Voigtländer Vitomatic II

Voigtländer Vitomatic II, originally uploaded by de ney.

I've purchased one of these on E-bay for the princely sum of 20€. This is essentially the same as the Voigtlaender Vito CL I have been using recently but with a coupled rangefinder and with the meter mirrored in the viewfinder.

Ebay listing suggests it's fully functional, and given the classic West-German build quality of these late 1950s / early 1960s Voitglaenders I have high hopes.

To date I haven't really found the "perfect" 35mm camera. In 120 format I think my Bronica RF645 is the one. I suspect the 35mm camera would be similar. To be a really comfortable, natural experience I need a lightmeter, preferably visible in the view finder, a decent rangefinder and an excellent lens - this Vitomatic might fit the bill. An East German Zeiss Werra IV might also fit the bill, but they're a little rarer and command a higher price so I have not yet had the funds or opportunity to find out. Talking of which, Zeiss-Ikon Contax and Leica M's (and Nikon and Canon copies) are obvious contenders but alas they have names and reputations that carry an unreasonable price. At a push I might one day find the funds to buy one of the new-fangled Besa R4M or R3M models.