Photographica Pages
An online guide to collectable cameras and related stuff
Voigtlander Prominent 6X9
Although the first coupled rangefinder was built into a camera in 1917 by Kodak, 1932 seemed to be
the year of the rangefinder. Leitz put one in the Leica, Zeiss put one in the Contax, and Voigtlander put
one in a folding rollfilm camera, the Prominent. It was the top of the line of a new series of rollfilm
cameras, also featuring the Virtus and Perkeo. The Inos II was added to the line-up in 1933.
The Prominent was the most full featured folding rollfilm camera of it's time, for 6x9cm images on 120
film. It features a self erecting front standard
that automatically moves to the correct focus as set on the body, and an unusual coupled rangefinder
on the end of the camera with the eyepiece in the center.
They were also fitted with an extinction meter. The camera comes with a mask to reduce the image size
to 4.5 x 6cm, with a swinging mask for the
viewfinder. Lenses were 105/4.5 Heliar in Compur, although a small batch of five were equipted with
Turbo shutters to 1/400th.
The Voigtlander Prominent with it's original box.
This example is missing the extinction meter normally found where the large flat spot on the side is. It is
missing the braided strap.
Some examples have covers over the red windows, which are keyhole shaped to give a warning when
the number is approaching when you are winding the film.
The half-frame (4.5X6CM) mask.
The swing out mask on the front of the viewfinder.
The case.
The Voigtlander Prominent with it's original box.
This example is missing the extinction meter normally found where the large flat spot on the side is. It is
missing the braided strap.
Some examples have covers over the red windows, which are keyhole shaped to give a warning when
the number is approaching when you are winding the film.
The half-frame (4.5X6CM) mask.
The swing out mask on the front of the viewfinder.
The case.