Cosina Voigtländer — The Complete Film

Inside the Nagano factory where Cosina Voigtländer lenses are made — glass melting to body paint, all under one roof. Filmed for the first time.

Cameras are made in Nagano

Cosina has never behaved like the other Japanese makers. The intensity of feeling that goes into the products has drawn a following that now calls the company the saviour of the camera world.

Everything is made in house, from melting the glass to painting the bodies. The process depends on skilled hands, and on inspection repeated at every step. The film follows a Cosina Voigtländer camera from start to finish.

Koichi Akagi in conversation with the lens designer

• What makes a lens a Voigtländer
• The Nokton 35mm f/1.2 — the fastest 35mm lens in the world at the time
• The Apo-Lanthar 90mm f/3.5
• Where the "character" of a lens comes from, and where Voigtländer is taking it
• Reviving a classic: the Topcor 58mm f/1.4