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 Voigtlander Vitomatic IIIa (~1962) is the premium fixed-lens rangefinder that represents the highest specification reached by the Vitomatic series before the line was discontinued. Two changes distinguish it sharply from the Vitomatic II: the lens is upgraded from the Color-Skopar 50mm f/2.8 Tessar-type to the Ultron 50mm f/2, a six-element design of considerably higher resolving power and one full stop faster in low light; and the selenium meter is replaced by a CdS (cadmium sulfide) cell, which requires a battery but offers substantially greater sensitivity in dim conditions.
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.
View profile →BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The pinnacle of the Vitomatic line - the IIIa replaced selenium with CdS metering and fitted the fast Ultron 50/2, producing the sharpest and most light-sensitive camera in the Vito family.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (24x36 mm) |
| Mount | Fixed (non-interchangeable) |
| Years | ~1962-1965 |
| Lens | Ultron 50mm f/2 (six-element) |
| Shutter | Prontor-SLK leaf: 1s - 1/500s + B |
| Flash sync | X and M sync |
| Meter | CdS cell, EV scale |
| Exposure | Manual (EV-guided) |
| Viewfinder | Optical with coupled rangefinder patch |
| Focus | Coupled rangefinder |
| Battery | 1x PX625 / mercury equivalent (1.35V) |
The Vitomatic line entered production in 1957 with a selenium meter and scale focus. The II (1958) added a coupled rangefinder. By the early 1960s, the premium segment of the market was moving toward CdS metering - pioneered in 35mm rangefinders by the Leica M3 with Leicameter MR and adopted in Japanese compacts - because CdS cells are far more sensitive than selenium and can provide accurate readings in indoor and twilight conditions.
The IIIa is the result: a Vitomatic II body reworked to accept the Ultron 50/2 lens group and CdS meter circuitry, with the shutter upgraded to 1/500s to match the faster lens. The "IIIa" designation follows the nomenclature established by earlier Vitomatic variants (Ia, IIa) indicating a revised production run.
By approximately 1965, the IIIa was discontinued along with the rest of the Vitomatic range. Voigtlander was in financial difficulty during this period, ultimately merging into the Zeiss Ikon/Schering group, and the Vitomatic line was not continued under new ownership.
The Vitomatic IIIa is the most capable camera Voigtlander produced in the compact fixed-lens rangefinder category. The Ultron 50/2 is a genuinely excellent lens - sharper wide open than the Color-Skopar is at any aperture, and with a rendering quality associated with the best German glass of the early 1960s. Finding it in a compact body with a coupled rangefinder and CdS meter at modern used prices substantially below equivalent Vitessa or Prominent cameras makes the IIIa a high-value proposition.
For users, the battery dependency is the main complication: mercury PX625 cells are no longer manufactured, and silver-oxide substitutes require a consistent ISO offset. Wein zinc-air cells (MRB625) match the 1.35V spec more accurately.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →Voigtlander Vitomatic IIIa
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