Voigtlander Vitomatic IIIa

History

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.

Why It Matters

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.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Positioned at the top of Voigtlander's consumer rangefinder range in the early 1960s, competing with the Kodak Retina IIIc and Canon Canonet QL17 at a higher specification level.
• The Ultron 50/2 lens was used in the Prominent rangefinder system by professional and advanced-amateur photographers; the IIIa brought the same optic to a more compact body.
• Collected today primarily for the Ultron lens, which is considered one of the finer normal lenses produced by the Voigtlander factory.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Voigtlander Vitomatic - model history, variant list, and lens specifications