Canon VT de luxe

Canon VT de luxe

The Canon VT de luxe, also written Canon VT Deluxe, is a 35mm Leica screw-mount rangefinder camera marketed by Canon Camera Co. in May 1957. It was introduced as the deluxe version of the Canon VT and belongs to Canon’s late 1950s V-series rangefinder family [1][2].

The camera uses Canon’s threaded mount, compatible with the Leica Thread Mount standard, also known as LTM, M39 or Leica screw mount. It accepts Canon screw-mount lenses as well as many Leica-compatible L39 lenses, making it directly relevant to LeicaLensList’s rangefinder camera scope [1].

Canon described the VT de luxe as a deluxe version of the VT. The improvements included a safety latch to prevent accidental opening of the camera back, a new rewind crank for faster rewinding and compatibility with dedicated Canon film magazines. These changes made the camera more refined than the standard VT while keeping the same basic trigger-wind V-series body concept [1].

The VT de luxe has a two-axis, horizontal-travel focal-plane shutter. Canon’s official specification lists cloth curtains and a shutter-speed sequence with T, 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 and 1/15 second on the slow-speed dial, plus X, B, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 and 1/1000 second on the main dial [1].

The viewfinder is a coincidence rangefinder integrated with a reversed Galilean viewfinder. It can be rotated between three magnification settings. Based on the closely related Canon VT specification, these settings are commonly understood as approximately 0.4x for 35mm, 0.72x for 50mm and 1.4x for critical rangefinder focusing [3].

History

Development and Launch

The Canon VT de luxe was marketed in May 1957 as Canon’s upgraded trigger-wind V-series body. It followed the standard Canon VT, which had introduced the swing-open camera back, trigger film advance and new three-mode finder concept to Canon’s Leica-compatible rangefinder line [1][3].

Production Evolution

Leica Copies Japan, citing Peter Dechert, gives production for the first VT de luxe version from approximately February 1957 to September 1957. Canon’s official marketed date is May 1957, which should be used as the release year for LeicaLensList [1][2].

Serial Number Notes

Serial-number identification should be handled carefully. Leica Copies Japan gives the Peter Dechert serial range as 540000 to 545500, while found examples are recorded from approximately 54074x to 54486x. For LeicaLensList, the safest database field is to use the reported Dechert range while mentioning the observed examples in the description [2].

Relationship to Canon VT

The VT de luxe should be stored separately from the standard Canon VT. Both models share the same basic LTM mount, trigger-wind body layout, three-mode finder, self-timer and 1/1000 second shutter specification. The VT de luxe adds the improved rewind crank, safety latch for the back and dedicated film magazine compatibility [1][2].

Later VT de luxe Variants

Canon’s Camera Museum treats the VT de luxe as one model, but collector sources identify later updates. Leica Copies Japan separates the first VT de luxe, the collector-named VT de luxe Z and the internally named VT de luxe M. These later variants include changes such as the magazine key, metal curtains and silver-coated finder optics [2].

For the main LeicaLensList camera entry, Canon VT de luxe should be the canonical name. Variant labels such as VTD, VTDZ and VTDM can be stored as aliases or variant metadata if the database supports sub-variants.

Finish Variants

The VT de luxe is historically important because it was one of the first Canon rangefinder models offered in black paint, together with the Canon L1. For LeicaLensList, black paint should be treated as finish metadata, not as part of the main camera name [2].

Identification

The correct main database name is Canon VT de luxe. Canon’s official English page uses VT Deluxe, while many collector sources use VT de luxe. Listings may also appear as Canon VT Deluxe, Canon VTD, Canon VT de luxe Black, Canon VT Deluxe M or Canon VTDM.

The model name MODEL VT de luxe is engraved on the front of the base plate. Leica Copies Japan notes that early examples may have the model name picked out in red, while later examples are often black-filled [2].

Collector Notes

The Canon VT de luxe is one of Canon’s most interesting Leica-compatible screw-mount rangefinders. It combines LTM compatibility, a 1/1000 second shutter, trigger film advance, hinged-back loading, a three-mode viewfinder, self-timer and broad flash synchronization.

Collectors should check the trigger advance, rewind crank, back latch, base-plate engraving, rangefinder clarity, shutter curtains, finder coating, flash terminal and whether the camera is an early cloth-curtain version or a later metal-curtain VT de luxe M variant.

For LeicaLensList, the Canon VT de luxe should be stored as a separate LTM camera entry. It belongs in the database because it is a Leica-compatible screw-mount rangefinder and a significant Canon body for collectors using LTM lenses.

Sources

• [1] Canon Camera Museum. VT Deluxe. https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/film30.html
• [2] Leica Copies Japan. Canon Rangefinder Cameras, Canon VT de luxe. https://leica-copies-japan.com/Canon.html
• [3] Canon Camera Museum. VT. https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/film28.html
• [4] CameraQuest. Innovative Canon V / VT Rangefinder Family. https://cameraquest.com/crfvt.htm