The Vivitar near the top looks like the same camera as my Kalimar K90. Has a very "plasticy" feel to it, and the meter is a full stop off, but other than that works nicely. The shutter has a very loud "ka-CHING" noise, very distinctive. One of the cool features is that the self-timer gives you a pseudo mirror lockup. You set the self-timer, and press the shutter button, and the mirror pops up. Shutter doesn't fire until the timer runs out.
-Mat On 6/6/05, Wigwam Jones <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Oh, and I forgot - Cosina is "Phoenix" brand too. All same-same. Here's an > interesting link: > > http://www.popphoto.com/article.asp?print_page=y§ion_id=2&article_id=774&page_number=1&preview= > > You can kinda tell I'm a nut for this Cosina stuff. Sorry. > > Best, > > Wiggy > > -------Original Message------- > > From: "Wigwam Jones" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: RE: Vixen VX2 k-mount body for astro photography > > Sent: 06 Jun 2005 13:52:12 > > > > Vixen VX2 is made by Cosina of Japan, which also makes the current > > Voigtlander-branded family of rangefinders and SLRs in Leica Screw Mount > > and M42 (Pentax Screw Mount) respectively.They also make and sell a > > 'Voigtlander' branded P/K mount SLR which greatly resembles the Vixen VX-2 > > - to the extent that I believe it must be the same exact camera. > > > > I have also found this exact model branded with a variety of names, from > > Cosina to Voigtlander to Vixen to Vivitar and I'm sure a few others.Check > > out this link: > > > > http://www.photovillage.com/html/vsl43.html > > > > Now, the fact is, they've been selling this model for a long, long, time - > > just in different forms.I have a Canon T60 which is the same basic body - > > most parts are interchangable, it just has a Canon FD mount and was made in > > the 1980's.They also made a Nikon and an Olympus and I think a few others > > that were just relabled.They knocked the prism off the top and called it a > > Bessa R rangefinder.They put the prism back on and called it a Bessaflex TM > > (which I bought - and paid retail - because it had the M42 mount I > > wanted).They sold and still sell all kinds of brand-named P/K mount SLRs. > > > > I gather that this Vixen is optimized somehow for astronomy, which I know > > nothing about.I do know that these camera bodies have a nice Copal Square > > vertical travel shutter, very nice; and a bright viewfinder. > > > > I have nothing against them - in fact, I think Cosina is one of the > > smarter companies out there right now, and Mr Kobayashi is a certifiable > > genius. > > > > Don't know if this helps, but I know a bit about Cosina/Voigtlander and > > I'd love to help if I can - ya'll have been very nice to me. > > > > Best, > > > > Wiggy > > > > -------Original Message------- > > > From: "Markus Maurer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Subject: RE: Vixen VX2 k-mount body for astro photography > > > Sent: 06 Jun 2005 13:25:47 > > > > > >Thanks Fred > > >greetings > > >Markus > > > > > >>>-----Original Message----- > > >>>From: Fred [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >>>Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 5:56 PM > > >>>To: Markus Maurer > > >>>Subject: Re: Vixen VX2 k-mount body for astro photography > > >>> > > >>> > > >>>> does anybody here know the Vixen VX2 body? > > >>> > > >>>I looked into it a few years ago, Markus, back when I was doing a bit of > > >>>astrophotography.I forget who it was made by (Cosina? Voigtlander? > > >>>Ricoh?), but I finally decided that it was unlikely to perform better > > than > > >>>the LX, so I never actually ended up getting my hands on one. > > >>> > > >>>> I wonder if the brighter viewfinder would be useful for other > > >>>themes like > > >>>> available light photography as well. > > >>> > > >>>I suspect it would, although, once again, I would think that an LX (with > > >>>the right viewfinder) is still going to do at least as well in dim > > light. > > >>> > > >>>Fred > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > -------Original Message------- > -------Original Message------- > >
