Voigtländer
| Voigtländer GmbH
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| legal form | |
| founding | 1756 |
| Seat | Fuerth , Germany |
| Branch | photography |
| Website | www.voigtlaender.de |
Voigtländer was an important traditional company in the photo industry with its founding headquarters in Braunschweig . The company is still a trademark for high-quality fixed focal length lenses today.
The company has been based in Fürth / Bavaria since 2001.
history
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The Voigtländer company was founded by Johann Christoph Voigtländer in Vienna in 1756 and initially manufactured optical instruments, including optical measuring devices and opera glasses. From 1839, the year the invention of photography was published, lenses were added, and from 1840 full cameras for photography. The lenses Voigtlaenders were revolutionary because they were the first mathematically calculated precision lenses of photographic history, constructed by the Mathematics Professor Jozef Maximilián Petzval . They have a previously unknown high light intensity of 1 / 3.5 and were therefore used to shorten the long exposure times that were still necessary at that time, especially for portraits.
Because of a dispute with Petzval, who had given Peter Wilhelm Friedrich von Voigtländer the lens without a contract or patent for a one-off payment of only 2,000 guilders, the Voigtländer & Sohn, optical institute , was established in Braunschweig in 1849 , later the company headquarters was relocated to Braunschweig (Campe- Street / corner of Adolfstraße). The family company Voigtländer was converted into a stock corporation in 1898, in which Schering AG acquired the majority in 1925 . In 1915, increasing sales made it necessary to build a new factory and move to the Gliesmarode district (Petzvalstrasse). In 1929 the production capacity was expanded. In 1956 Schering AG sold Voigtländer AG to the Carl Zeiss Foundation , which also included Zeiss Ikon and the Braunschweig Zett factory. In 1957, the company moved into a new building for optical production and the administration was also relocated to Gliesmarode. In 1965 the Zeiss-Ikon / Voigtländer sales company was founded. From the mid-1960s, Voigtländer and its parent company Zeiss-Ikon got into an ever greater sales crisis, which finally led to the closure of the Voigtländer plant (2037 employees) on August 4, 1971.
The company then went to the Auffanggesellschaft Optische Werke Voigtländer , in which Carl Zeiss , the state of Lower Saxony and the Brunswick camera manufacturer Rollei each held a third; later Rollei took over all shares. The rescue company continued to manufacture lenses for Zeiss-Ikon and Rollei for a year. In 1974 the Optische Werke Voigtländer was dissolved and the Voigtländer Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH was founded, which sold Rollei cameras made in Singapore under the name Voigtländer.
When Rollei went bankrupt and split up in 1982, the rights to the Voigtländer name were sold for DM 100,000 in 1983 to Plusfoto GmbH & Co , which in turn merged with the Ringfoto Group in 1997 . Voigtländer GmbH, based in Fürth, is today a subsidiary of the sales company Ringfoto GmbH & Co.Alfo Marketing KG (merged to United Imaging Group since 2019) and offers high-quality lenses (fixed focal lengths) for all common camera manufacturers.
Product history
Until 1945
Plate cameras such as the Alpin were also popular with amateurs around 1905 , and from around 1910 the plate and roll film cameras Bergheil and Avus, which were already being produced in large numbers .
Famous lenses, which were also sold with interchangeable connections, were the five-lens Heliar from 1900 and the Skopar (a Tessar type) in the early 20th century .
The Bessa medium format cameras from the 1930s and the Voigtländer Brillant from the same period are among the most important traditional Voigtländer products . With the Vito in 1939, Voigtländer turned to the 35mm format relatively late.
Voigtländer Bergheil (1932), floor camera with roll film attachment, format 6 × 9
Voigtländer Bessa (1935), roll film camera, format 6 × 9
Voigtländer Superb (1935), two-lens reflex camera
Voigtländer Bessa 66 (1936), roll film camera, format 6 × 6
1945–1982
After the war, 35mm viewfinder cameras, models such as the Vitessa from 1953, Dynamatic (1960) and Vitrona (1963), had great success, also in export. The Voigtländer advertising aimed not least at the superior optical quality: "Voigtländer - because the lens is so good".
In 1952 Voigtländer produced the first apochromatically corrected lens for medium format cameras with normal light intensity, the 4.5 / 105 mm Apo-Lanthar . With the Ultron 2.0 / 50 mm (Gauss type) one of the best 35mm lenses of its time was in the program, which served as a template for the further development of many other manufacturers. The Nokton 1.5 / 50 mm, also calculated by AW Tronnier , was one of the brightest lenses in 1951.
1959 was presented the first with the Zoomar Zoom - Interchangeable Lens before for small format cameras in the world.
In the 50s Voigtländer built medium format folding cameras (Bessa-II), rangefinder cameras with interchangeable lenses (Prominent) and single-lens reflex cameras with central locking ( Bessamatic - 1957) in the upper market segment . In 1959 and 1963, SLR prototypes with focal plane shutter were developed (internal designation type 132), both of which were rejected by the group's executive board. Instead, the central locking SLRs continued to be produced even though their falling sales already signaled the approaching end of this type of camera. The last Voigtländer SLR built in Braunschweig was the Bessamatic-CS (1966). In addition to the Bessamatic series, there was also the Ultramatic series. These were the same type of SLR cameras, but the Ultramatic was much heavier and more massive than the Bessamatic. The first series of the Ultramatic had a swing-back mirror that opened the viewfinder image again after the shutter release. This was made possible by an additional circuit board in the camera base. Unfortunately, the Ultramatic was also very error-prone. This was due to an inhibition that was not running completely, which ultimately led to a completely blocked camera. The second Ultramatic series, which was now called Ultramatic CS due to the CDS exposure measurement, did not have a swing-back mirror, but the TTL exposure measurement previously not available in any German camera model . In addition, the film speed was now adjusted using a further ring on the camera's shutter. The interchangeable lenses for the central shutter were less bright than the competition - e.g. B. the Nokton could not be installed. While Pentax, for example, supported the very successful "open standard" of the M42 lens thread , Voigtländer relied on his own, trademarked but incompatible system. The range of interchangeable lenses remained small. The Ultramatic did not sell well and was discontinued in 1968.
A prototype from 1963 with a focal plane shutter (Bessaflex) was finally built three years later, slightly modified, under the Zeiss-Ikon logo or as the Zeiss-Ikon-Voigtländer Icarex . The Icarex, however, lacked the TTL exposure meter that is now available on the market. The Icarex is the only known SLR that was manufactured in parallel with two different lens connections: with a brand-specific bayonet connection and with the M42 thread. Both were unsuccessful, even though the lenses used were high-quality Carl Zeiss designs. Compared to the Japanese competition, Voigtländer's product range was outdated and too expensive from the mid-sixties. The technological leadership was taken over by companies such as Pentax and Nikon .
In the years after 1971 Rollei owned the brand . The Voigtländer cameras were either largely identical to Rollei cameras or important assemblies were used together. At that time, production took place in the Rollei Singapore plant . The Voigtländer cameras were positioned lower on the market than Rollei. a. thanks to equipment that is more economical in details. The most important cameras of this era were the Rollei and Voigtländer parallel models VSL 1 / Rollei SL 35 M, VSL 2 / Rollei SL 35 ME and VSL 3 / Rollei SL 35 E equipped with the QBM bayonet, as well as the Voigtländer VSL 1 with M42 -Screw thread, rotational position-locking stop and an axial mechanical transmission of the aperture value from the lens to the camera for the open aperture measurement .
These cameras could not hold their own on the market either. After the Singapore plant was closed and Rollei went bankrupt in 1981, there were no more cameras under the Voigtländer name.
Voigtländer Bessa II (1952), folding camera roll film 6 × 9
Vitoret DR viewfinder camera (around 1965)
Vitomatic II rangefinder camera with Color-Skopar 50mm f / 2.8 around 1960
Range finder camera Vitomatic IIa with Ultron 50mm f2.0 (around 1963)
SLR camera: Bessamatic
Bright frame viewfinder camera Dynamatic (1960)
Mirror reflex VSL 1
Since 1999
Ringfoto & Alfo Marketing GmbH & Co.KG
In 1997 the Ringfoto Group took over the Voigtländer company. Different analog and digital compact cameras, memory cards, films, digital picture frames and, above all, high-quality lenses are sold.
Since 2015, the range has included various fixed focal lengths with different camera connections and camera accessories.
Since 2019
United Imaging Group GmbH & Co.KG
Change of name from Ringfoto & Alfo Marketing GmbH & Co.KG to United Imaging Group GmbH & Co.KG
The Voigtländer range includes high-quality camera lenses with different camera connections as well as accessories.
Cosina
Since 1999, develops and the Japanese company manufactures Cosina rangefinder cameras of the series Bessa (models T, L and R) and associated lenses under the name Voigtlander, first with lens thread M39, since the expiry of patent protection in 2002 with Leica M - lens mount .
The camera chassis of the Cosina CT-1 served as the basis, which has also been used for contract manufacturing by other manufacturers in recent years (Canon T-60, Nikon FM10 and FE10, Olympus OM-2000). The models R2, R3 and R4 differ in their viewfinder magnification. In addition, each model is optionally available as an A or M model, whereby the A model is equipped with automatic timing and relies on batteries, while the M model only has exposure metering and can therefore be used without exposure metering without batteries.
All models have TTL exposure metering, a vertical metal shutter and a flash synchronization time of 1/125 s. The right viewfinder frame for the lens is not automatically recognized by the camera, but must be selected using a switch on the top of the camera.
From 2002 to 2005 the Bessa R2 was also available with the classic Nikon S (built until 1964) and Contax RF (built until 1962) connections, for which Cosina even offered its own lenses. This product variant has now been discontinued.
From 2002 to 2006 Rollei also sold a modified version of the Bessa R2 under the name "Rollei 35RF". The case essentially corresponded to that of the Bessa, but was of higher quality. Three lenses with focal lengths of 40, 50 and 80 mm, calculated by Zeiss and assembled by Rollei, were available.
Epson launched a digital version of the Bessa R2 in 2004, the Epson R-D1 (and its successor versions R-D1s, R-D1x and R-D1xG, some of which were only available on the Japanese market). A 6.1 MP APS-C sensor and a rear wall with an LC screen were built into the camera housing.
In 2009 Voigtländer (Cosina) brought the BESSA III 667 onto the market for the first time in over 50 years, a medium format folding camera that can expose 120/220 roll film in either 6 × 6 or 6 × 7 format. Winfried Warnke: Archive 2009: Practical test of the medium format camera Voigtländer Bessa III . In: Photo magazine . February 24, 2015 ( fotomagazin.de ).
At the end of 2015, the last Bessa models mentioned above were discontinued.
Cosina continues to produce all lenses (fixed focal lengths) for Voigtländer.
| Model name | Production period | Lens connection | Viewfinder enlargement | Remarks | image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bessa L | 1999-2003 | M39 | - / - | no viewfinder, no range finder; Operation with clip-on viewfinders and wide-angle lenses with zone scale |
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| Bessa R | 1999-2002 | M39 | 0.68 | first rangefinder camera from Cosina-Voigtländer | |
| Bessa T | 2001-2004 | Leica M | 1.5 | only rangefinder, no viewfinder; Operation with attachments |
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| Bessa R2 Rollei 35RF |
2002-2004 | Leica M | 0.68 | Successor to the R, with Leica M connection |
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| Bessa R2S | 2002-2005 | Nikon S | 0.68 | with Nikon-S connection | |
| Bessa R2C | 2002-2005 | Contax RF | 0.68 | with Contax RF connector |
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| Epson R-D1 1s / 1x / 1xG |
2004-2009 | Leica M | 1.0 | 6.1 MP APS-C sensor, | |
| Bessa R2M / A | 2004-2015 | Leica M | 0.7 | M = mechanical lock, A = electronic lock; Finder frame for 35 mm, 50 mm & 75/90 mm | |
| Bessa R3M / A | 2004-2015 | Leica M | 1.0 | M = mechanical lock, A = electronic lock; Finder frame for 40 mm, 50 mm & 75/90 mm |
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| Bessa R4M / A | 2006-2015 | Leica M | 0.52 | M = mechanical lock, A = electronic lock; Finder frames for 21 mm, 25 mm, 28 mm, 35 mm & 50 mm |
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| Bessa III 667 | 2009-2015 | Permanently installed lens | Folding camera roll film 6 × 6/6 × 7 |
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Lenses
In addition to the Leica M lenses, Voigtländer also offers lenses for the Micro Four Thirds standard ( MFT series ), SLR lenses with a Nikon connection and Sony E-mount .
See also
- Hans Sommer , stepson of Peter Wilhelm Friedrich von Voigtländer, director of the Technical University of Braunschweig from 1875 to 1881, who calculated the Euryskop lens series (1878) for Voigtländer & Sohn.
literature
- Claus Prochnow: Voigtländer Report . tape 1 : 35mm viewfinder cameras 1939 to 1982 . Lindemanns Verlag, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-00-011867-5 .
- Claus Prochnow: Voigtländer Report . tape 2 : SLR and stereo cameras 1902 to 1982 . Lindemanns Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-89506-251-0 .
- Claus Prochnow: Voigtländer Report . 1st edition. tape 3 : Plate and roll film cameras from 1840 . Lindemann Verlag, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-89506-274-2 .
- Gerd Spies (Ed.): Voigtländer in Braunschweig 1849–1972. Company chronicle and guide sheets for the exhibition from 05.03. until May 21, 1989 . Städtisches Museum Braunschweig, Braunschweig 1989 (exhibition catalog).
- Udo Afalter: Voigtländer - Zeiss Ikon Voigtländer - cameras & lenses from 1840 to 1995 . 2nd Edition. Lindemanns Verlag, Stuttgart 1998.
- Udo Afalter: Voigtländer - Zeiss Ikon Voigtländer from 1945 to 1991 . Self-published by Udo Afalter, Gifhorn 1991.
- Carsten Grabenhorst: Voigtländer & Sohn: the company history from 1756 to 1914 . Ed .: Museum for Photography. Appelhans, Braunschweig 2002, ISBN 3-930292-25-4 ( appelhans-verlag.de ).
- Klaus-D. Müller (Ed.): Voigtländer 1840–1939 . Materials on the company's history (= Photographica library . Volume 3 ). Book on Demand, 2009, ISBN 3-8370-3658-8 (reprint of 7 company catalogs on 340 pages from 1904 to 1939).
- Bernd K. Otto : Carl Zeiss Camera Register 1902–2012 . Verlag Rudolf Hillebrand, Neuss 2013, ISBN 978-3-9813746-4-3 .
Web links
- Voigtländer website
- Early documents and newspaper articles on Voigtländer in the 20th century press kit of the ZBW - Leibniz Information Center for Economics .
- Cosina Co., Ltd, maker of the Classic Collection products
- private Voigtländer archive
- A Camera Obscura by Voigtländer & Son Vienna (PDF; 2.0 MB, English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Rangerfinder Forum
- ↑ photoscala.de
- ↑ Epson R-D1 data sheet. In: digitalkamera.de. Retrieved March 30, 2017 .
- ↑ Epson R-D1. In: epson.de. Retrieved March 30, 2017 .
- ↑ Press release: Voigtländer discontinues Bessa-R model series