This is the Vitessa type 140 (L). It is a “barn door” rangefinder produced by Voigtländer in the early 1950s.
It is very well-built camera that is a joy to look at and to use. I particularly like the thumb wheel focus. Though the activating the plunger to cock the shutter and advance the film may seem strange at first, it soon becomes normal, even enjoyable.
All functions, except the light meter, work as they should. Shutter speeds seem accurate and focus is good. There is slight image separation in the rangefinder at infinity, but nothing bad.
The manual for this camera can be found here.
| Make | Voigtlånder |
|---|---|
| Model | Vitessa L (type 140) |
| Year | c1955 |
| Format | 35mm |
| Shutter | Synchro-Compur |
| Speed | B, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500 |
| Lens | Color-Skopar |
| f2.8 50mm | |
| Focus | ~2ft – ∞ |
| Aperture | f2.8 – 22 |
| Light Meter | Yes |
| Rangefinder | Yes |
This is the first roll of film I’ve run through this camera. Ilford FP4, HC110 stand developed 30 minutes.
Overall I am please with the results, given that this is the first time shooting this camera. I look forward to running some Delta 100 through it.
