[Leica] Re: [Leica] Re: [Leica] On the History of Voigtl änder

["Giorgio Ferrari" <fergio@galactica.it>]

Excuse me, Horst, but I have some problems to accept your point of view.
The Voigtländer name dead in the late '50.
Well, Cosina took the Voigtländer name to cover the Cosina name over their
previous products, expecially for the reflex products. About the rangefinder
products, they have modified their SLR bodies to make two rangefinder
cameras (Bessa L and Bessa R).
I'm with you: this fact is not so good for the Voigtländer name. But is not
a scandal! They have made a lot of new good lenses (with Voigtländer name),
as good as (or better than) old Leica lenses.

I don't know if you know this: in the early '50, Enzo Ferrari built his
racing team with Alfa Romeo cars. Only two years later Enzo Ferrari made his
first car for the races. Is this a scandal for you?

Cosina has made the same; I'm sure that in the next years Cosina will make a
new camera, totally new, with the Voigtländer name.

And this fact will be a new life for the rangefinder market.

Giorgio Ferrari

> 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.