Voigtlander Prominent

The PROMINENT name, styled in all caps, was introduced in 1932 as a high-end compact camera to preserve Voigtlander’s place among the top German camera makers. The camera was still a folding klapp style, reminiscent of the prevailing style of the time. The first Prominent was a little-known model, 6×4.5 over #120 film with a folding viewer, remotely resembling the Virtus. It was replaced a year later with the Prominent 6×9, an odd-looking camera that aimed to present the latest technologies, such as a coupled rangefinder, here oddly mounted on its shoulder, and an extinction light meter. It was offered with an industry-standard Compur shutter and later with Voigtlander’s own finicky Turbo Shutter with top speed of 500. It was supposed to grace the segment’s top, but Clio had other ideas, and the war ended these aspirations.

At the war’s end, with Germany’s shuttered economy and trampled industry, the next decade was dedicated to salvage and rebuilding, much underwritten by the Marshal plan. The optical/photographic sector gathered whatever remained from the embers, and production gradually resumed. For Voigtlander, once a prominent (oops) manufacturer, it meant almost starting afresh. Established in the medieval city of Braunschweig, which was burned to the ground in 1944, Operation Hurricane, much had to be recreated.

Prewar technology and camera style had to be refreshed, and time was of the essence. The reigning brands already ran ahead with the Leica and Contax compact monoblock bodies in 35mm format. That was the future, and the concept, say monoblock 35mm, was copied by all budding or surviving prewar camera makers. The Japanese and the Soviets went a step further, shamelessly replicating the Contax and Leica models.

Voigtlander had a narrow window to react.

The Vito line was positioned against the minor manufacturers, covering the middle to low market segments. At the top end, the state-of-the-art Vitessa models were positioned to cover the Leica frontline.

Yet, the legendary Contax was left unmatched. Enter the post-war ProminenT (sic).

Here, Voigtlander’s engineers took the front row, doing what engineers are wont to do, with no input from photographers, sales, or industrial designers. It looks as if they took the Vito III Klapp body and shoehorned it into a monoblock frame. The result was the new Prominent, an avant-gard instrument, a mechanical masterpiece, immaculately built, flawlessly finished, and equally useless and unpopular.

As diners are divided over guava and okra, some would starve and not touch it, while for others (me), it is a delicacy; the prominent is controversial. Most users detest the Prominent; a few adore it, but it cannot be ignored. True to its name, it looks and feels prominent indeed. When launched, it was priced like the Contax, the undisputed segment leader.

The engineers seemed to list all the common conventions of the time and shredded the document. Features were either made afresh or with a twist on a tried-and-true technology or style.

• With a mounted kit lens it is 120gr / 4oz heavier than the beefy Contax of 800gr, and its viewer superstructure is head and shoulders above the Contax.
• The viewer window is on the right, so either use the left eye or train the right eye, hoping your nose will not be in the way.
• The focusing dial is where you expect to find the rewind button, so the left-hand makes the delicate adjustments.
• It has a propitiatory detachable bayonet lens system and a bulging front-end leaf shutter assembly, actually two, so it is bulkier than the focal plane shutter of the Contax or Leica.
• To keep it complex, there are two sets of shutter blades. The internal operates only with the lens mounted.

The camera belongs to the ‘read the manual first’ fraternity. Thankfully, it is a popular collector’s model, so the manual is freely available online; see the links below.

The Prominent came in two models:

• Prominent #127, aka Prominent I
  • The early model had no accessory shoe, no strap lugs, and a shutter to 400.
  • Later models added a shoe, and the speed increased to 500.
  • Prominent #128 added a double-stroke rapid winder, modestly hidden behind the large winder knob.
  • The above models are marked ProminenT, with no specific variant marks.
• Prominent II, #130, is the same as the first model but has a much larger viewer. It was made for two years before being discontinued.
• The Prominent used its own lens mount, with an Ultron 2.0/50 kit lens, and optional:
  • Color Skopar 3.5/50
  • Ultron 2.0/50
  • Nokton 1.5/50
  • Skoparon 3.5/35
  • Dynaron 4.5/100
  • Super Dynaron 45/150
  • Two more lenses are mentioned in the manual, but no further reference: Telomat 5.5 tele and Ultragon 1.58 wide.
• The Turnit double-sided viewer, the same as offered for the Vitessa, was available for the wide / tele lenses.
• Additional accessories included a mask for close-up, a front-mounted reflex viewer, a flash bawl integrated into a leather case, and a copy stand. Some survive till dare and are offered online. See images below.

Prominent peculiar features, in no specific order:

• The prominent has two sets of shutter blades, open in sequence. The inner one opens only with a mounted lens.
• Where you expect to have the rewind knob is the focusing dial. The depth of field scale on the shoulder below it.
• A half ring embedded within this dial pops up with a slide of a pinhead, pull up and turn to rewind.
• At the right is the winder knob, the direction marked with an arrow. It is uncommon counterclockwise. Later models added a double-stroke lever winder with the knob size unchanged.
• The small pin protruding next to it is the rewind release button.
• At the back by the viewer window is a latch allowing double exposure and midroll film change, as in the Vitessa T.
• On the bottom is a screw head that turns while winding. I’m not sure what purpose it serves other than just being there.
• When winding with the shutter speed set to 500, the manual suggests nudging the lens-mounted cocking lever left towards the red dot. It does feel hard to wind, but I find it works without additional help.
• Lens exchange: To remove the lens, press up the latch under the lens and turn either side. To remount, slide the lens cylinder in with the line marked on it at about 45⁰ on either side and turn it to the middle until it clicks. Note the lens breaks at about the middle of the barrel, not at the base.
• A film-type memo dial is on the bottom.
• The four slanted bulges around the lens board are guides for the optional reflex viewer.
• The hinged back predated many other models, as a fully removable back was standard then.
• On top of the lens barrel, by the speed selector ring, is a cocking lever that doubles as a self-timer lever. It can be used for double exposure.