Introduction
If my first review was the camera that ignited my passion for analogue photography, then the second is the one that made it part of my everyday. From one of the oldest names in photography, the Vito B is the kind of camera that makes you want to take it anywhere, operating it becomes second nature and finding a pocket for it never a chore. If the Praktica is a tool for creating art through a deliberate process, the Voigtländer is an extension of the photographer for effortless snapshots and bringing a little analogue joy to the family holiday without ever getting in the way.
This particular example was found in at an antique dealers in York, buried in a “bargain bucket” in near-perfect condition complete with case, just waiting to be discovered. I think I paid as much as £10 for this beautiful, precision engineered metal camera. With the resurgence of “cheap” plastic cameras on the market for many times this price and a fraction of the quality I can’t think of a single good reason to buy them over this. If you’re comfortable with manual controls, go buy a Vito B or even get a couple of spares, you won’t look back.
Disclaimer: As you will know from my introduction to this site this will not be a technical or scientific review. Just my genuine impressions of the experience of shooting with this camera, how it makes me feel as a photographer and how it is to live with.
For a history of the Vito B see: https://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Vito_B
Appearance
If I had to picture the perfect viewfinder camera it would be the Vito B. There were many versions of the Vito series over the years including extra features like light-meters or bigger viewfinders but for me this first edition of the B is the most attractive out there. It’s simple clean lines are unspoilt by any of those extras, and to be honest the joy of this camera lies in it’s simplicity, it’s pure mechanical nature. Living in the 21st Century we have the luxury of cameras that do it all, the reason you’re reading this review is to find joy in that stripped back experience.
The top plate is a beautiful textured chrome finish, in my opinion the finish on many Voigtländers of this era is simply unrivalled even to this day, there’s a quality to it I haven’t seen elsewhere. The raised branding in a smoother finish “Vito B” is simple and clean, adding to the impression of quality….there’s no stickers or printing here. It’s hard for pictures to do justice, these were relatively premium cameras at the time but even still the level of quality in the hand will surprise you.
The top plate layout is unusually simple, with a central shoe, a perfectly placed shutter button which is raised for very easy access without even looking, and the film rewind knob with some film reminders should you choose to use them. The rewind sits flush to the surface, released by a small catch on the side. However minor this seems, it’s a fantastic feature to keep it out the way and I wish more cameras did this. It goes to show the attention to detail at Voigtländer at the peak of their success.
The rapid wind lever is almost flush to the rear meaning it’s still easy to slip into a bag or coat pocket without catching it yet perfectly easy to operate.
The front is equally attractive with the central lens assembly, the classic Voigtländer branding recessed in black and the simple viewfinder. Between is a tiny window which shows the frame counter in the same finish, yet more attention to detail.
The back is clean and simple with only a tripod socket and the latch to release the back interrupting the lines of the base.
What you also can’t tell from pictures is that this camera is small, smaller than you expect and certainly smaller than similar cameras from this time. It’s a perfect balance of portability without sacrificing ergonomics. It’s also surprisingly heavy and dense for it’s size, not enough for you to notice the weight over a long day but more than enough to give a feeling of absolute quality.
Controls
The Vito is as simple as can be. From front to back on the lens assembly you have…
- A focus ring with a ~180degree throw, nicely damped. My example is 3.5ft to infinity
- An aperture & shutter speed ring. In my version it uses an old Voigtländer system of exposure values (EV).
- Turning this ring as-is changes both the shutter speed and aperture together to maintain constant exposure….perfect for quickly changing between a shallow or deep depth of field without worrying about exposure changes.
- Changing exposure means first rotate the assembly to a desired shutter speed then pulling the part with aperture values forward to adjust those.
The exposure system sounds complicated but it becomes second nature very quickly in use and for me became a feature rather than any frustration.
There’s also a self-time switch to the side which is very easy to operate. Simply select “V” after tensioning the shutter and there is now a 10s delay on the release. The camera automatically returns to normal “X” mode after each self-timer. Note these systems are vulnerable to dust so may not work on some examples but is separate to the rest of the cameras functionality, I’ve been lucky with mine it’s all working perfectly.
The viewfinder is small but clear and more than big enough. There is a slightly less common “big finder” version of this camera if you prefer. Personally I find the small one perfectly usable and I think it looks better but it’s a personal preference.
Keeping an eye on your frame count is another example of Voigtländer thinking outside the box. The tiny window on the front of the camera at first appears to show the numbers upside-down however this is actually the right way up with the camera around your neck as you look down on it…impressive attention to detail again.
And that’s it really, simple and functional.
Loading and Unloading
As viewfinder cameras go this is as good as it gets. The back is, unusually, released from the base plate with a latch that opens just below the film chamber. Functionally there’s little benefit over a simple side side-latched rear door but in use it feels somehow “quality”. The tight tolerances make closing feel like sealing a vault door, it’s very robust and very satisfying.
Once inside simply add the film, poke the leader through the take up spool as far as it will go, ensure the teeth are engaged and close the back. Once the film is loaded a small metal ring just under the lens can be used to set the number of exposures (diamond for 36). You pull the wind lever once or twice until it stops, fire the shutter and repeat.
You can tell for sure the film is advancing as the frame counter is linked to the teeth engaged in the film, rather than the take up spool as in many other cameras.
Whether it’s due to the precision of this initial wind on, or the small size of the body, I’ve never failed to get at least 37 or 38 exposures out of a 36 exposure roll… a nice value bonus but at your own risk.
To unload the camera release the re-wind knob which lifts up with a satisfying spring and rewind the film. Unlike similar cameras you don’t have to feel for when the resistance changes to know you’ve re-wound the film all the way, you can watch the exposure counter going all the way back through the numbers to that diamond…simple yet brilliant.
Shooting Experience
This was the first film camera I had that felt like an extension of me. I stopped thinking about what I was doing, about the steps, and just enjoyed taking photos. It’s small enough to get out of the way, mechanical enough to be satisfying, simple enough to let me forget about the “how” to focus on the photo and fun enough to make me want to use it.
Take this camera on a summer trip, set the aperture to f11, guesstimate your distances you won’t be disapointed.
Of course this is a camera with no rangefinder or other focussing aid so you won’t be getting shallow depth of field but when it’s the right tool for the job it does it’s job flawlessly and with style.
Gallery
Photos below taken with my Vito B.
Reliability
Disclaimer: Every vintage camera is different, and the condition of my specific example will likely differ from yours.
I’ve tested three of these cameras now and every single one has worked flawlessly. The simplicity helps, as does the metal build and quality. There’s no light-seals to decay, no rangefinder to go out of alignment. Straight out of that bargain bucket and with no care or servicing, 10+ rolls later mine has never skipped a beat. The self-timer could be a weak point if dust gets in there but if it works that’s just an added bonus.
In fact I’m such as fan of the design I would love a Vito B to be the start of an upcycling project, but I’ve not yet found a broken one and I can’t bring myself to sacrifice a working example.
Lenses
All Vito B’s have Voigtländers Color-Skopar 50mm lenses, often f/3.5, based on a “Tessar Design” these were premium 4 element lenses in their day. The “Color” in Voigtländer lens marketing means coated so there’s some resistance to flare too.
Stop the aperture down and I struggled to find flaws in any of my photos, just warmth and character without sacrificing clarity. You won’t be using wider apertures with a “guesstimate focus” camera anyway but I have no doubt this lens would hold it’s own with the best of them.
Of course you’re stuck at the 50mm focal length but for me that’s perfect for the nostalgic feel. Your family snapshots will come out with a retro quality a phone filter could never reproduce, as though they were authentically taken in the 1950s.
Conclusion
The perfect camera for less than a roll of film? For nostalgic holiday photos and go-anywhere mechanical brilliance the Vito B just might be. If you want to get into analogue photography in the simplest and cheapest way possible while still enjoying the process and taking beautiful photos with a magical quality no modern camera can reproduce then look no further.
There’s a reason Voigtländer had great success with their Vito series, and the fact they were so successful in the 1950s makes the easy to find and unbelievably affordable today. That you can own a camera of this quality today for not much more than the cost of the film you put in it is perhaps the greatest opportunity in analogue photography.
It must be said, it’s not the perfect camera for every case but for family snapshots and last minute summer trips I can’t think of a better camera (or second camera!) to take. The old saying goes the best camera is the one you have with you, and if that camera is a Vito B you’ll enjoy every second of it.
Ready to find your own forgotten camera, check out the guide.
Ready to get started learning manual photography, we’ve got a guide for that too.
Leave a Reply