voigtländer vitessa L ultron: 2.0 50mm. RED .Does anyone know the story of this camera?

http://www.alexisgullon.es/s-l1600%20(1).jpghttp://www.alexisgullon.es/s-l1600%20.jpg Hello. Would anyone know why this voigtländer vitessa L ultron: 2.0 50mm has the color red? The leather is original from the factory, it seems that it has not been changed. The rear detail of "Germany" is marked like the black ones. I have seen one with the skin changed and this detail is not appreciated.

Thank you

No idea, but that is one sexy looking camera!

If you are positive that the leather is original from the factory, then perhaps it has been painted over?

OOOh! That is beautiful... No, I've never seen or come across a reference to one in any colour other than black. Some of the later Vitessas were available in a woodgrain finish, as I recall, but if that's a genuine factory finish you will have something valuable there. I think the painted scenario is the more likely...

The fairly detailed (26pages) description of the Vitessa varieties in Claus Prochnovs 320page Voigtländer Report volume 1, does not mention any other colours than black.

 

Your specimen seems to be the model 133\96, produced between 1954 and 1955. Prochnow states that the light-meter window changed to this type in 1955. Model 140\96 was produced from 1956 to 1958 and looks the same. Some also, -like this one,- had Weston meter numbers (WES) which were common on the previous model. He states that internally the 140 is "improved" and can be recognized by having two catches for the film pressure-plate above and below the film gate.

 

p.

It seems like a small edition that is given to the skilled workers of the company. They were never on sale. There are no signs of painting. Edited October 17, 2018 by Www.alexisgullon.es

I have found documentation:

Monatsbild

Is a prototype.

Www.Alexisgullon.es said:

I have found documentation: Is a prototype.

 

Wow! It really does look as if you have something valuable there! For the convenience of other members, here's a translation of the relevant information from the original German:

 

"In the company magazine "Voigtländer-Post" Voigtländer published in issue 4/1958 an article in which a market study is reported. In the article u.a. "... in recent months we have been carrying out extensive tests in Germany and abroad (New York) with black, gray and red leathered cameras."

The tests served to assess the customer acceptance of color leathered cameras. For the color red only 16% of the test buyers would have decided at that time. For black leather covering decided 60%, so it remained in the exclusive production of cameras with black leather."

 

Congratulations, OP!

So to confirm that it is a type 140 from 1958 you just have to have a look at the fasteners for the film channel pressure plate.

 

p.

(Envious) congratulations from me, too - and apologies for the painting suggestion. Now wouldn't you perchance fit into the 60% of customers who preferred black, and be thus happy to trade that obnoxious red camera of yours with as waaaay more elegant, classical black model in my possession, wouldn't you?

Nice!

 

I don't have any Voigtländers, but the plunger (watch your eyes!) idea was so appealing that the East Germans made a plunger camera too:

Penti aus DDR

 

Everything's up to date in Dresden

They've gone about as far as they can go

I just looked at the German site. That camera looks like a model 133 (light meter window) from before 1955, so it would seem strange that the consumer survey quoted above took place with an old model. Maybe the had surveys a couple of years apart,

 

There might well be better sources than Prochnov. I am neither a Voigtländer collector nor an expert, I just have used some Voigtländers in the past which now sit on a shelf, among them a Vitessa model 125 and find topics such as the history of technology interesting.

 

p.