The Voigtländer Prominent was launched in 1951, a time when 35mm coupled rangefinder cameras were at their peak. Yet it anticipated the approaching popularity of single lens reflexes (SLRs) by offering a device that converted it from rangefinder to reflex use. And it surrounded itself with interchangeable lenses, viewfinders, close-up attachments, filters and other accessories that put it at the heart of a system capable of tackling just about any subject. Today the Prominent appeals to film enthusiasts who enjoy using older cameras, as well as collectors who revel in its eccentricities.
There are two models. Early versions of the Prominent I lack an accessory shoe and use a knob to wind the film; a later variation of that first model adds a shoe and a two-stroke lever wind. The Prominent II, made in 1958, is similar to the Prominent I but with an extra-large, life-size viewfinder incorporating bright-line frames for wide-angle, standard and telephoto lenses. The basic controls of all the cameras are similar.
The lenses
Six lenses are available for the Prominent: three 50mm standards – f/1.5 Nokton, f/2 Ultron and f/3.5 Color-Skopar – plus a 35mm f/3.5 Skoparon wide angle, 100mm f/4.5 Dynaron medium-tele and a 150mm f/4.5 Super-Dynaron telephoto.
The standard lenses bayonet directly onto a Synchro-Compur shutter mounted on the front of the body and speeded 1–1/500sec. Focusing is by a knob on the top plate, with a distance scale around its edge and a depth of field scale below. As the knob is turned the shutter plus lens move back and forth. Coupled with a coincident image rangefinder in the viewfinder, this measures and sets the distance.
This story is from the December 14, 2019 edition of Amateur Photographer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 14, 2019 edition of Amateur Photographer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Final Analysis
Maria Falconer considers...Cromarty. Wednesday 18 August 1993. By Mark Power
Using artificial intelligence ethically
AI-powered tools in photo-editing software can be a blessing to photographers. James Abbott demonstrates a more ethical approach to AI to save time and to simplify complex manual tasks
The gift of nature
Hungarian photographer Csaba Daróczi has enjoyed great success in a number of high-profile photography competitions. Tracy Calder talks to him about fresh challenges, originality, and what constitutes a prize-winning picture
Sigma 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary
Andy Westlake assesses a compact, affordable, large-aperture wideangle zoom for APS-C cameras
OM System Tough TG-7
Joshua Waller reviews one of the few tough, waterproof, compact cameras left on the market
OnePlus 12
This latest flagship model boasts high-end specifications beyond its price. Amy Davies discovers more
The dream team
Julia Margaret Cameron and Francesca Woodman pushed the boundaries of photography, and have been paired up in a major new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Tracy Calder takes a look
Images to inspire action
Why is animal photography so popular and can photographs help to save species from decline or extinction? Huw Lewis-Jones, author of a new book on animal photography, talks to David Clark
Photo City: How Images Shape the Urban World
Photography and cities have long had something of a symbiotic relationship, as this exhibition explores. Ailsa McWhinnie finds out more
Final Analysis
Tracy Marshall-Grant considers... The Sun, Early Sunday Morning, by Peter Mitchell