Voigtlander Vitessa N 134

Of the many cameras that pass my desk, only a few are genuinely outstanding in design and ingenuity. The Vitessa N is such a model. It is a superbly built camera designed to compete with the Leica models as a high-end camera, but regrettably failed. As described on the Vitessa family page,  Voigtlander was late to enter the 35mm compact cameras arena, having only the Vito models to compete at the low to middle end. To meet the heavyweights, they designed the Prominent to match the Zeiss Contax and the Vitessa against the smaller, lighter, reliable and uncomplicated Leitz Leica. Regrettably, they missed on both.

The early Vitessa on my desk, also known as Vitessa N, Vitessa I or Vitessa 134, is the last variant of the early Vitessa style that began with the 125, 133 and 132. All variants are much alike, with the latter models having an accessory shoe, strap lugs, a PC port on the front door, a removable back, and the brand name pronounced on the front. Lenses options were Ultron 2.0/50, Color-Skopar 2.8/50 or 3.5/50.

As stated, the camera is very well made and superbly finished, with a lot of thought and ingenuity vested into it. That said, the ingenuity went in the wrong direction. Timewise, the Vitessa was designed in the seam between the traditional klap style and the up-and-coming monoblock models. Voigtlander tried to bend the old, existing technology into a modern look, so the result was a camera dressed in a straightjacket.

This Vitessa has bellows, where lens technology available lens technology made it redundant, and it has a klapp front, on the double, whereas at other manufacturers, it was just a “meanwhile” reminiscence feature, fading away with fresh models. The result was an excellent camera, already a decade or more outdated at birth. That has resulted in a complex camera, with extra mechanical parts, that was saved only by Voigtlander’s immaculate quality build.

The camera on my desk is flawless, save for the hesitant slow speeds below 25. The glass and body are clean as if they came off the line today. I can’t say that about many other cameras. The other four Vitessas I have look the same, although they have yet to be tested.

It is on the heavy side, more than what is expected of this relatively compact size. All metal body, no plastic in sight. Nonetheless, it sits nicely in the hand and pleases the eye with its smooth lines. Toying with the camera, it seems that it could be possible, under much practice, to operate the camera with three fingers: right index on the trigger, right thumb on the focusing wheel, and left index on the plunger. Perhaps this is what the engineers had in mind while designing this odd device.

• The top cover is boring. It contains the trigger, distance dial, cold accessory shoe, and the Vitessa signature mark plunger. The depth of field is marked around the distance dial.

• The lens assembly is confined between the two barn doors and is challenging to reach. For eas of use, the focusing distance wheel is moved to the back of the camera, as with the Prominent and the Mamiya Six models.

• The double doors open, and the lens assembly pops out with a trigger press, extending the short bellows.

• The two front dials, aperture and shutter speed, are not finger-friendly, and the markings on both dials are difficult to read. The extreme side markings on the speed dial, B and 500, are a matter of guess. It is easier to reach the bottom part of the dials. I say easier, not easy, as the dials do not lend themselves to an easy turn.

•  An X/M synch selector is at the front as if it is the primary setting.

• The lens assembly is surrounded by levers and arms that mobilize the barn doors and the shutter, evidence of a complex design, yet reliable build.

• The back comes off with a twist of a hinged turnbuckle at the bottom. Pull it up, a quarter turn, and the back happily slides out. The fold-down rewind lever by it doubles as a brace to hold the camera from falling forward when the lens is extended.

• The mounting thread is part of the back cover, whereas on most cameras, it is part of the body. I guess the designers considered the camera weight and the strength of the back’s latch.

• The back also wraps the front at both sides of the doors, having a window over the frame counter. A dial in this window is colour-coded to remind which film is in; it only takes remembering which colour is what film.

• The Frame counter dial is mounted on the body and requires manual resetting, meaning it must be done before closing the back.

• Being a lefty, the film cartridge is on the right, with the take-up spool on the left. Two left-side sprockets pull/guide the film.

• With the camera closed, the plunger is sunken in the body, only about ¼” proud.

• To open the front, press the trigger. The plunger will slide up, and the front barn door will open with great pomp and circumstance, with the lens assembly coming out over the short bellows. The manual suggests supporting the barn doors once they open, lest the lens assembly fly out. For some reason, presumably age, it either flies open or needs a tender shove. Don’t think it merits service.

• To close, gently press in the lens dials with both thumbs; the doors will swing in and lock in place once fully folded. See image.

• While applying slight pressure on the doors, push down the plunger until it locks in place when fully sunken. This takes some practice.