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-------
