Voss Diax IIb

[Stephen]

After a long wait...and having a couple of spare lenses already, finally found a Diax IIb, made by Walter Voss in Ulm, Germany, on ebay, and at reasonable price, unlike some offered on some European Ebay listings. No case etc, said to be working, but worth servicing anyway.



Voss started making these Diax series cameras just after the war, the IIB was the last model. They have a fully interchangeable lens, mounted on a locking thread in front of a leaf shutter. There is a built in rangefinder and dual viewfinder to cover everthing from 35mm to 90mm. There wera about 12 lenses of various focal lenghts made, up to 400mm.



Diax were very solidly built cameras, and aimed at the upper end of the market. The premium price level caused the demise of Voss, as they could not compete with Japanese production, closing in 1957

The body was made by Voss Diax themselves, but the lenses were bought in and various makers were used. Voss tested all the lenses supplied and had high standards.

They had a turret viewfinder by Steinheil, and a Voss made rangefinder as well. Also a Reflex through the lens bellows unit, by Sperling of Berlin, was supplied. Extension tubes were made as well, along with a close up adaptor of the Zeiss type. Filters were a constant size on most of the lens at 40.5 mm, clamp on for the Diaxette, screw in for the Diax.

I cannot trace if anybody ever imported these cameras officially into the UK, it may have been Wallace Heaton of London. The amount around suggests an importer was active at one point later in the life of the brand.

They commanded good prices when sold on the secondhand market in the late 1960's to the 1980's, and were considered a reliable camera, with excellent lenses.

Overall they compare closely with the Braun Paxette range, especially as some have identical standard lenses, but the Diax camera was more flexible in it's system, with a large range of lenses.

Stephen.

[Stephen]

Voss's first product after the war was the Photometer, an accessory shoe rangefinder, mainly to suit the early Diax without rangefinders, or the Diaxette, which had no rangefinder. Neatly made, clear view and it is accurate, but needs a cosmetic clean up.





Stephen

[Stephen]

The Voss Diax IIb arrived today in the post, and condition is excellent. Claimed by the seller to be an attic find in a plastic bag....good cosmetic condition all round.

Tests out mechanically quite well, with the exception of sligtly lazy slow speeds, which on "working" have improved. Even the delayed action works.

No maker is marked on the shutter, which runs from 1/500th to 1 second, +B. I suspect a Compur made unit.

The standard lens, an Isco Isconar, a three or four element 50mm F3.5, is in good condition, just very light cleaning marks, no fungus or dust internally, and an impressively smooth focus action, which is coupled to the rangefinder. The rangefinder seems accurate, with clear viewfinders and spot for focus. the lens focuses down to 1 metre, with Imperial scale to 3.5 feet.

The Diax IIb has two viewfinders, the one for 50mm has the rangefinder, and another one for the 90mm, tinted yellow. There are three viewfinder windows on the front. Earlier Diax cameras has three back viewfinders, with one for 35mm view.

The camera is very heavy, mainly from the mounting system for the lenses. The base is solid, and may be brass, and the lens is pretty heavy as well.

Typically the camera is front heavy, and does not sit straight on a flat surface. The recesses in the design are filled with embossed leather, with a Voss Diax badge on the back.

There is an issue with the take up spool, there is none, but fortunately the missing part is identical with the spool in the Diaxette, so the cameras will have to share till a replacement is made. It is the bottom part that comes off, so a Russian spool will not fit.

The back removes with a screw knob on the bottom, and the whole back removes for easy loading.

The Voss Diax IIb was made in 1956 to 1957, when Voss went out of business. The cameras were available in the UK, the importer was Wallace Heaton of Bond Street, London. They were relatively expensive cameras.

Stephen.

[philbirch]

A lovely little camera. It is lucky to have an owner like you who can service it. All mine are jealous.

[Stephen]

On the rangefinder, the Photometer, it does not fit the Voss Diaxette!! It is such an early production by Voss it was designed for the original diax, which had a very plain top. The later Diax and Diaxette have raised knobs and release was higher and moved a bit.
It can be cured, the shoe can be released, it is screwed on, and moved about 4mm across the bottom of the body, and a small spacer added to raise it up about 2-3mm.
It will still fit the original, but will also fit the Diaxette.

Stephen.

[Stephen]

Advert for the Diax IIb in the States in 1957, just before they folded.

[Stephen]

Awaiting the return from processing some Agfa (Fuji) colour negative shots at the Rochester Dickens Festival with the Diax, which now seems in healthy order on all speeds on the shutter. I did try first an off cut test Black and white shot or two, and they show the Isco made Diax lens to be pretty sharp.
Made a change to take shots with no lag, or locked viewfinder image, waits, or other digital woes! If the shot was right you press the button! The Diax has a pleasant release as well, totally predicatable as pressed, and light in operation.

[Dormeur74]

Hi all,
I have two Diax : I and IIb.

They are excellent cameras ; their lenses are perfect (Schneider-Kreuznach and Isco-Göttingen).

I often go out with them because they are incredible good rangefinder cameras.

[philbirch]

A very handsome camera Michel and in lovely condition. Please don't apologise for your English. It's as good as anyone's on this forum.

[camfiend]

both looks and sounds to be a very nice camera... and sounds like its found a great new home

Bob

[Dormeur74]

I put some information a few weeks ago here (PDF format file that anybody can download) about different cameras produced by Walter Voss.

For collectors who like Diax cameras, 3 photos can help.

This is a Diax I. The shutter is a Compur Rapid and the lens the famous Xenar 2.8/45mm. It is not the first Diax I ; the first one, after the prototype, had a Steinheil München Culminar 42mm f:1/ 2.8. Of course, very difficult to find.



The second photo could help a collector who tries to find original accessories. Bags for IIb camera, filters, lenshood and turret.



The third photo shows some lenses (SK Xenar 2.8/50mm, SK Xenon 2/50mm and IG Isconar 4.5/85mm).

[Stephen]

I must dig out last years shots, and I will be using it again all summer as the results were excellent all round.
Still no other lenses so far, they are few and far between in coming up on Ebay or have price tags that make you wince!

Stephen

[Just Plain Curt]

I have a IIb myself but sadly not functioning.