Vitessa T odd solution to transport issue

[alwinvrm]

Found a beautiful Vitessa T in a recycle store. But I noticed that shutter cocking worked but film transport was not working

However, I was able to shoot a full roll with perfect evenly spaced frames by pushing once before every 'plunger cycle' the 'film release for film changing' button.

This is the button on the bottom of the protruding part of the body referred to as number 19 in the manual (http://www.cameramanuals.org/voigtla..._vitessa_t.pdf); NOT the film release for rewind button.

I read on forums that one has to disassemble the film counter to see the plunger mechanism but the one picture I found of a disassembled T seems to indicate that the protruding part with the lens must be removed. Since the camera prodruces great pictures and also the RF works fine, I would like to avoid possibly harmful tinkering as much as possible.

I therefore wonder whether my Vitessa's transport problem and its odd 'solution' by using button 19 is an indication of a specific problem with a specific solution?

Thanks in advance for any help
(NB: also posted in classic camera repair forum, with little result so far, maybe it is a unique problem?)

[hendriphile]

My Vitessa T was my 1st 35mm camera (handed down to me from my dad, c. 1972) and it made sharp, contrasty slides for projection. I cannot solve your particular question, but I can tell you that it was a malfunction with the film advance mechanism (the "combi-plunger") that caused me to trade in my Vitessa around 1980. It appears that the combi-plunger was the Achilles heel of these cameras, which were otherwise so pleasurable to use (built-in meter reading in Exposure Values which were "remembered" even when you changed shutter speed or aperture; the magical sliding depth-of-field indicators; and the synchro-compur shutter which was quieter even than the Leica M3 and which had flash-synchronization up to 1/500 sec.!) Given all this, if you've found a work-around to the advance mechanism that works for you, I'd say Leave Well Enough Alone (unless someone else comes up with a definitive solution).

Please post some of your shots! Which lenses do you have?

[alwinvrm]

Hendriphile, thanks for your reply.

There is some magic in opening an old leather ever ready case that had apparently remained untouched for decades. The original receipt from 1964 was in the case.

The other magic is seeing the first negatives, in this case well exposed and sharp. I will post some pics tomorrow, since the scans are in my other laptop.

The camera came with the 25, the 50 and the 100 mm, as well as the turit finder, a lens hood, and even the little plastic diffuser for the light meter.

Like you suggested I am reluctant to tinker with it (or let somebody else do that) without knowing what is going on or with some certainty that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I just turned digtal this year and the Vitessa T is pulling me into analogue again. A very appealing camera,nice to use, with an incredible stubborn design vision; I like that.

[hendriphile]

Lucky you - the 3 lenses, turnit finder, & accessories - that's (as I recall) the entire system!

[alwinvrm]

Some pics of my garden, taken in haste since I wanted to run to the one hour lab (that still exists to my astonishment) to see the results. I finished each picture quite differently to give an idea of the possibilities of the lenses and the lenses were roughly stopped down 2 stops. Film was Kodakcolor 200 ISO, 3 rolls for EUR 5.00. pic 001: Skoparet 3,4 / 35mm pic 002: Dynaret 4,8/100mm pic 003: Color Skopar 2,8 / 50mm