Then you can cock the shutter and press the button. This feature also prevents the camera from firing when there’s no film inside, but you can work around it should you come upon one and wish to see if it works: open the back and turn the toothed shaft until it stops. The Vito II locks the shutter against accidental double exposure, but you can override it by lifting the lever to the right of the viewfinder on the camera’s back. In case it’s not obvious, the button is on the door. The Vito II works much like any other 35mm folder: wind, set aperture and shutter speed (guess exposure or use a meter), cock the shutter, frame, guess at subject distance and set the focus ring accordingly, press the button. To close the Vito II, press the two tabs inside the door and push the door until it latches. Press the button on the camera’s bottom, and the door springs open. It’s not obvious how to open the Vito II. Later Vito IIs, for example, came with an accessory shoe on the top plate. Vito IIs were made well into the 1950s with some running changes. Both cameras take 35mm film, but the earlier Vito apparently could use the film on simple rolls, whereas the Vito II could take only the 35mm cartridges we know today. It’s the Vito II because when it was introduced in 1949, it replaced a similar, prewar camera called Vito. I’ve seen Vito IIs with Compur-Rapid shutters with a top speed of 1/500 sec. That lens is backed with one of a few different shutters. On the Vito II, those optics are the 50mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar, of four elements in three groups, with a blue-tinted coating. I have a warm spot in my heart for little 35mm folding cameras like this. So I was pretty darned happy when one was donated to the Jim Grey Home for Wayward Cameras. Several of my camera-collecting and -blogging friends have Voigtländer Vito IIs and get outstanding photographs with them.
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