THE VIEW- AND RANGEFINDER

The precision finder of the VITESSA is a combined viewfinder and rangefinder. Through the large eye-piece on the left (10) you see the bright picture area with the focusing diamond in the centre. The milled focusing wheel is at the right (11) . The viewfinder is automatically compensated for parallax and shows the correct picture area at all distances, including close-ups (3.3 to 7 feet).	Make sure that your fingers are clear of the left-hand front window when using the finder. Finger prints on this window can also affect the focusing efficiency of the rangefinder.

SETTING THE RANGEFINDER

Hold the camera in shooting position. Put your right thumb on the milled wheel 12. Bring your eye right up to the eye-piece of the finder so that you can see all the four corners of the image. Make sure you are looking straight through the centre. As long as the rangefinder is incorrectly focused the focusing area 13 shows a double image of the subject   .. Now turn the focusing wheel until the double images in the focusing diamond (ill. 1s for a horizontal and 16 for an upright example) coincide and fuse into one sharp image 17. The lens is now focused on exactly the correct distance. Note: With horizontal pictures watch the vertical lines of the subject; for upright views focus on the horizontal lines.

Setting the rangefinder automatically moves the focusing scale as well. Above the scale, in the centre is the triangular index mark  (18) to which points exactly to the focused distance. The values of the distance settings without figures are given on page 35.

For snapshots by "zone focusing" without using the rangefinder the distance scale carries two special marks. When the distance is set at the mark (10 feet) (19), everything between 8 and 15 feet will be sharp; when set at the ( ) mark (30 feet) (20), the zone of sharp focus extends from 15 feet to 00.

Note: Good light conditions are necessary for these settings and the aperture has to be set at the red dot between f/5.6 and f/8 (21).

See pp. 34 and 35 for a more detailed explanation of "Aperture and Depth of Field".

COMBI-PLUNGER . SHUTTER RELEASE . AUTOMATIC LOCK

A single finger pressure on the combi-plunger transports the film by one frame (automatically lifting the film pressure plate), tensions the shutter, counts the exposures and releases the shutter lock.

Always press the combi-plunger down as far as it will go. If this is not done it will lock itself in the lower third of its way and will only free itself after being pressed down completely once again.

Pressing the combi-plunger several times without making any exposures will do no harm. With the longer speeds (1/2 and 1 second) always wait for the shutter mechanism to run down fully before working the plunger again.

Always press the release button down in one gentle movement and never jerk it - you would only get blurred pictures. The release button is threaded inside to take a cable release for time exposures (see p. 20).

The automatic shutter lock prevents double exposures as well as blank (unexposed) frames. The shutter is tensioned only after a previous exposure; equally, the release button can be worked only after the combi-plunger has been pressed down.

SINGLE SHOTS

We recommend holding the camera as shown in the illustrations. With horizontal pictures (1) use the index finger of your right hand to release the shutter, but use the thumb for upright (2) pictures. After exposing, put the camera down and with your thumb press down the combi-plunger as far as it will go.

RAPID SEQUENCE SHOTS

For rapid exposure sequences (sporting events etc.), when the camera cannot be put down but has to remain in the shooting position, the release button and combi-plunger should be worked as shown in illustrations (3) and (4) for horizontal, and (5) and (6) for upright pictures.

TIME EXPOSURES

  When making exposures at speeds slower than 1/25 second, you should not use the camera held in the hand, unless you happen to have exceptionally steady hands or when you can support your arms or lean against a solid object.
Otherwise the camera must have a firm support. One way is to fold the rewind crank outwards and to stand the camera on a level surface (7). Alternatively, mount it on a tripod (8). For time exposures a cable release with locking device is useful; this screws into the thread inside the release button (9).

CLOSING THE CAMERA

The front cover of the shutter carries two red pressure marks (1). To close the front doors, hold the camera in both hands, press with both thumbs simultaneously on the two marks (2) and push the shutter and lens into the camera body. Then close the camera by folding down the two doors until they engage with an audible click (3) and push home the combi-plunger. Finally press the release button down to its first pressure.

UNLOADING THE CAMERA

When the film counter indicates the number of the last exposure (1) or the combi-plunger cannot be fully depressed (2), the whole film has been exposed and has to be rewound into the cartridge in this way:

 

Close the front doors, depress the rewind button on the underside of the camera once quickly (no constant pressure), and at the same time press home the combi-plunger (3). Unfold the rewind crank (4) and turn it in the direction of the arrow until the film counter dial stops moving. Now pull the camera back off in the way described previously and take out the cartridge.

 

CHANGING PARTLY EXPOSED FILMS If you wish to exchange a partly exposed film for one of a different type (e. g black-and-white for colour), first make a I note of the number of exposures already made (1). Then rewind the film in the normal way but stop winding immediately the film counter ceases to rotate (2). Now open the camera back and remove the cartridge. When reloading the partly exposed film, start off in the usual manner (3). Then half open (4) the two front doors, press down the release button and keep it depressed while pushing the combi-plunger down fully as often as necessary until the film counter shows the number following the one you noted down (5).