Voigtlander Color-Skopar 3.5/50 - PRONTOR-SYS shutter

[buggz]

Wow, need some help with one.
I don't know how to operate it, gah.
I bought this on a lark, must learn to resist this urge from now on I think...
Anywho, I have the above subject item, converted to EOS mount.
From Google, I'm guessing this was a native fit item for a Voigtlander Vito B camera?
I has it's own shutter, it seems, kind of like an old large format lens/shutter combo.
This is all new to me.
Anyone have any experience on how to operate this thing?
I am taking photos of it now...

[pdccameras]

Hi there,

The 50 mm f/3.5 Skopar is a nice Tessar type lens. Very sharp stopped down a bit. Nice contrast and color.

You rotate the front cell of the lens to focus. There are distance markings around the side of the lens cell. You line up the focus distance with the little black diamond at 12:00.

This lens most likely came off of a Vito IIa and the shutter must be a Prontor SVS.

This is a better shutter than the cheaper Pronto shutter on the Vito B.

To set the shutter speed you rotate the knurled chrome ring that says Prontor SVS. Line up the black diamond on this ring with the speed you desire that is printed on the side of the shutter. Numbers like 1, 2, 10, 25, etc.

To cock the shutter, move the chrome lever that is sticking out of the of lens from the slot which sits between 2 and 100 on the shutter speed scale. When this lever is up near the 1/100 sec speed, the shutter is cocked. When it is down by 1/2 sec, it is released.

There is another, smaller chrome tab behind the shutter cocking lever. Use this lever to set the aperture.

To fire the shutter, push down the chrome lever sticking out of the side of the shutter at roughly 11:00 o'clock.

In terms of using this on an EOS DSLR, it ain't gonna be easy - to this best of my knowledge Prontors don 't have a T setting.

You could do this:

Set the lens shutter to B.
Trip the lens shutter and hold the shutter open. Focus the lens. Set the fstop. Fire your camera shutter while holding the lens shutter open.

Maybe the person who modified the lens took out the shutter blades?

Hope this helps,

Paul
That would simplify everything.

Hope this helps.

[estudleon]

+1.

Only a little detail. Look at the front element for subtles clean marks. In that old lenses they will be seen like an opacity. That thing, if it's strong, may affect the IQ in terms of contrast.

Remember, as Perter said before, if the lens focus using only the front element, the focus process is done by modification of the focal distance .

Good luck

Rino.

[buggz]

Thanks for the information!
Yes, it still has the shutter/iris blades.

Photos:

[martinsmith99]

A shame the poor Vito had to be sacrificed as it's a nice little camera.

[buggz]

Sugoi!
I actually have this working good now.
The lens shutter is now open ALL the time.
I can change the iris aperture normally as any other manual lens.
Focus works too.
Even though the dials are tiny, I kinda like it.

Quick laptop edit using a 12mm tube and Canon 5DMkII.
This is a big crop BTW...

[buggz]

Shrug, I received it this way.

[Pancolart]

Bravo. I have similar waiting for adaptation. I think it will be short few mm for infinity - how is yours?

Maybe it's better to re-use lens from non-working Vito (no RF type) then to let it gather dust on shelf.

[buggz]

Hello,
Mine focuses to infinity, and I believe, a bit past infinity.
It isn't a close focusing lens. But a 12mm tube makes it more so for me.
I am seeing I seem to favor close focusing lens more than ones that are not.

[Pancolart]

I guess Vito II had different flange then Vito B for instance. Well, enjoy it and post more samples !

[kingmaker007]

i too have the same lens and useing on my canon 1000D shutter has been locked at 'B'