Voigtlander
Superb 1953 Voigtlander Vito III, Rangefinder with 2.0 Ultron lens. CLA'd, Freshly Serviced!
Cleaned, Lubricated & Adjusted. Ready for immediate use
This is a circa 1953 Voigtlander Vito III 35m coupled rangefinder camera with an exceptionally fine lens. It was an expensive high-end camera designed and built to appeal to the same buyers who were considering Contax or Leica. Now-a-days those cameras are easy to find but you’ll be hard pressed to find a Vito III. That’s because the Vito was built in much smaller numbers and the few cameras that have survived are highly prized by their owners. Most of them aren’t interested in selling them.
The Vito III appeals to both photographers and collectors because of its lovely built quality, its delightful handling characteristics and the superb Ultron lens. The build quality is certainly as good as anything from Leitz or Zeiss-Ikon of the same era. The Vito III uses normal 35mm film and it’s capable of producing very lovely photos thanks to its legendary 2.0/50mm Ultron lens. This lens is a coated 6 element design. This top of the line lens and was designed to compete with the best 50mm lenses of its era, the Zeiss Sonnar and the Leitz Summicron. Many enthusiasts claim that the Ultron outperforms its competition. Whichever you personally favor is of course subjective but it’s obvious that this lens is in very good company! It also excels at available light photography and is aided in no small part by its an amazingly quiet shutter. The whisper quiet shutter won’t draw attention any to you, its smoothness won’t upset the camera at very slow speeds.
This camera is in superb condition. The coupled rangefinder works well and never has you guessing about focus or distance. Additionally this camera has been cleaned, lubricated and adjusted and everything works as it should.
The rangefinder image is easy to see and it allows you to focus quickly and easily. The bellows are in excellent condition and light tight. The top-of-the-line quality Synchro-Compur shutter works as it should. All speeds (B & 1 sec – 1/500th) fire smoothly and all shutter speeds appropriate. This shutter is flash synched and it works with a normal electronic flash. It’s been tested and a flash will fire correctly at any desired shutter speed. (This is of course a very convenient feature for flash fill.)
The superb 2.0/50mm Ultron lens is exceptionally clean and clear. There are no scratches, just a few very light cleaning wisps. (But you’ll need a magnifier to see them.) And it’s capable of producing lovely photos with modern color and B&W films.
It comes complete with an original brown leather case.
All in all, an exceptionally fine rangefinder camera with a legendary lens. Load it with your favorite film and you’ll be insured of a great time.