Better "Pictures - faster and easier
Your VITESSA is a 35 mm camera made on new constructive principles which has been "built into your hands". You will very quickly
realize just how much the simplified handling will help you in obtaining better pictures.
But even the VITESSA cannot manage entirely without some technical advice, and so we recommend you first of all to study these instructions carefully and to make yourself familiar with all the controls before taking your first pictures.
And please don't forget that a camera of this high quality is an instrument of the finest mechanical precision. Even though it is of very robust build it still wants to be treated with care and understanding. It will thank you with wonderfully fine and sharp pictures over many years.
Voigtlander
VOIGTLANDER A.G. BRAUNSCHWEIG
YOU WILL FIND: ON PAGE:
| L O A D I N G |
Removing the Back - Inserting the Cartridge
Setting Film Counter and Film Indicator
Closing the Back - Opening the Front Doors
Preparing the Film for Exposing |
5-6
7
8-9
10 |
| SETTING THE CONTROLS |
Aperture or Stop - Shutter Speed
Rangefinder
Zone Focusing |
11-13
14-15
16 |
| EXPOSURE |
Combi-Plunger - Shutter Release - Automatic Lock...
Single Shots - Rapid Sequence Shots
Time Exposures |
17
18-19
20 |
| UNLOADING |
Closing the Camera .
Rewinding the Film - Changing partly exposed films.. |
21
22-23 |
| A P P E N D I X |
Practical Hints
Speed-Synchronized Flash
Flash Case
"Kontur" View-Finder
Filters - Lens Hood - Close-Up Lenses
Aperture and Depth of Field
Care of Camera and Lens |
24
25-27
28
29
30-33
34-35
36 |
 |
FRONT VIEW - Front doors open
A Aperture Scale
B Release Button
C Focusing Scale with Depth of Field Indicator
D Accessory Shoe
E Combi-Plunger
F View- and Rangefinder Windows
G Synchro-Lever for M/X Settings
H Shutter Speed Ring for Setting Shutter Speeds
I Flash Socket for Connecting
Flash Guns
K Film Counter and Film Indicator |
 |
BACK VIEW - Front Doors Open
L View- and Rangefinder Eyepiece
M Camera Back (Completely Removable)
N Focusing Wheel
O Rewind Crank
- when folded out serves as
camera support
P Tripod Bush
Q Rewind Button
R Left Front Door
R Aperture Setting Wheel
T Right Front Door
S Latch for Locking Camera
Back
T Right Front Door
U latch for Locking Camera Back |
 |
INTERIOR - Front Doors closed
M Camera Back (Removed)
U Latch (Pulled Up)
V Pressure Plate Lever
W Take-Up Spool
X Film Transport Shaft
Y Peg for Cartridge
Z Film Chamber |
REMOVING THE-BACK
|
|
|
| Hold the camera in your left hand, with the four fingers
lying against the lower edge of the front doors 10. Lift up the latch and give it a quarter turn so that it points to
"Off" (2) , grip the latch and pull the camera back off the body (3), using your left thumb which lies against the
back to help in pushing it off. |
|
INSERTING THE CARTRIDGE
 |
Turn the film transport shaft by the cogs until the slit in
the take-up spool next to it faces upward (4).
Now push the tongue of the film as far as possible into
the slit of the spool.
The upper edge of the film must touch the inside of the upper rim of the
spool (5). Now pull the cartridge across the transport shaft and the film aperture and insert it in the
film chamber (6).
|
 |
SETTING FILM COUNTER AND FILM INDICATOR
  |
Turn the milled edge of the film counter disc in the direction of the arrow until the. mark
is opposite the index line on the body (9). Finally, set the film indicator in the back (10). To avoid errors later on, decide from
the start on the colour marks you propose to use for the different films, and make a note of them. |
 |
Hold the camera with your left hand to stop the cartridge from
dropping out (7) and turn it over (8). |
CLOSING THE BACK
OPENING THE FRONT DOORS
 |
 |
Hold the camera in both hands, point it slightly downwards, and press the release button (15). The two doors
will spring open and expose the shutter and lens. The fully open camera appears as shown in illustration
Caution: It is advisable to use the left index finger for braking slightly the movement of the
combi-plunger as it slides out at the same time. If the lens does not come forward all the way, gently pull one of the front doors
outwards. |
PREPARING THE FILM FOR EXPOSING
 |
Press down the combi-plunger as far as it will
go and allow it to spring up again v. Press down the release button and keep it
depressed is. Work the combi-plunger once more 19. Now take your finger off the release button
and push down the combi-plunger for the third time.
The film is now ready for the first exposure and the film counter shows "0"
From now on it will show the number of exposures you have made. |
 |
SETTING THE APERTURE
 |
To set the aperture or stop turn the semi-circular wheel
underneath the shutter housing ® and
(. It is best to use your index finger.
All the stops on the scale which rotates during setting click into position opposite the tip of the A mark ®,
making accidental changes impossible. The scale and index mark are visible from
above (4). |
 |
SETTING THE SHUTTER SPEED
 |
To set the shutter speed, turn the large, milled shutter
speed ring Ts. All the settings are easily read off from above ©. Set the red dot on the shutter speed ring opposite the required shutter speed (ill.
(7)= 1/2 sec).
The shutter has already been tensioned during loading
(see p. 10). |
|
 |
 |
The figures on the shutter speed scale stand for fractions of a second, except for the "1"/
which means one second. Intermediate speeds can be set EXCEPT between '/,o
and 1/25 second, and between 1/250 and 1/500 second.
At the extreme left is the "B" setting for
time exposures 80; at this setting the shutter remains open so long as the release is kept
pressed down. At the extreme right is the setting for '/500 second (9) . This can only
be set before tensioning the shutter. |
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). |
|
|
|
|
PRACTICAL HINTS
• If the beginning of the film is not properly anchored on
the take-up spool, it may slip out and will not be advanced on pressing the
combi-plunger. To check: Unfold the rewind crank and let it hang down. Hold
the camera horizontally to see whether the crank turns when you work the
plunger. If it does not move, the beginning of the film has slipped out and
must be fixed afresh to the take-up spool after opening the camera back (see
page 6).
• Deliberate double exposures (e. g. for trick shots) are
quite easy, despite the automatic double exposure lock. Proceed as follows:
After the first exposure depress the rewind button, let go, and then fully
push in the combi-plunger. This tensions the shutter without advancing the
film, and you can make a second exposure. Then work the combi-plunger as
already described.
If in doubt about the correct exposure, expose black-and-white
film generously; a certain amount of overexposure does not matter much.
Underexposure, however, always gives poor results. With colour film, exposure
must be accurate; use an electric exposure meter at all times.
SPEED-SYNCHRONIZED FLASH SHOTS
| The SYNCHRO-COMPUR makes possible flash
shots of moving subjects at any shutter speed, including '/500 second.
You can use the flash as the sole light source or else combine it with
daylight or artificial light. With against-the-light shots you obtain
excellent illumination of the shadow areas. All flash units on the
market, including electronic flash, can be used with the shutter.
Light-weight guns can simply be pushed into the accessory shoe; larger
ones are mounted on a bracket which is screwed into the tripod bush and
kept at the left-hand side of the camera (see. ill.). |
 |
The flash lead which connects the flash gun with the camera
carries on one end a round plug which is inserted into the sunk socket in the
left-hand front door. The other end has the plug for the flash gun. This is
often a safety plug with one thin and one thick pin which can be connected
only in the correct way.
THE SETTINGS
ON THE SYNCHRO-COMPUR SHUTTER
Synchronization, exposure time, and
aperture must be set according to the type of flash in use to ensure
that the peak brightness of the flash coincides with the instant when
the shutter is fully open.
Flash bulbs and electronic flash tubes vary in their
firing delay times, and are classified in the table on the right. The
synchronizing lever on the shutter must be set to either X or M,
according to the type of flash in use (see ill.). Then set the shutter
speed according to the values given under X and M and tension the
shutter in the usual way.
|
 |
For setting the correct aperture look up the
so-called "guide numbers", which will be found in the instructions
supplied with all types of flash. The correct aperture number will be found by
dividing the respective guide-number by the distance in feet between the
camera with flash and the subject. (Aperture = Guide-Number / Distance)
X-Setting
The contact closes at the moment when the shutter is fully
open.
M-Setting
The contact closes a short time-corresponding to the firing
delay of class M bulbs - before the shutter begins to open.
Electrical Data - Click
here for chart of Flash Bulb Settings
The flash contact will carry the firing current of all types of
electronic flash tubes. With flash bulbs it will carry a temporary load of 10
amps at 24 volts, thus allowing simultaneous firing of several bulbs connected
in parallel. The longest permissible exposure time in this case is '/,o
second.
Caution: The flash contacts must never be used to fire
bulbs from 110 or 220 volt supply mains.
To avoid wiring up the leads the wrong way round, get an
electrician to fix the cable to the flash gun in the first instance, since the
outer pole of the flash socket is earthed.
FLASH CASE
The use of flash has become a matter
of course for the up-to-date amateur photographer, not only after dark,
but also in daylight. A flash bulb can give useful illumination to the
often too black shadows of against-the-light shots; it can give the
subject an effect of sunlight on a dull day, enable you to take
hand-held snapshots with insufficient natural light, and so on.
To save you the inconvenience of carrying a flash gun
separately, Voigtlander have created for you a Flash Case which carries
in the smallest possible space both your camera and your flash gun. When
you open the case and have inserted the lamp and done the setting you
are immediately ready to use the flash gun because you can leave the
flash lead connected to the camera even with the case closed.
Please ask your dealer for the detailed prospectus. |
 |
THE "KONTUR" PUSH-ON VIEWFINDER
Quicker sighting of moving subjects and
clearer presentation of pictorial scenes - those are the invaluable
advantages of the KONTUR viewfinder. The large eye-piece of /s inch
diameter gets rid of all the former viewfinder troubles, particularly
for spectacle wearers.
Keep both eyes open while sighting the subject. The eye
watching the subject directly will see it in its natural size and
brightness, while the eye looking into the finder sees the frame
outlining the picture area. You will see the two separate impressions as
one single picture in your normal field of view.
A dotted line indicates the parallax error with close-ups
from 3.3 to 6.6 feet.
Caution: Never allow direct sunlight to reach the eye-piece of the
finder. |
 |
 |
Push the KONTUR finder into the accessory shoe from the front
of the camera and push it back as far as it will go.
FILTERS - LENS HOOD
The high-efficiency lens of your camera
will satisfy your most exacting demands for superb definition, but you
can greatly enhance the mood of your pictures and obtain special effects
with the help of filters.
It is surprising how often you can attain pictorial
effects with these simple aids which are quite unobtainable without
them, and they should not be missing from any photographer's equipment.
Voigtlander Filters are made of massive, spectroscopically tested,
glasses and ground absolutely parallel. Every filter is fitted in a
bayonet mount and can remain in position on the camera when this is
closed. |
 |
The lens hood is indispensable for against-the-light shots and
those taken with artificial light, for it screens the lens from all stray
light. It also serves to protect the lens from raindrops in bad weather
conditions.
The Leather Case for Accessories fits on the strap of the
camera case and can take three filters and the lens hood.
|
VOIGTLANDER FILTERS |
|
Type and Exposure
Factor
|
Effect |
Yellow Filter G 1 I
1.5-2 x I
|
Slight correction, for outdoor shots with short exposures, action and
snapshots. Use when the sun is low in the sky
|
Yellow Filter G2
2-3 x
|
Universal filter for landscapes and other outdoor work:
indispensable for snow |
Green Filter Gr
3-4 x
|
Lightens green in landscapes.
Counteracts the green deficiency of pan-red films. Recommended for
artificial light portraits |
Orange Filter Or
4-6 x
|
A powerful filter which absorbs a great deal of blue light. Reduces
the atmospheric haze of distant views.
Lightens yellow, red, and green |
UV Filter
1.5 x with colour films only
|
Absorbs ultra-violet rays
at high altitudes and by the sea.
Counteracts the undesirable blue cast with colour film |
Filter Type A no exposure
increase with reference to daylight colour film of the same make
|
For using artificial light type colour film in daylight or with
daylight type artificial light (electronic flash).
Special instructions are enclosed with every filter |
CLOSE-UPS WITH SUPPLEMENTARY LENSES
Do not miss this highly interesting branch
of photography which, unfortunately, so many amateurs neglect. Large-scale
pictures of flowers, butterflies, and other small animals, small "objects
d'art" etc. may yield effects of extraordinary beauty. With the help of
Voigtldnder Focar Lenses you can, moreover, excellently copy pages of a book,
stamps, or small pictures. Care, however, is recommended in portraiture, as
perspective may easily appear distorted in this case.
The effect of the Focar lenses is that they
shorten the focal length: this permits the camera to be brought much nearer
the subject. Thus the subject is reproduced on a much bigger scale.
With the Voigtldnder Focar lenses you have
three close-up ranges at your disposal, viz:
FOCAR 1 (1.25 Diopters) from 2' 71/2"
to 1' 5 1/2"
FOCAR 2 (2.25 Diopters) from 1' 5'
1/2" to 1'
FOCARS 1 and 2 combined (3.5 Diopters).... from 11'/4" to 8'/4"
FOCUSING TABLE
|
Distance
scale on
camera
set to |
Plane of sharp focus when using |
|
Focar I |
Focar 2 |
Focars 1f- 2 |
|
00
|
2' 7'/2" |
1' 5'/2" |
11'/4' |
60'
|
2' 61/4" |
1' 5" |
11" |
0
|
2' 5 '/4" |
1' 4 3/4" |
11" |
15'
|
2' 3" |
1' 4" |
10' /2" |
^
|
2' 1 '/2" |
1'3,/d' |
10'/ ' |
9'
|
2" 1/2" |
1 3" |
10'/a" |
8"
|
1"11'/." |
1'2'/a" |
10" |
7'
|
1111" |
1'2'N' |
10" |
6'
|
1110" |
1'2" |
9'/u" |
5'
|
1'8'/Q |
11'/2' |
9'/z |
4'6"
|
1'8" |
1'19' |
|
4'
|
1' 7" |
1' 1 " |
9", |
3'6""
|
1'6" |
1"/z' |
8'/!' |
3.3'
|
1' 5'/2" |
1' |
8'/e" |
HOW TO USE THE FOCAR LENSES:
- Approach the subject until it appears in the desired size
in the viewfinder field. Then, according to the subject distance, fix a
FOCAR 1, FOCAR 2, or even 1 and 2 combined, on the lens mount.
- Now measure accurately the distance between the front of
the FOCAR lens and the centre of your subject and look up this distance in
the table on the left (second to fourth column). In the first column you
will find the figure to which the distance scale must be set.
- When using FOCAR lenses you must stop down to at least
f/11, particularly with three-dimensional subjects.
- No change in exposure time is required with FOCAR lenses
but, of course, when filters are used the usual exposure factor must be
applied. Filters fit on the front of the FOCAR lens.
 |
With close-ups the viewfinder image does no
longer correspond to the area reproduced, but is shifted upwards and to
the left (parallax - see ill. below). With the FOCAR 1 the difference is
up to 1/8, with the FOCAR 2 up to 1/4, and with the FOCARS 1 and 2
combined up to 1/2, of the viewfinder area. |
APERTURE AND DEPTH OF FIELD
The iris diaphragm regulates the amount of light which reaches
the film, and thus controls the exposure as well as the depth of field. Note
that the aperture becomes smaller as the aperture number becomes larger, and
vice-versa. Going from one number to the next, the exposure time required is
always doubled or halved respectively. For example:
| Aperture |
f/2 |
f/2.8 |
f/4 |
f/5.6 |
f/8 |
f/11 |
f/16 |
| Exposure (e. g.) |
1/500 |
1/250 |
1/100 |
1/50 |
1/25 |
1/10 |
1/5 second |
The "depth of field" of a picture is
that part of the photographed area which is still reproduced fully sharp in
front of, and behind, the actual focused distance.
Note: Large aperture = small depth of field; small
aperture = great depth of field.
You can read off the extent of the depth of field from the
focusing scale and the depth of field indicator. The values of the unnumbered
distance settings are shown in illustration (. After focusing the V mark
points to the exact subject distance. Two series of aperture numbers are
arranged symmetrically on either side of the mark.
The depth of field then extends from the distance shown by the figure opposite
the selected aperture number on the left to the
distance opposite the identical aperture number on the right.
• For Example, if you have focused on 14
feet, the depth of field scale shows that at f/2 everything will be sharp from
about 13 to 16 feet, at f/4 from about 12 to 20 feet, at f/5.6 from about 10
to 25 feet, at f/8 from about 9 to 30 feet, at f/11 from about 8 to 60 feet,
and at f/16 from about 7 feet to 00 (infinity) T.
• To find the most suitable settings for aperture and
distance for a given depth of field, set the limits of the sharp zone required
opposite two equal aperture numbers. For instance, for a depth from about 7 to
30 feet, illustration ® shows that you have to stop down to f/11. The
indicator then automatically shows the required distance setting.
CARE OF CAMERA AND LENS
Successful work and long life of your camera depend largely on
correct handling and careful treatment.
• Do, please, handle it carefully and
gently, and never use force. If anything should not go smoothly, it is much
better to read again the relevant sections of this booklet.
• Before loading the camera, clean off any
dust that may have collected inside, with a soft brush.
• At the seaside, or when there is a strong
wind outdoors, carry the camera in its closed ever-ready case (beware sand);
open case and camera only when making an exposure.
• You must avoid finger prints on the lens
because they spoil definition. The windows of the view- and rangefinder must
also be kept clean, otherwise you will find it difficult to focus correctly.
• The lens is coated even on the outer surfaces
(anti-reflection layer). It may be cleaned with a very soft brush, or a piece
of soft, clean, linen. Grease spots may be removed by gentle dabbing with a
wad of cotton wool moistened in medicinal alcohol or ether.
| |
|
ACCESSORIES FOR THE VITESSA
|
|
Designation
|
Art. Nr.
|
| |
Yellow Filter G 1 (light) in Bayonet
Mount
Yellow Filter G 2 (medium) do
Green Filter Gr do
Orange Filter Or do
Ultra-Violet Filter UV do
Conversion Filter Type A do
Close-Up Lens Focar 1 do
Close-Up Lens Focar 2 do |
|
125/21
125/22
125/26
125/28
125/29
125/27
125/23
125/24
125/20
90/094
125/19
335/36
90/104
90/083
90/122
|
Lens Hood (Metal in Push-On Mount)
Accessory Case |
|
for Filters, Focar Lens and Lens Hood |
|
Flash Case |
|
KONTUR Viewfinder |
Camera Ever-Ready Case
in Brown Hide with Carrying and Neck Strap |
.............
|
Leather Case for KONTUR Finder
Neck Chain, Brass, Chromium-Plated
|
, M. Butkus,
NJ.
