geoff_radkoff Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 Here is a shot of a Prominent that is in my collection. This is a beautifully made camera that is still fully functional. It is, however, a total pia to use, with very clunky controls. The 50mm f1.4 Nokton lens is quite sharp and has fairly good contrast. Has anyone else here every used one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_z._li2 Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 I agree with you, the Voigtlander Nokton 50/1.5 is such a lovely lens that is the only reason to get the Prominent body. I don't know who said it that often Voigtlander cameras need 3 hands to operate. Nowadays I use an adapter to shoot the Nokton on my Sony A7 mirrorless digital camera. Of the other classic Voigtlander cameras, I enjoy the following: Vitessa barn door 35mm folder with coffee plunger, especially with the lovely Ultron 50/2 lens. Overall quite decent ergonomics and great optics.Bessamatic leaf shutter 35mm SLR, with various lenses (e.g. Septon 50/2, Skopar 50/2.5, Super Dynarex 135/4). Good ergonomics and excellent opticsVitomatic IIa, Skopar 50/2.8. Decent ergonomics and excellent optics. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Great big, heavy, unwieldy and beautiful cameras, Geoff. I posted some stuff on them here: Bursting into Prominents 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Gammill Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Nice example. Thanks for sharing. I have a Vitessa L with the f2 Ultron that belonged to my dad. He bought it new during the mid-50's. Still works, although the meter is not accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff_radkoff Posted November 4, 2017 Author Share Posted November 4, 2017 Thanks, guys. Great thread Rick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Bowes Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Don't forget the Voigtlander Vito II from the 1950's. A compact folder that when use with some care, yields excellent 35mm results, b/w or color. Bill I have two! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brett_rogers Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 Clunky? In my experience, Voigtlanders don't clunk. I can pass on my address for all you Prominent haters to send your bodies too, if you really think they're that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_mcewan Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 (edited) It's interesting to read on this thread, and many others over the years, how many people there are who love the results from the Prominent but complain about the ergonomics. As a left-eyed shooter the ergonomics are great - unlike so many of the great mechanical SLRs which, for convenience, have long film advance levers that do not return completely and are likely to poke me in my right eye. Two cameras that come to mind are the Canon FT and FTB. I bought a 1957 Prominent in mint condition in 1961. In the following years I added the 35/3.5 and the 100mm f4.5., using a Turnit for the 35mm and 100mm and a Kontur for the 50mm Ultron. It was not until the mid 1990s that I put the Prominent aside as my main camera and switched to the Canon EOS system. For more than three decades I was rewarded with thousands of slides and prints: it never ever let me down. After reading this thread I took the Prominent out of its case. It is still like new. Slow shutter speeds are spot on, and I just love to hear the mechanical timer and quiet shutter. I have several Voigtlanders in my collection, the easiest to use being a lovely Vitomatic 11a with the ultron f2 lens - a fairly rare combination. But the sentimental favourite will always be the Prominent. Edited November 5, 2017 by david_mcewan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff_radkoff Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 I think that my Prominent is a very nice camera. That being said, I wish that I had an adapter to use the 1.5 Nokton with my Nikon rangefinder bodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lance_blakeslee Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 You must like nice things. Is that a Thorens turntable? I have a TD-124... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff_radkoff Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 yes, a 1957 model, sounds great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Gammill Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 I remember Thorens. Are they still in business? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff_radkoff Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 I remember Thorens. Are they still in business? yes they are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Gammill Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 I have a couple of old electronics catalogs: Allied from 1966 and Lafayette from 1965. Tons of what was then state of the art. I believe the Allied might have a Thorens turntable. I'll have to look. At this time solid state amps and receivers were beginning to replace tube amps. Tape decks mostly still had no preamp and IIRC, used NAB equalization via tape head inputs. By the time I got into components virtually all tape decks had preamps. My turntable, which did have an elliptical stylus, had a ground wire that had to be connected to avoid hum. Still have that turntable and a lesser expensive (but newer) one that has a conical stylus. My linear tracking turntable went south last spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Bryant Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 I had a Thorens TD150 for a long time. Right now a VPI with a SME V tone arm and a high output moving coil cartridge. Both preamp and power amp are tube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff_radkoff Posted November 6, 2017 Author Share Posted November 6, 2017 My 1957 Thorens TD 124, 1965 Fisher 400 reciever, and 1978 Klipsch Heresy speakers in our living room 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecaz Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 [ATTACH=full]1218042[/ATTACH] My 1957 Thorens TD 124, 1965 Fisher 400 reciever, and 1978 Klipsch Heresy speakers in our living room I like everything in this photo, including the chair and the cabinet :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff_radkoff Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 The cabinet is from a black and white tv that we had when I was a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 This is the missing link in the story of higher quality cameras of its time. There were lots of add-ons for it like the Popular Photography Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Yes, that reflex housing is a bridge, and a highly collectible one, at that. It would seem we Prominent people have similar lifestyle tastes! The Prominent at Home 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecaz Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 The cabinet is from a black and white tv that we had when I was a kid. That was a much nicer TV than any B&W set we ever had :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecaz Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Yes, that reflex housing is a bridge, and a highly collectible one, at that. It would seem we Prominent people have similar lifestyle tastes! The Prominent at Home [ATTACH=full]1219137[/ATTACH] Also drool-worthy. The Akai pre-amp, that is. Not the generic black thing next to it. Oh, and the camera, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonsignore_ezio Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 " It would seem we Prominent people have similar lifestyle tastes!" Oh yes indeed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royall_berndt Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 The Prominent not only gives great images, it gives pleasure as a work of art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbon_dragon Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 Fantastic lens, pity it’s gotta be connected to the Prominent. They only thing that makes the Contarex Bullseye look like a practical user interface. But at least the Bullseye is beautiful. That lens IS worth shooting the Prominent though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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