Any Canon VT Users?

[cary]

I have a couple of LTM lenses and was thinking of picking up a Canon VT. Any users out there? What's your opinion of it? I mainly use a M3. New to rangefinders but not to photography. Graduated from Brooks Institute of Photography.

Thanks!

Cary

 

[photodog]

I shoot with a VT. Film loading is easier than a Leica. The viewfinder is not as large or as bright as the M3 but has a 35mm finder which is nice if you shoot with a 35mm lens. Does not have framelines for 90mm or 135mm. VT bodies sell for about $200 which is more affordable than a Canon P. Some of the recent photos in my gallery were made with the VT. The film winder on the bottom can be a bit awkward for shooting vertical frames.

 

[rover]

I too have a VT, but it needs a CLA to get the slow speeds to, um, speed up.

It is a bigger and heavier camera than the M3 and as stated does not have as large or bright viewfinder compared to a Leicas of it's day. That said it is very well made and the adjustable mag viewfinder does make it useful for 35mm lenses, something the M3 cannot do. Also, if you are a 135 user, the increased mag RF setting is a much better tool than small framelines. Canon got a lot of things right in their RF camera line.

 

[bmoc]

I too use a VT (deLuxe), and agree with the comments above--smallish viewfinder, but very useable. 35/50/high mag rotating prism is a nice design, and it works very nicely for me. No framelines, but very accurate, and I can see edges with my glasses on. Body is very well made. Film loading easy, wind is smooth (you get used to it).

Barry

 

[venchka]

Does a pair of VI-T bodies count?

Does a pair of VI-T bodies count?

Ditto all of the above plus 100mm frame lines built in. I love mine. I recently added a 135mm lens with the dedicated finder. My VI-T bodies have the built in paralax adjustment for the 135mm finder. Very nice. I also added a C/V 75mm lens and the built in 50/100mm frames work well with the 75. A CLA on one of the bodies was only $110 here in Houston. Adding a Canon meter has been good for me as well. If you do go Canon RF body shopping, don't overlook the VI-T!

 

[Didier]

I have the VT De Luxe with inbuilt winder grip, and a unique feature every Leica, Zeiss Ikon and Bessa is lacking - parallax correction for the appropriate external finders.

A very lovely and btw affordable camera, switchable 50mm and 35mm viewfinder (smaller and not as clear and sharp as a Leica M, but better than most compact RF's I know), plus a "RF" called finder position which is intended for better (higher magnified) focusing, which can roughly be used as 135mm finder, too.

To Rover: bigger and heavier than a M3? I can't believe that though I have not a M3 here to compare.

Didier

 

[rover]

The winder on the bottom adds height and weight to the camera. It doesn't seem like much, but in hand and seeing them next to each other it is noticeable.

Think of putting a Leicavit on an M body, that is what in essence the VT is.

 

[peterrm]

I think the main thing to consider with any bottom advance Canon(V-T, V-T Deluxe, or VI-T) is how that method of film advance suits you. Unlike a Leica or Bessa with an add-on bottom winder, these Canons can only be advanced with the bottom lever (or a really slow wind knob).
I personally like the bottom advance for wide to normal lenses and the normal thumb lever for tele's-I don't really know why.
I'd suggest trying to find a bottom advance camera and see how it feels to you.

 

[raid]

I suggest to consider the best of all Canon RF cameras: VI-L.
I regret trading my mint VI-L and may get another one.

Raid

 

[Rich Silfver]

Before the rangefinder patch in my Canon VT deluxe faded I used it quite a bit and to my surprise I found the bottom winder very easy to get used to and in the end I really enjoyed using it. A great camera.

 

[David Murphy]

I have a Canon VI-L, of the same heritage of the VT. All the Canon Leica thread compatible cameras are good cameras -- the later back loading, rapid advance models like the VT, VI-L, P, 7, etc. are excellent for serious photography.

 

[Bill58]

Get a Model P or L1........and don't look back!

 

[surlysimon]

I now have a P, VT and L1 and have to say for someone who is left-eyed the VT is great for shooting quickly, i miss the lever sometimes but not often. that said I can't fault any of these cameras. IMHO they are the equal of their Leica contaporaries and much better than the Screw mount Leicas.

 

[Rich Silfver]

Can anyone recommend a good repair place in the US that may be able to take a look at a VT deluxe with a somewhat challenged viewfinder?

 

[rover]

Richard, I just emailed Essex about mine (slow shutter speeds are slow) with no reply yet. I have heard that Focal Point, I think in Colorado works on Canon RF cameras and they have a good reputation from my investigation, then of course DAG........

Hey look, I have them bookmarked

http://www.focalpointlens.com/fp_intro.html

A shutter service is a bit easier than a viewfinder, you may be well served in contacting Focal Point or one of the other big guys.

 

[rogue_designer]

Can anyone recommend a good repair place in the US that may be able to take a look at a VT deluxe with a somewhat challenged viewfinder?

I just had DAG look at one of my P's - as always, fantastic service and communication. It's now my favorite daily user.

 

[Kim Coxon]

Hi Rich,
What "challenge" does the VF have? The reason I ask is that Stephen Gandy had a VI-L with a challenged finder and ended up buying my VT to take the finder out as they are not easy to repair. Just a thought.

Kim

Can anyone recommend a good repair place in the US that may be able to take a look at a VT deluxe with a somewhat challenged viewfinder?

 

[jlw]

On the later cameras with the silvered beamsplitter (neutral-toned finder image as compared to the earlier ones with the warmer-toned finder image) the silver can attack the glass and deteriorate the finder image. I have a piece of period VI-T promotion literature in which Canon claimed to be the first manufacturer to solve this problem, but nearly a half-century later their solution (whatever it was) doesn't always seem to hold up, although of course there are still a lot of cameras with silvered beamsplitters that do have good finders.

Not sure if this was Rich's problem, but it's one possibility. I believe late V cameras as well as the VI models have the silvered beamsplitter, so if you're considering one of these it's worth taking a bit of extra time to make sure the finder image is good.

 

[rover]

The warm tone finder is one of the reasons I looked for a VT rather than a "deluxe".

 

[Kim Coxon]

There is a VI-L here which has had a CLA recently and has a good finder here. http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost-classifieds/showproduct.php?product=1454&cat=500 😉

Kim