Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/03/18

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: [Leica] On the History of Voigtländer
From: "A.H.SCHMIDT" <horsts@primus.com.au>
Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 21:02:23 +1100
References: <3AB29F6D.CE4E9619@visi.net> <3.0.6.32.20010317161843.00a3b210@pop.infi-net.mindspring.com> <003101c0af2a$d7a25080$2d157a3e@aspire>

Georgio,
Cosina took the Voigtlander name, to cover the just ordinary name,  they had for
their previous products marketed under their own name. Now for the lenses, this
is probably a good move, even so I do object to the way they name the new
lenses. It has nothing at all to do with the Voigtlander naming conventions It
either shows ignorance or the attitude, the customers are ignorant too, as long
as there is the Voigtlander name. its Ok, They don't know any better anyway..
Having said this,   I admit, the new lenses are pretty good for the price, and I
am still toying with the idea, of buing a 15mm lens on my next trip, if I can
get it for aduty free price.

However, naming the cameras after Voigtlander cameras ( the name  Bessa was
never used for a 35 mm Voigtlander 35 mm  camera),  I believe,  was not really
such a good move. Voigtlander cameras where never  the most reliable cameras on
the market, in fact, they where not at all suitable for constant rough use. I
owed and still owe quite a range of Voigtlander cameras 35 mm, 2 1/4 sq. and
6x9.  including a couple of Prominents. The lenses are very good, but the bodies
are not up to the rough and tough treatment. Voigtlander cameras , in my
opinion, where tourist cameras. They where shiny, looked good and had a lot of
advanced features. But you had to treat then gently. I have a couple of
Vitomatic IIAs, One with a Colour Scopar and one with an Ultron lens. Two, most
fabulous cameras, but not as reliable as they could be.

Until I bought my first M3. I had , and still have now for nostalgic reason,
what I think is the most reliable and rugged screw mount  Leica ever, a post war
3C wit ha Summitar lens. This thing fitted in to my pocket, it fitted in to my
briefcase or it got dragged along, just like it was on an old strap. I had it in
for an oil change,  after I had it for 10 years, because it started to get a bit
noisy . The repair guy told me, he had to replace the ball bearings, because the
balls had disintegrated,  but the speeds where still 80 percent correct. Despite
the rough treatment and despite of its manufacturing date, (Chrome was hard to
get for manufacturing and it was only thinly applied) there are hardly any marks
on no rust to be seen. And this on a  50 year old camera.
My Voigtlander Vito B's and Vitomatics, all show some rust mark on the light
meter housing.
 If Cosina is trying to improve their image by using the Voigtlander name, then
they should stick to marking the lenses with this name, and not the cameras.

Regards, Horst Schmidt.












Giorgio Ferrari wrote:

> > Well, they didn't.  When the direct male Voigtländer line died out, a
> > family trust was established.  This trust sold the company to the Schering
> > drug company in 1925.  When Schering was going through some fiscal woes in
> > the early 1950's, they, in turn, sold the Voigtländer concern to the Zeiss
> > foundation.  In 1965, Zeiss merged Voigtländer into Zeiss Ikon.  When the
> > Zeiss foundation decided to halt camera production by Z-I-V, most of the
> > remnants of Voigtländer were sold to Rolleiflex Fototechnic.  And, when
> > Rollei went bankrupt in 1980, the Voigtländer assets were retained by
> > Rollei save for the name.
> >
> > And that is the name which is currently licensed to Cosina (and to
> others).
> >
> > Marc
>
> Well, Marc.
> No news under the sun. The Contax name was licensed to Kyocera and the
> Voigtländer name was licensed to Cosina. Were is the problem? Maybe the new
> Contax cameras are the same of the old rangefinder cameras? Cosina lenses
> are good lenses, excellent lenses for the price. I've no repulsion when I
> put them onto my Leica cameras.
>
> Too much poison, onto the LUG, around the Cosina/Voigtländer name; without
> reason.
>
> Giorgio Ferrari

Replies: Reply from "Giorgio Ferrari" <fergio@galactica.it> ([Leica] Re: [Leica] Re: [Leica] On the History of Voigtl änder)
Reply from Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net> (Re: [Leica] Re: [Leica] Re: [Leica] On the History of Voigtländer)
In reply to: Message from Isaac Crawford <isaac@visi.net> (Re: [Leica] Re: Bessa-T - let me get this straight...)
Message from Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net> ([Leica] On the History of Voigtländer)
Message from "Giorgio Ferrari" <fergio@galactica.it> ([Leica] Re: [Leica] On the History of Voigtländer)