C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Voigtländer Vitomatic (1957) is a compact 35mm viewfinder camera produced in Braunschweig, West Germany, by Voigtländer & Sohn AG, representing the metered evolution of the Vito series. Where the Vito B and Vito IIa were clean viewfinder cameras without any metering provision, the Vitomatic integrated a selenium photoelectric cell above the lens, coupled to the exposure system to guide correct exposure settings.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Kodak UltraMax 400 is a versatile consumer-grade ISO 400 daylight-balanced color negative film with T-grain emulsion, delivering warm Kodak colors, fine-for-speed grain (PGI 46), and wide exposure latitude. Currently in production and available globally as a single-roll and multi-pack.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
The Vito upgraded with a built-in meter — the Vitomatic added a coupled selenium exposure meter to the proven Vito body, giving the compact Voigtländer platform an integrated light-measuring capability without requiring batteries, in a handsome West German package.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (24×36 mm) |
| Mount | Fixed (non-interchangeable) |
| Years | 1957–1966 |
| Lens | Color-Skopar 50mm f/2.8 or Color-Lanthar 50mm f/2.8 |
| Shutter | Prontor-SVS / Prontor-SLK leaf: 1s – 1/300s + B |
| Flash sync | X-sync (M-sync on some variants) |
| Meter | Selenium cell, EV scale |
| Exposure | Manual (EV-guided) |
| Viewfinder | Direct optical |
| Focus | Scale (metres / feet) |
| Battery | None (selenium) |
Voigtländer's Vito series began with the Vito (1939), evolved through the folding Vito II and compact rigid Vito B (1954), and reached a mature form with the Vito IIa (1955). The next step in the Vito line's development was the addition of integrated metering: the Vitomatic (1957) accomplished this with a selenium cell, while the Vitessa series addressed a higher-specification market with rangefinder coupling.
The Vitomatic I was the base model; the Vitomatic Ia and IIa added minor improvements to the shutter or finder. The Color-Skopar lens equipped most examples, with the Color-Lanthar appearing on budget export variants. Prontor shutter speeds matched the contemporary standard, and the cameras were sold throughout Western Europe, North America, and Australia through Voigtländer's dealer network.
Production wound down in the mid-1960s as the introduction of the Vitoret and the shift toward fully automatic viewfinder cameras — first shutter-priority, then programmed — changed market expectations. The selenium-metered manual Vitomatic was a transitional product that straddled the pre-and post-automatic eras.
The Voigtländer Vitomatic captures the quality and character of West German camera engineering at a period when Voigtländer's Color-Skopar lenses were considered world-class. The battery-free selenium meter is reliable if the cell remains functional, and the compact body handles well. For film photographers seeking a West German compact with integrated metering that requires no batteries, the Vitomatic is a compelling choice with strong lens performance.
Fixed Color-Skopar 50/2.8 or Color-Lanthar 50/2.8; non-interchangeable. The Color-Skopar is the preferred optic — a sharp Tessar-type with good coating. Close-up accessory attachments in Voigtländer series filter sizes; yellow/orange filters for black-and-white work. Ever-ready case was standard accessory.
C41
Kodak ColorPlus 200 is an affordable, consumer-oriented daylight-balanced color negative film at ISO 200. Known for warm, slightly muted color rendition, fine grain, and wide exposure latitude, it is currently in production and widely available in Asia and select global markets.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Voigtländer Vitomatic
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