Classic film cameras from a company founded in 1756 – 70 years before photography was even invented!

Let’s begin by getting the company name right. It’s not Voightlander, it’s Voigtländer – no ‘h’ and with an umlaut over the ‘a’. The umlaut is there to shift the stress to the second syllable. So the correct pronunciation is not VOIGT-lander, it’s Voigt-LAND-er. Okay, moving on…

Voigtländer is not only one of the most prestigious names in German camera manufacture, it is also one of the oldest. Founded in 1756 as a scientific instrument maker, it went on to make lenses for optical products. In 1840, working with mathematician Josef Petzal, the first mathematically computed lens was produced with an incredible f/3.7 aperture. The following year, the lens was used in Voigtländer’s first camera, made for the daguerreotype process. In the years ahead, Voigtländer made hundreds of cameras, many of which included multiple variations. Today, collectors clamour for them, but the enduring reliability of their mechanics and optics make them of equal interest to classic camera users.

The following six pages gives a small indication of the vast output from this amazing company over more than half a century.

1908: Bijou

At a time when cameras in general, and reflexes in particular, were overly large, this is one the earliest miniature single lens reflexes (SLRs). Made of metal with a box-like shape that tapers towards the front, it supports a high hood to shield the focusing screen on top of the body and shoots 6×4.5cm plates. It came to be renowned for using a 10cm f/4.5 Heliar lens, a name that would go on to be synonymous with a great many quality Voigtländer cameras.

1914-1937: Stereflektascop

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