If you look at the Voigtländer Vito C, you are certainly reminded of the Minox 35 series. There is a very similar Minox model, the Minox 35 ML. And there is a Balda CA 35, which is technically the same camera as the Vito C. There is a reason for this.

Karl-Heinz Lange, chief camera engineer of Balda since 1981, had formerly worked for the RolleiRollei was a German manufacturer of optical instruments founded in 1920 by Paul Franke and Reinhold Heidecke in Lower Saxony and was the maker of the Rolleiflex and Rolleicord series of cameras. Later products included speciality and nostalgic type films for the photo hobbyist market. More company, then owner of Minox. He was involved in the development of the Minox 35. RolleiRollei was a German manufacturer of optical instruments founded in 1920 by Paul Franke and Reinhold Heidecke in Lower Saxony and was the maker of the Rolleiflex and Rolleicord series of cameras. Later products included speciality and nostalgic type films for the photo hobbyist market. More also owned the Voigtländer brand and Lange had begun the development of a new camera, the Voigtländer Vito C. The choice of this name is a bit unlucky, as there was already a Voigtländer Vito C from 1959 to 1967, a very popular high quality camera. And where is Balda in all this? As far as I could trace information, Balda made the shells and other parts for Minox. For some Minox models they did the assembly as well, sometime completely, sometimes partially. So they did for the Vito C. When the Voigtländer brand was sold in 1981, Lange changed to Balda, and became chief engineer at the Balda factory to improve this production. So there was a Vito CL which had a self-timer added and a backlight compensation and a Vito (without further letter), a simpler camera with a cheaper F5.6 Voigtar lens.

Sometimes, when production numbers went down, Balda issued a camera under its own brand to raise profitability. So they did with the Vito C, which became also the Balda CA 35, technically the same camera with a different shell texture. Balda improved its line by adding the CL features (CE 35) and they produced a Revue branded edition. Production material was then sold to China where the CE 35 was continued.

The Voigtländer Vito C was released around 1980, dates are a bit uncertain. It’s an automatic camera.

Features and Operation

The camera’s main features are:

38mm F2.8 Color Skopar lens, 4 elements in 3 groups, min. focus 0,9m
Electronic shutterEither mechanical and/or electronic shutters are possible. Mechanical systems can use a leaf (or iris) shutter or curtain shutter. In digital cameras a third alternative is also possible: the electronic shutter. This works by activating and then deactivating the CCD so that no further light can be recorded, regardless of whether light is hitting the CCD. The shutter controls the exposure time, which can range from thousandths of a second to several minutes or more. Fast shutter speeds freeze action, slow speeds are more suited to stationary subjects. A tripod is recommended for slow exposure shots to avoid camera shake, or IBIS. More, 1s at F2.8 to 1/500 at F16 (mine does longer times than 1s)
Size 103x62x32, Weight 147 gr.
25-800 ISOInternational Organization for Standardization represents the film’s (or sensors) sensitivity to the light. The higher the number, the more information will be captured. 400 ISO film is more sensitive to light than 200 ISO film by 1 stop., special flash connection, cable release socket, low light warning and distance setting in the finder, indicator whether shutterEither mechanical and/or electronic shutters are possible. Mechanical systems can use a leaf (or iris) shutter or curtain shutter. In digital cameras a third alternative is also possible: the electronic shutter. This works by activating and then deactivating the CCD so that no further light can be recorded, regardless of whether light is hitting the CCD. The shutter controls the exposure time, which can range from thousandths of a second to several minutes or more. Fast shutter speeds freeze action, slow speeds are more suited to stationary subjects. A tripod is recommended for slow exposure shots to avoid camera shake, or IBIS. More is cocked

Voigtländer Vito C / Balda CA35 a Lightweight Automatic Camera to Look out for

The VoigtländerVoigtländer began in Vienna, Austria in 1756 by Johann Voigtländer as a manufacturer of scientific instruments. His son Johann expanded the business to include optics, and his son, Wilhelm Friedrich, helped design the first mathematically computed lens (an f3.7) in 1840, and then designed a camera to use it, an all-metal job with rack & pinion focusing at a time when most cameras were just wooden boxes. More Vito C is a very small and lightweight camera with a luminous, superb lens and an automatic shutterEither mechanical and/or electronic shutters are possible. Mechanical systems can use a leaf (or iris) shutter or curtain shutter. In digital cameras a third alternative is also possible: the electronic shutter. This works by activating and then deactivating the CCD so that no further light can be recorded, regardless of whether light is hitting the CCD. The shutter controls the exposure time, which can range from thousandths of a second to several minutes or more. Fast shutter speeds freeze action, slow speeds are more suited to stationary subjects. A tripod is recommended for slow exposure shots to avoid camera shake, or IBIS. More/aperture system. It resembles the Minox ML series but is quite different. It’s an automatic camera, the apertureThe aperture is basically a hole in the camera’s lens that lets light pass through it to the shutter and ultimately the film or censor. The aperture not only influences picture brightness but also regulates depth of focus. Most cameras are equipped with an iris aperture that can be freely adjusted or set according to pre-selected values. More/exposure time settings are not indicated, there is just an “OK” in the finder or a flash warning. The distance indicator in the finder is a great help. It uses simple SR44 batteries, easy to find, no battery type issues. The shutterEither mechanical and/or electronic shutters are possible. Mechanical systems can use a leaf (or iris) shutter or curtain shutter. In digital cameras a third alternative is also possible: the electronic shutter. This works by activating and then deactivating the CCD so that no further light can be recorded, regardless of whether light is hitting the CCD. The shutter controls the exposure time, which can range from thousandths of a second to several minutes or more. Fast shutter speeds freeze action, slow speeds are more suited to stationary subjects. A tripod is recommended for slow exposure shots to avoid camera shake, or IBIS. More is audible, it’s said to be more reliable than the Minox ones. Same for the lens barrel extension, its stronger than the Minox mechanisms. So this is an easy camera, set to hyperfocal distance and is a true point and shoot. It feels solid but is very light.