Film cameras
Voigtlander Vito IIA User manual
User manual for Voigtlander Vito IIA. 33 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
33 pagesEnglish3.2 MB PDF
Loading your manual…Open PDF directly
Document details
- Brand
- Voigtländer
- Model / document
- Voigtlander Vito IIA
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 33
- File size
- 3.2 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
Search available document text
Find a term, then jump to its page in the original PDF. Image-only pages may not be searchable; check the PDF for exact wording and diagrams.
Page 3 · Read text
R i s h t H e r e
is the first and most important piece of adaice
f or theVITO Il a: Please read this boolclet care-
fully, Make yourself thoroughly familiar with
aII the operations and controls of the camera,
Then you can Ioad your f irst film and begin to
tal<e pictures.
Rernember also that the VITO lI a is an optical
and mechanical precision instrument which
wants gentle and understanding treatment. The
camera will repay caref uI handling with beauti-
f ully clear and sharp pictures f o, many y ears
2OOYEARS to come.
V O I G T L A N D ER A . G . B R A UN S C H W E I G
www.orphancameras.comView original page 3Page 4 · Read text
Poge
C O N T E N T S Views of the Comerq 2-s
Openingthe Bqck . Insertingthe Cossette 6-9
The FilmCounter. The FilmIndico t o.r. . . . . . 1 0
Unfooding.ChongingPortlyExposedFilms. 11-12
Openingond Closingthe Bosebo o r.d. . . . . . . l 3
ExposureTimes. Apertures.Self-timer 14-19
D i s t o n c e . S n o p s h o t F o c u s i n g . . . . . 2 0 - 2 1
RopidWinder . DoubleLock 22
Holdingthe Comero. Releosing 23
FloshExposures 24-27
Filters. Focor Lenses 28-29
AccessoryRongefinder. The KonturFinder. . 30
Apertureond Depth of Field 31
Core of the Comeroond Lens 32
www.orphancameras.comView original page 4Page 6 · Read text
I Bock Lock
9 RewindKnob with Film
lndicotor
l5 ViewfinderEyepiece
16 ReversingLever
77 Buttonto Open
Boseboord
I I Boseboord Leg
19 AccessoryShoe
20 RopidWinding Lever
2l Film CounterSetting
Button
22 Tripod Bush
23 Boseboord
- 4 - www.orphancameras.comView original page 6Page 8 · Read text
I RewindKnob with
Film Indicotor
(fully extended)
l5 Viewfinder
Eyepiece
16 ReversingLever
2A Ropid Windins
Lever
2l Film Counter
Setting Button
24 Film Chomber
25 Film Trock
26 Film Tronsport
Sprocket
27 Toke-upSpool
www.orphancameras.comView original page 8Page 9 · Read text
lnserting the Cqssette The norrow slit of the toke-up spool (27l,
must foce upwords before threoding the
film leoder. lf necessory, turn the toke-
up spool (with one finger or by working
the ropid winding lever) to the correct
position.Then:
o Pull out o short length of ihe f ilm leoder
from the cqssette, ond push it into the
slit of the toke-up spool os for os it
will go (see illustrotion).
o Drow the cossette ocross the tronsport
sprocket ond the film trock, ond insert
it in the film chomber.
o Finolly push bock the rewind knob
fully into the comero body, turning it
slightly if necessory to engoge the
centre spool of the cossette.
- 8www.orphancameras.com-View original page 9Page 11 · Read text
Settingthe FilmCounter
Fully pull out the ropid winding lever (20).Pushthe revers-
ing lever (.|6) to the left (this extends the rewind knob),
ond keep pushing the film counter setting button (2.|)to the a' "F" right until the letter oppeors below the red triongulor V
index in the curved film counter window (14).(See illu-
strotion). Push the rewind knob bock into the body, ond
pull out the ropid winding lever qs fqr qs it will go.
Work the reversing lever o second time, ond immediotely 1
push bock the extended rewind knob into the body. Fully
pull out the ropid winding lever once more. No. I (for the first exposure) is now
below the red V index (see illustrotion). Every time the film is odvonced, ' the 1fitm counter outomoticolly shows the coirect frome number.
Setting the Film Indicotor
Rotote the disc in the rewind knob in lhe direction of the orrow until the index line on the
milled ring is opposite the oppropriote morking. The block figures indicote film speeds of
block-qnd-white film in ASA index numbers ond DIN degrees; the red letters stond for one l
of the following types of colour film looded into the comero:
D (T) : Doylight fype reversol film I ND (NT) : Doylight type negotive film
A (K) : Artificiol light type reversol film I NA (NK) : Artificiol light type negotive film
- r 0 -
www.orphancameras.comView original page 11Page 12 · Read text
After the lost shot the exposed film must Unloqding the Cqmerq
be rewound into its cqsselle. Proceed qs
follows:
o Push the reversing lever to the left to
extend the rewind knob (see illu-
strotion).
o Turn the rewind knob smoothly in the
direction of the orrow. At the some time
wotch the film counter window; the f ilm
counter will now count bockwords from
the number of the lost exposure.
o When the letter oFo reoppeors below
the red Y index mork in the counter
window, the film is fully rewound. lt
con now be removed by opening the
comero bock ond fully pulling out the
rewind knob.
- l l - www.orphancameras.comView original page 12Page 13 · Read text
ChqngingPortly ExposedFilms
Wirh the VITO llo you cqn qlwoys unloqd q portly exposed film qnd chonge over
lo qnother one (e. g. from blqck-qnd-white to colour) without q dqrkroom. 1
o Rewind the portly exposed film into its cossette,os olreody described on poge
ll. But moke o note of the number of the lost exposurewhich oppeored in the
curved film counter window.
1
c When relooding the portly exposed film, proceed os described on poges B to
10, up to setting the film counter to No. l.
c Then push the reversing lever to the left (extendingthe rewind knob), ond keep )
working the ropid winding lever until the triongulor ! index mork in the film
counter window indicqtes two fromes beyond the number noted when you
unlooded the film.
\
o Finolly push bock the rewind knob into the body, once more pull the ropid
winding lever os for os it will go, ond corry on exposing the film in the normol
woy.
- 1 2 - www.orphancameras.comView original page 13Page 14 · Read text
Briefly press the button (17') underneoth Opening ond Closing
the comero to releose the boseboord (see the Bqseboqrd
illustrotion).Pull it out by its two corners
until the struts engoge firmly. The lens
ponel is now in its toking position.
To close, simultoneously depress both
keys (10), ond push f he boseboord bock
ogoinst the body.
Pleqse note especiolly: During oll these
operotions ovoid pressing on the releqse
button which rises out of the edge of the
boseboord during opening, ond outomotic-
olly disoppeqrs ogoin on closing.
- 1 3 - www.orphancameras.comView original page 14Page 15 · Read text
Settingthe ShutterSp,eedqnd Aperture
The VITO llo is ovqiloblewith either the Pronlo or the Pronlor-Svsshutterwith
exposurevqlue scqle.Settingthe shutterond opertureon modelswith the Pronto
shutteris describedbelow ond opposite.See poges 16 to lB for directionsfor
settingthe Prontor-Svsshutter.
"The Pronto shutter co n be set to B" , 1/25, 1/50, 1/.|00, ond 1/200 second. lt is
X-synchronized (see poges 24 lo 27). To set the speed, turn the shutter speed ring
until the red index line is obove the re-
quired exposure time. When set to'Bu
the shutter remoins open os long os the
releose button is depressed.
The Pronto shutter must be tensioned
before every exposure even when set
"B". to For this purpose pull the tensioning
lever upwords os for os it will go (see
illustrotion).
- 1 4 -
www.orphancameras.comView original page 15Page 16 · Read text
The iris diophrogm of the lens controls the omount of light reochingthe film - ond
thus indirectly the exposure - os well os the extent of the depth of field. The opert-
ure numbers ore 3.5 (moximum operture),4, 5.6,8, 11, ond 16 (smollestoperture).
Rememberthot the lorger the operture number, the smoller the octuol lens opening,
ond vice verso. lt is thus reloted to the exposure time: if for instonce the correct
shufter setting ot f/5.6 is 1/50 second, the corresponding volue ot f/B will be 1/25
second, ond of f/4 it will be l/.|00 second. For furfher detoils obout operture ond
depth of field, see poge 31.
To set the operture, move the operture lever so thqt the edge lines up with the
index line corresponding to the required
operture number (see illustrotion).
After some experience it becomes reoson-
obly eosy fo estimote the correct opert-
ure-shutter speed combinotion. A photo-
electric exposure meter is, however, more
relioble especiolly in difficult light
conditions or with subiects of extreme
brightness ronge.
- t 5 - www.orphancameras.comView original page 16Page 17 · Read text
The Prontor-SVSshutler with exposure vqlue scole corries shutter speeds from I to
l/soos€cond, os well os o "B" setting for time exposures.lt is MX-synchronizedfor
flosh (see poges 24 to 27). For oll shots without flosh it is immoteriol whether the
synchronizing lever is set to M or X.
The Prontor-Svs shutter must be tensioned before every exposure even when
oB".set to To do thot, pull the tensioning lever upwords os for os it will go (see "8",illustrotion). When set to the shutter opens on pressing the releose button
ond remoins open os long os the button is kept depressed.
The operture ond speed controls ore coupled. The relotion between exposure time {
ond lens opening is expressedin terms of "exposure volues". The exposure volue
required depends on the prevoiling light
conditionswhen toking the pictUre;setting
the exposure volue on the shutter olwoys
provides the correct combinotion of opert-
ure ond exposure time. A series of such
correct combinotions (e. g. 1/dosecond ot
f/5.6, 1/sos€cond of f/8, ,/.tt second of f/ll)
olwoys corresponds to one qnd the sqme
exposure volue setting.
- 1 www.orphancameras.com6 -View original page 17Page 18 · Read text
Setting the Exposure Vqlue
Pull the operf ure lever slightly outwords, ond
set it so thot the red index mork engoges in the
serroted rim exoctly on the exposure volue
number you hod reod off your exposure meter
(see top illustrotion). lf necessory, turn thet shutter speed ring ogoinst the movement of the
operture lever so thot the lotter con engoge
even the end numbers of the exposure volue
scole when oppropriote.
This setsiust one of the mony.possibleoperture-speed
combinotions(e. g. l/sosecondof t18,for o exposure
volue of ll - seebottomillustrotion).lf o fostershutter
speedis required,simplyturn the shutterspeedring to
thisspeed;thot outomoticollyopensup the lensoperture
to correspondto the shorterexposuretime. Conversely,
the shutterspeedring con be usedto odiustthe opert-
ure, which simultoneouslychongesthe shutterspeedto
suit. ln-betweenexposurevolueseftingsCIreolsopossible
for speciollyoccuroteexposureswith colour film.
-www.orphancameras.com1 7 -View original page 18Page 19 · Read text
Setting the Exposure Vqlue (continued) A given exposure volue setting, however, does nol permit the use of every single operture ond shutter speed morked on the shutter. On turning the shutter speed ring either the operture scole or the shutter speed scole reoches the limit of its movement. Beyond thot no further operture-speedcombinotions ore then possible of the sqme exposure volue. Note: When the speed index (the red line on the shutter speed ring) reoches the "8",feft-hond end of the speed scole of the shutter opening ond closing is no longer controlled outomoticolly by the mechonism. With the exposure volue unchonged, expose for 2 seconds in this cose. If you hqve obtoined the operlure-speed combinqlion from qn exposure meler without exposure vqlues, the operture ond speed must be set seporotely on the shutter. First turn the shutter speed ring until the red index on if is obove the required speed morking. Then odiust the operture lever until the pointer indicotes the qppropriote operture number. The settings ore now coupled to on exposure volue, ond con be odiusted together qs olreody described. Apertureond speedsetlingswilhouf on exposuremeter: In principle'ond'opertureproceedos describedobove, but you will hove to esiimotethe-correctshuttersileed setting.To ovoid wrong settings,pleose note the order: first odiust the shutterspeed,ond then the operture. - 1 8 - www.orphancameras.comView original page 19
Page 20 · Read text
Settingthe Self-Timer
The deloyed oction mechonism(self-timer)
built into the Pronto ond Prontor-SVS
shutters ollows you to include yourself in
your pictures without hoving to qsk other "presspeople to the button" for you.
After setting the shutter speed ond opert-
ure (or the exposure volue), ond the
distonce, tension the shutter in the usuol
woy. On the Pronto shutter then pull the
red self-timer lever sidewoys os for os
it will go (see top i I lustrotion).
On the Prontor-SVSshuttersimply set the syn-chronizinglever to the green dot morked"V".
On the Prontor-SVS(but not on the Pronto)the
settingof the lever con be chongedogoin if
desiredwithout moking on exposure.
On pressingthe releosebutton,the shutterwill
now open outomoticollyofter o deloy of obout
7 to 10 seconds.Note: The self-timer"B". connotbeusedwith the shutterset to
- 1 9 -
www.orphancameras.comView original page 20Page 21 · Read text
Settingthe Distqnce You cqn determine the subiect distqnce
by estimotion, or, better still, with the
qid of qn qccessory rongefinder. The
Voigtliinder clip-on rongefinder is porti-
culorly suitqble for this purpose. lts robusl
design qnd speciol supqrenl conlrqst mir-
ror ensure qbsolute qccurocy over tr
meosuring rqnge from infinity to 3 feet.
To focus the comero lens, turn the lorge
milled ring corrying the disfonce scole
until the oppropriote distonce f igure is
opposite the triongulor A index mork
(see illustrotion).The scole olso corries
two odditionol morks: I of obout ll feet,
ond O of obout 30 feet. These ore the
shopshot focusing settings (see opposite
poge).
- 2 0 - www.orphancameras.comView original page 21Page 22 · Read text
Condid oction shots (e. g. of children ot SnqpshotFocusinE
ploy) often yield surprisingly live pictures.
On such occosions do not woste time
over focusing on on exoct distonce. In-
steod, set the focusing scole to the neor
zone mork V for subiects between B ond
17 feet, or fo the for zone mork O for
subiects between 17 feet ond inf inity.
You must, however, stop down to of leost
f/5.6 to ensure odequoie depth of field.
Provided the light is good enough, these
focusing zones ore very useful when
photogrophing sports subiects, where
distonces moy chonge very suddenly.
- 2 1 - www.orphancameras.comView original page 22Page 23 · Read text
The RopidWinder One full movement of the ropid winding
ond Doublelnterlock lever tronsports the film ond odvonces the
film counter. The spring then returns the
lever to its originol position.
The ropid winding lever con of course
olso be worked in o number of short
movements. In thot cose keep pulling the
lever until it locks.
The outomotic double interlock prevents
the ropid wind ing lever f rom being
operoted o second fime before the shutter
is releosed. At the some time, the shutter
con only be releosed once the film hqs
been odvonced.
Note: Do not press the reversing lever (.|6)
between exposures. Otherwise the double
exposure lock comes into oction, ond you
lose o frome.
- www.orphancameras.com2 2 -View original page 23Page 24 · Read text
Holding qnd Releosing
For shooting we suggest you hold the
comero os shown in the illustrotions on
the right. Keep the eye close to the finder
eyepiece so thot qll four corners of the
finder field ore cleorly visible.
When releosing the shutter, hold your
breoth, ond smoothly depress the releose
button os for os it will go- never iob of it.
Short instontoneousexposures (,/rosecond
or f oster) ore usuolly token with the co-
mero held in the hond. Avoid holding
the comerq unsupported for exposures
longer thon 1/sosecond; prop up your
orms or leon ogoinst something solid.
oBoFor time exposureswith the shutterset to
preferoblymount the comeroon o tripod, ond
releosethe shutterby rneonsof o coble releose.
This screwsinto the coble releosesocket(11).
- 2 3 - www.orphancameras.comView original page 24Related documents and language editions
From the M. Butkus archive. Original publisher and archive notices are retained.
Check the model and edition against your equipment.
PDF verified 2026-10-10.