Canon VT

The Canon VT camera of 1956

Evolution / revolution / innovation…

Around fifty years ago Canon’s 35mm cameras were essentially excellent copies of the screw mount Leicas, although certainly with some improved features. But eventually it was obvious that the design needed upgrading and this became more urgent when Leitz introduced the M3, in 1954. Canon realised that they needed to rethink the design of their existing models, especially if they were to expand into the USA and European markets.

Their new Canon VT, when compared to previous models, seemed revolutionary; although it was in reality more of an evolution of the IVSB2 model. But it did have lots of neat design features. The most obvious new and different one was the rapid-wind trigger on the baseplate, this was hopefully to be one if it’s main selling points.

Film loading was made easier via the new back-opening door (Kodak made Retinas which loaded this way when they introduced the pre-loaded 35mm film cassette in 1934) but it was a big improvement over the old awkward bottom-load method. Perhaps the most useful improvement was the new three-mode viewfinder. As well as being larger it could show the view for 35mm lenses and 50mm lenses, as well as another setting marked “RF” which aided rangefinder focusing by showing a magnified view. A small serrated wheel by the eyepiece was moved to select each mode. There was no parallax correction built-in but that was available for an accessory viewfinder. A domed pin in the accessory shoe moves up and down as the lens is focused and couples to that finder, clever!

When using the camera, film winding would normally be done with the fold-out rapid-wind lever; but there could be times when this was not accessible, like when the camera was mounted on a tripod. In this case you would use the auxiliary wind knob on the top; you rotated it until the dots were aligned, then you lifted it into position where it then became engaged. A button on the rear was pushed to drop it back into place. The film rewind knob was normally flush with the top plate and would spring up for use when a wing shaped lever around it was moved.

A new design of bulb flash, the model V, was offered. This compact unit bayonet-mounted into a round socket on one side of the camera. It then made contact without the need for a sync cord, very neat and secure.

The previously improved shutter now had a flash sync speed of 1/50 and sync was selected at position X on the top plate dial. Sync mode for FP, M, X, F, was set via a lever located under this dial and the setting was displayed in a small window to one side. The slow speeds were still set by a knob on the front. Another new feature for a Canon camera was the delayed-action mechanism, this was controlled by a lever on the body front.

In use, an unforseen disadvantage of this model was also one of its most promoted features – the trigger wind. While quick and easy to use with the camera horizontal, it was awkward to use vertically. The next series of Canons – the L models – came with a lever wind on top, a feature that soon became standard for all manufacturers.