RE: Vixen VX2 k-mount body for astro photography
That Voigtlander body is the same as the Promaster offering and I think also the same as the Vivitar. They're all over Columbus. Filled with margin. Sincerely, Collin Sent via the WebMail system at mail.safe-t.net
Re: Vixen VX2 k-mount body for astro photography
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=ysection_id=2article_id=774page_number=1preview= 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---
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
RE: Vixen VX2 k-mount body for astro photography
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
RE: Vixen VX2 k-mount body for astro photography
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---
RE: Vixen VX2 k-mount body for astro photography
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=ysection_id=2article_id=774page_number=1preview= 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---
RE: Vixen VX2 k-mount body for astro photography
Hi Wigwam Jones this was a very good and interesting reading for me, thanks a lot. greetings Markus -Original Message- From: Wigwam Jones [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 8:52 PM To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net Subject: RE: Vixen VX2 k-mount body for astro photography 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. http://www.photovillage.com/html/vsl43.html Wiggy
