Introducing the Voigtländer Vitomatic IIIb IIICS

[Retrotech68]

Jan,

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, you are right about the 'hidden' s/n number... Btw, the camera was fitted with an original Voigtländer UV filter and lens shade (not so common), plus a handy Kood wrist strap w/screw and was in an aboslutely stunning as-new condition.

I think the camera will probably be sold in some flea market for peanuts or maybe in a pawnshop… Maybe someone more knowledgeable about classic cameras will buy it and try to sell it on some auction site, something would improve (just very slightly) my chances of recovering it.

By the way, the camera was stolen inside a nice Lowepro bag... The most annoying thing is that I actually saw the thief just turning around the corner, some 20/30 meters away from the café where I was quietly sipping my espresso... As a martial arts practitioner, I would probably have knocked the SOB down on the spot, hadn't he been so fast!

Once I got into the street, he had already vanished (probably hidden in some shop – but I only thought of this possibility later). My only solace is to imagine his disappointment by finding a weird old camera instead of a fancy DSLR inside the satchel...


You have quite the Vitomatic IIIb arsenal there! Don't you like the earlier Vitomatic models?


Alex

[errorlogin]

Yes, I had a few earlier Vitomatics, too. In some way, they are even better build. E.g. eingraved distance and shutter speed scale in comparison to printed ring on the Vitomativ IIIb.

But my earlier Vitomatics had all issues with the film advance. Film broke on the cocking-sprocket.

So I focused on the newer models.

[Retrotech68]

I see... It seems you were less lucky with the earlier Vitomatics. I tried a IIa from a friend not long ago and never had any issues with the film advance. Kept shooting till I gave it back to him.


Btw, another friend, who thinks her English language skills aren’t good enough to became a member of this forum (she is just shy…) asked me two questions regarding her IIb, but since I didn’t know the answers, I decided to post them here: 1. Is it possible to disassemble the film compartment back door on the IIb (this is valid for the IIIb and other cameras of the same generation, of course)? If so, can someone explain to me how it can be done? The reason why I am asking is that the back door on my friend’s camera shows a strange damage pattern, with heavy scratches as if it was dragged over an irregular surface. Since I have found a non-working IIb, with dead meter, horrible separation on the v/f block and a horrible lens, but with the back door in great shape, we thought about using it as a donor camera. 2. The shutter release button on my friend’s IIb is quite distorted, as if it had been heated or something like that (and most of the paint is gone, probably due to the same issue). The s/r button on the Ib, IIb and IIIb (and CS models too) has what seems to be a retaining screw on its right face. Is it possible to unscrew it and loose the button? The idea is, as above, to replace it with the intact part from the non-working camera. Any advice will be welcomed!
Thanks.

[errorlogin]

Concerning the shutter release button:

Yes, it's holt by this one screw in place only. Easy to replace, but notice, that this screw is sometimes sealed at the side of the lens tubus. Probably against loosing by it's own.
Something you will destroy, when loosing this screw. Not a big deal, just wanted to mention.


The back door is another story. I can't say, but it looks like as if you have at least to remove the bottom plate. That means to remove the leather of the bottom plate also. But not sure.

Maybe ask in the repair forum?

[Retrotech68]

Good heavens, we are talking some involved surgery then (reg. the back door, I mean). I also suspected of something similar - that to remove it, one must first remove somehow the bottom plate... Honestly, I don't think my friend's current IIb is worth the trouble, maybe she'll do better by searching a nicer specimen...
Anyway, I will re-post the questions on the repair forum. And btw, can someone recommend a good repairer familiar with classic Voigtlanders?

[errorlogin]

OK, guy. As promised in the "another Vitomatic thread" , here is my way, how to clean the viewfinder and rangefinder.

This will likely bring back the double image of the rangefinder, which disappears on most (if not all) Vitomatic IIIb with the time.

Here we have a nice IIIb:


There seem to be a yellow dot in the middle of the finder, but no rangefinder image at all:




Here we see the window for the rangefinder. Very dim and hazy, even on the outside glass:


OK, we need to clean this!


First remove the top plate. There are three screws. Two small ones on each side of the top plate and one is hidden behind the lever.
These have very thin slots, so use the right tool!!! Or make your screwdriver fitting.

Top plate off:


Next, remove the whole selenium meter part. For this you need to remove the two big screws on the right side. There might be washers also:





Now you can also clean at least one side of the downside window of the meter part also. (Has nothing to do with the rangefinder). But be careful with the one on top! It's glued from behind and if you press it will probably loose.....


This is how the rangefinder mechanism looks like:



Some Vitomatics have an additional plastic glas in front, some others don't. This one has it, others only have a hole here:


This means, we have 5 surfaces here to clean up. With top plate attached we have 7!

The most important thing is the one which is hardest to reach: The surfaces between the moving glass and the white piece, where the image is getting in.
Hard to photograpfh with my bad digital camera:



I leave it to you, how to reach this surfaces. I take off the cotton of a Q-tip. Then I fill this cotton piece with Vodka (yes, this is really good for cleaning, not agressive) then take a toothpick to get it between there.
Be careful, you might misalign the image! Maybe easier access, if camera is set to 500/22 and ASA 25.
If you have the little cotton piece in between there, you may move the distance ring of the camera also.

Dry it up with a dry cotton.

Then don't forget fo clean the 2 surfaces of the viewfinder window!

All this should bring back the rangefinder image. OK, it will never be so bright as in a Leica, but it is there again! :



If you will attach the top plate now, you will probably notice, that it will dim out again.
So I clean the whole top plate.
See, that the front stuff is just bended on the top plate, so do not remove that, if you don't want to risk to break it!


I just wash the whole top plate in warm dishwater soap. The silver (or sometimes black) dot on top of the diffusion window is just glued on there and will probably loose! So be sure, your washbasin is closed! Or you will loose this forever!
Be sure, that it is totally dry before you put it back on. Leave it in the sun, or just store it some days.

Here is the cleaned but not yet totally dried top plate:


Well, that's it!

Good luck! And remember, this is at your own risk. I am not responsible if something goes wrong.

Have a nice weekend!

[errorlogin]

Because the pictures are limited per post, here is a last foto of the surfaces and the moving element.

The surfaces to clean are above the big blue spring in the middle of the photo:


Just for comparison, dim viewfinder, no double image, before cleaning:


Same camera later. Clean and clear and with rangefinder image. OK, it was later the day and therefore darker. So maybe not the best picture, but in reality it is much more obvious:

[Steve M.]

Excellent illustration of how to do this Jan! I know how much time and effort goes into a pictorial instruction like this. I've always admired these cameras from afar (being content to use the somewhat similar, but lesser, Baldas), so thank you very much for letting us know how to clean things up and get that rangefinder patch going again.

[errorlogin]

Thank you! I am glad to help.

[johnwood]

Wow...thank you so very much for putting this together! This is excellent.

[pinkarmy]

thank you errorlogin!! now i can try to go further exploring my Vitomatic IIa.

[Retrotech68]

Thanks a lot Jan! Excellent tutorial on how to clean the guts of the Vitomatic IIIb and get that pesky r/f patch visible again. Btw, watch your pm booth.

[errorlogin]

Hi, I did not receive a PM from you. The last I got was from Thursday and answered....

[Retrotech68]

Sorry, you are right; I had a small intermezzo - see the PM I just sent!

[Benjamin Marks]

Sweet! You are single-handedly going to create a market for this camera!

Ben

[errorlogin]

Hmmm.....that was actually not my intention. I just love the camera and I am happy to hear, that others use and like it, too!

[pinkarmy]

got my first IIIb last september, so good that i got one more.
i planed to collect a few more (in secret)
and then you post this thread.

i WON'T thank you for taking this camera to the spotlight. ;D

[ssmc]

Cool camera that I was not really aware of! I also like the way you presented it on the "retro" fabric backgroud, and the disassembly pics and instructions are excellent (I always enjoy this sort of thing even for gear I don't own)

Lastly there is no need to apologise for your English - as a former teaching assistant at a US college, I feel safe saying that your writing is better than a lot of native speakers, and infinitely better than my German

Regards,
Scott

[Crazy Fedya]

Thank you, errorlogin, for excellent tutorial on cleaning rangefinder in Vitomatics. I have Vitomatic IIa, that I like very much, and I have one suggestion. If you put a dot with black marker on viewfinder, where it will overlap with rangefinder yellow image , it will make rangefinder image a lot more usable, giving it a lot more contrast. I think I saw this on Rick Oleson's pages.

[errorlogin]

Hey, that's great! I could not believe it, but I gavet it try. It works! Incredible....

OK, the original image will fade out a little bit, but the yellow rangefinder image will be much more contrastier.

Thank you for this!

Jan.

[Film Man]

Ed. Trzoska specialises in servicing and repairing Voigtlander/Zeiss classic cameras. I have a Vitomatic lllb which he has serviced to an excellent standard. He can be contacted at:

Ed.G.Trzoska
Euro Photographic Services
150 Harrowgate Drive
Birstall,
Leicester
LE4 3GP
Tel: 0116 2674247
Email: e.trzoska@ntlworld.com

[Retrotech68]

Thanks Film Man. I heard a lot og good things about Mr. Troszka. I will either call or drop him a line asap.
Thanks again.

[johnwood]

Hmm...I've done all the reading I can find, but can't seem to find a definitive answer to the following: For the IIcs/IIIcs, which Proximeter? Proximeter I, Proximeter II...something else? The Prox I/II each say IIa or IIb... No Proximeter I've seen says I/II/III CS. Does anyone know if the design between 3rd and 4th generation Vitomatics changed...or are Proximeters for IIb just fine on IIcs/IIIcs?
Thanks for any help. I've had my finger on the 'buy' button several times, only to have doubt pull my finger away from the keyboard. Also, I've only seen two angled Proximeters for Vitomatic, the one above, in this thread; another on KEH. I've seen an angled one in different configuration, but for Vitessa T.
I would be grateful for any any advice! I want to shoot this CS at closer range
Thank you...
j

[pinkarmy]

Originally Posted by johnwood

which Proximeter? Proximeter I, Proximeter II...something else?

I? or II?
it depends on how close you want to get to your subject.
Proximeter II is closer than Proximeter I, that is.
or you could also use both at the same time to get even closer.

Originally Posted by johnwood

...The Prox I/II each say IIa or IIb... No Proximeter I've seen says I/II/III CS. Does anyone know if the design between 3rd and 4th generation Vitomatics changed...or are Proximeters for IIb just fine on IIcs/IIIcs?

i think it's about the diameter of the lens
Ultron lens is bigger than the Color-skopar.

My Vitomatic IIIb with Ultron lens uses the Proximeter for Vitomatic IIa

[johnwood]

Originally Posted by pinkarmy

i think it's about the diameter of the lens
Ultron lens is bigger than the Color-skopar.

My Vitomatic IIIb with Ultron lens uses the Proximeter for Vitomatic IIa

Ah...that's what I was looking for! Thank you!! Ok, so, no need to second-guess the ones marked IIa...cool. I think I'll be buying shortly. Thanks again, I really appreciate your generous help.