Mat but comparable to the Rolleicord III. A very capable picture taker.

Foma 100, 60 minutes in Rodinal 1:100

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