Voigtlander Vito B

[robbiechad]

Hi Guys, Ive just won a Voigtlander Vito B on the Bay for a Fiver (English) and am looking forward to trying it out (if it works) its got the 2.8 Colour Scopar and the brightline finder. I have heard good comments on this camera, but I noticed today that someone has just won another one and paid £50 for it with no guarantee that it is actually working!! just shows what happens when two or three guys fight over one on the auction site things can go a little over the top!!

[ZeissFan]

You have the later version. The earlier version had a simple viewfinder.

The Vito B offered both the f/3.5 and f/2.8 Color-Skopar with the f/2.8 version being the premium lens. Interestingly enough, the f/3.5 version might be the better performer, especially if you plan to guess on the focus. Shooting a 50mm lens at f/2.8 doesn't leave much room for focusing error, as I've learned.

These are nice little cameras. Very solid build. Don't be surprised if the slow speeds don't work. It's just symptomatic of a 50-year-old camera.

No way would I pay £50 for a Vito B -- or even $50.

They're good cameras, but there are plenty of them on the market, and there's no reason to overpay for a Vito B.

[fidget]

Congratulations on a great buy! The lesser version with the smaller VF was my first Voigtlander purchase, (mint at £2 on a flea market).
I was amazed at how beautifully engineered they are (particularly from an FSU enthusiasts point of view).

I hope that you enjoy using it, the scale focus can give fine images with a litle care....

Dave..

[robbiechad]

Hi all, I got my new Voigtlander Vito B today, I am very pleased, it is in super condition looks hardly used and everything seems to be working A1. Ive put a film in and will go out tomorrow and take some shots. I have put a picture of the camera on this reply, I think I have found a gem for a fiver (english)!!

[ZeissFan]

That finder looks huge, compared with viewfinder in the earlier cameras. The lens is very good, although I think it can flare a bit too easily. I think I wrote once that it didn't flare, but it does.

You got a terrific deal on a very nice camera. Let us know how the photos turn out.

[Joao]

Hello
Some differences when comparing to mine (earlier model,I guess)
Have a look here (ignore photos 3 to 5, it's another camera)
http://public.fotki.com/BlueWind/two-german-beauties/
Mine has no 22 aperture (only 3,5 to 16), and the upper (chrome ) part of the camera body looks considerably shorter. It is a pleasure to use and very easy to carry, I'm certain you will enjoy it.
Happy shooting
Joao

[DaCh]

Yes I also use a Vito B, just took a pic of my 'extensive' outfit.
It all fits into a very small bag.
I was given the camera last year, it was fairly dirty outside but a good clean made it sparkle, the shutter and camera mechanism work sweetly.
The Gossen meter is the same vintage as the camera and came with it, it also works well and is accurate, a really neat item that has a nice roller shutter type incidence reading screen built in.
The "Photopia" range finder is actually a "Watameter". I don't use it often but it is useful for close shots.
The yellow filter is the only one I have that fits, I am keeping a look out for a green and that should about complete the kit.
I have not managed to find a strap that fits those studs so I guess I will have to make some fittings.
It is a great camera to use and is clearly very well made, and that large viewfinder is excellent, way better than most from its era and even better than many modern ones.

[FallisPhoto]

Originally Posted by DaCh

I have not managed to find a strap that fits those studs so I guess I will have to make some fittings.

Well, I doubt that you are going to be able to find a vintage one. What you could do is just get a 1/2 inch leather strap and trim the ends. With a leather punch, make a 1/16 inch hole in each end and (with an X-acto knife) cut a slit about 1/2 inch from the holes toward the middle of the strap. That gives you a neck strap like this one: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...a%3DG%26um%3D1

[ludoo]

I just got a Vito B too, the same smaller model as Joao's has and the same as pictured in the strap image.

It looks like a very nice camera, and from what I can tell (at the office right now and I could only check it quickly) everything works as it should. The self timer is a bit sticky but it should be an easy fix. I also got a push-on metal lens hood which make the B really cute.

FallisP, Thanks for the suggestion on how to make a strap.

[FallisPhoto]

Originally Posted by ludoo

FallisP, Thanks for the suggestion on how to make a strap.

You're welcome. It's a simple enough solution. Years ago, I made a strap like that cheaply -- out of a 1/2-inch leather dog leash I bought at a grocery store.

[ludoo]

I just put a roll in my new Vito B and took it with me while doing a few chores outside. I have to say it's a really really nice camera: small, cute, very heavy for its diminutive size, and with a wonderful feeling in the hand. Now if only it could lose its awful musty smell...

[FallisPhoto]

Originally Posted by ludoo

I just put a roll in my new Vito B and took it with me while doing a few chores outside. I have to say it's a really really nice camera: small, cute, very heavy for its diminutive size, and with a wonderful feeling in the hand. Now if only it could lose its awful musty smell...

If it smells bad, it isn't clean. Go over it with metal polish, clean the leatherette with either white vinegar or blue liquid glass cleaner, and go over the plastic inside with cotton swabs just dampened with white vinegar. Personally, I'd open it all up and do the guts with naptha too. If you do a good job, you'll lose the smell.

[Joao]

Originally Posted by ludoo

...I have to say it's a really really nice camera: small, cute, very heavy for its diminutive size, and with a wonderful feeling in the hand.

... and it makes great pictures, as you have found.

Here are some results in colour (except the last 5 of the set)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joaofreitas/sets/72157614386090430/

and some in black & white
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joaofreitas/sets/72157614432803889/

Regards
Joao

[ludoo]

Originally Posted by Joao

... and it makes great pictures, as you have found.

Nice pics.

[ludoo]

Thanks for the tips. I already knew about white vinegar as it's what people around here use to clean smelly fridges. I already cleaned the metal parts, will clean the rest tomorrow. Most of the smell comes from the leather case though.

I won't open it as it seems to be working great and I'm not yet confident enough in my CLA skills.

[FallisPhoto]

Originally Posted by ludoo

Thanks for the tips. I already knew about white vinegar as it's what people around here use to clean smelly fridges. I already cleaned the metal parts, will clean the rest tomorrow. Most of the smell comes from the leather case though.

I won't open it as it seems to be working great and I'm not yet confident enough in my CLA skills.

Uh-oh. If the leather case is what is stinking, about the best advice I could give you would be to get rid of it. That musty smell means that mold and mildew are in there for sure. Unfortunately, there is no non-destructive way to entirely eliminate it once it starts. When it advances a little more, it will start releasing sulfphuric acid (used in the tanning process as a "brightening agent") and eating up your camera's finish. Therefore, my advice would be to get another case.

There are some things that will slow down mold and mildew in leather, but even those are rather harsh chemicals and you pretty much have to be an expert to use them. This is because you are going to have to entirely redye and refinish the leather afterward. Some of them can cause more problems than they solve too.

[ludoo]

Uhm, the leather case is original and (apart from the smell) in pretty good condition so I don't want to toss it. I submerged it in vinegar yesterday and the smell has decreased. It might not be ideal for the leather, but it's definitely better than no case and I will cure it later with proper leather products.

As for the Vito, I took it out yesterday and everything seems to work ok apart from a sticky self portrait timer. Here are a couple of shots, Rollei Retro 100 (Agfa APX100) in Rodinal 1:50, scanned with my super crappy Canoscan 2700F. The last one was a failed attempt at a self-portrait, I had to budge the timer with a finger but I like the resulting image.

All in all, a really excellent camera for the little money it cost. And the finish and build quality are probably the best I have ever seen on a camera.

[FallisPhoto]

Originally Posted by ludoo

Uhm, the leather case is original and (apart from the smell) in pretty good condition so I don't want to toss it. I submerged it in vinegar yesterday and the smell has decreased. It might not be ideal for the leather, but it's definitely better than no case and I will cure it later with proper leather products.

Vinegar just gets rid of the smell in leather, although it is a good cleaner and odor eliminator for non-porous items, like the camera itself. You would probably do better with a mix of 50% drugstore hydrogen peroxide and 50% grocery store ammonia, which will kill the fungus. However, this is very unpleasant to work with and it may stain the leather. If so, it would require redying it and resealing it. It will entirely eliminate the odor though.

Edit: Thing is, that once mold starts, it comes back very easily, so the least hint of moisture in that leather and it will be right back. Also, once vintage leather starts to break down, it will continue to do so all on its own, without the aid of bacteria or fungus. This is because of the common use, in vintage leathers, of sulphuric acid as a "brightening agent." When the leather starts breaking down, a chemical chain reaction starts, releasing more and more sulphuric acid (a condition called "red rot"). It used to be the bane of leather-bound books in libraries. Some experimental treatments (neutralizing the acidity of unaffected or mildly affected leather) have been tried, but the long term effects are unknown and at this time, there is no proven way of stopping it.

Once red rot starts, it is definitely not better than no case at all, since a red-rotted case will corrode the camera inside it fairly rapidly, pitting the metal until it looks like a miniaturized moonscape. It will also spread to any good leather that it comes into contact with.

[ludoo]

Originally Posted by FallisPhoto

Thing is, that once mold starts, it comes back very easily, so the least hint of moisture in that leather and it will be right back.

There was no mold on the leather, it only smelled like it had lived years in a cave. The leather is in pristine condition. I let it dry from the vinegar bath I gave it yesterday and scrubbed a good dose of natural grease, the one used on old-style hiking boots. The leather looks great and smells like it.

I will risk it, as the camera is perfect and the case is its natural companion. In any case, I have never seen any mold grow here on anything, so I doubt my case will rot to hell. I will monitor it closely though, thanks for the great tips and suggestions.