1937 Voigtlander Bessa--80 years on.

summicron1 · Apr 22, 2017

Got to playing a bit with the Ikonta I just sold, and decided to finally run a roll through the Voigtlander Bessa that I've had sitting on a shelf. Camerapedia dates it to 1937 (shutter release on door, cover on finder) so this is its 80th birthday.

It's running pretty good for a codger -- shutter still sounds right, bellows are tight (God bless German leather) and nobody ever used to to pound nails. The f 4.5 Voigtar -- I am assuming it is their version of a Tessar formula -- is clear and gloriously uncoated. Someone did break off the tab that lets you shift that little lever thingy on top of the shutter to engage the self timer, but who uses those anyway?

So how does it do? I loaded a roll of Foma 200 (old school film for an old school camera) and took it out.

The optical finder is a lot nicer to use than a simple frame or that little folding thing mounted on the shutter. The body release that unfolds when you open the camera and is mounted on the camera door is nicely located for left-hand use.

So I snapped away -- eyeballing exposures around Ogden's Union Station and Notorious 25th Street. The result you see here.

Two23 · Apr 22, 2017

I have the 1935 version with a Skopar lens, and also the 1937 Bessa RF with Heliar lens. These are great pocketable cameras!

Kent in SD

TheRook · Apr 23, 2017

May it live another 80 years!

Brett Rogers · Apr 23, 2017

I've got one of the same or similar age and same lens, but in a Prontor shutter speeded to 1/100 from memory. There was also a povvo pack model with just 3 or 4 speeds to 1/75, so it could be a lot worse. I have another example that's immaculate which someone sat on, or forced shut (probably when nearly new, given its superb condition) because its lens standard is out of plumb to the body. Eventually I'll dial gauge it and true it up. That one has the same Compur shutter fitted to yours, but also has the Skopar lens, (which was the Voigtlaender four element version of the Zeiss Tessar). I believe the Voigtar is a triplet, but not a bad one. It benefits from stopping down more than a Skopar, but will repay that with decent sharpness, and the 6x9 format helps a bit too of course.
Cheers,
Brett

SalveSlog · Apr 23, 2017

I've just got one with even more basic shutter/lens! But I've never seen a more minty prewar camera than this one. (If it is in fact prewar(?)). The shutter worked but was sticking on 25. It fits very well into my project of learning to service shutters and to start with understanding the most basic ones. The 3rd picture shows how far the helicoil grease can migrate.

Seeing your results makes me look forward to using mine!

trendland · Apr 23, 2017

summicron1 said:
Got to playing a bit with the Ikonta I just sold, and decided to finally run a roll through the Voigtlander Bessa that I've had sitting on a shelf. Camerapedia dates it to 1937 (shutter release on door, cover on finder) so this is its 80th birthday.View attachment 177648 View attachment 177649 View attachment 177650 View attachment 177651 View attachment 177652 View attachment 177653 View attachment 177654 View attachment 177655

It's running pretty good for a codger -- shutter still sounds right, bellows are tight (God bless German leather) and nobody ever used to to pound nails. The f 4.5 Voigtar -- I am assuming it is their version of a Tessar formula -- is clear and gloriously uncoated. Someone did break off the tab that lets you shift that little lever thingy on top of the shutter to engage the self timer, but who uses those anyway?

So how does it do? I loaded a roll of Foma 200 (old school film for an old school camera) and took it out.

The optical finder is a lot nicer to use than a simple frame or that little folding thing mounted on the shutter. The body release that unfolds when you open the camera and is mounted on the camera door is nicely located for left-hand use.

So I snapped away -- eyeballing exposures around Ogden's Union Station and Notorious 25th Street. The result you see here.

A good oldschool camera for landscape and some other motives - as shown by you! With a remarcuable good qualty.
But not realy usable to objekts in the near.
You mentioned the vievfinder.
Try to shoot a portrait and you are in troubble as far as you lose sharpness.
In use of f/16 in regard of sharpness -
you miss a tripot - because of the long
times. And you shoot with 105mm so you
will need 1/100s as longest time.

You begin with distance messurement :
1,43 meter and you will notice that the
given distances on the voigtar lens in the near are not helpfull.

But for landscape and objekts wich are more than 8 meter from you - yust perfect.
Wonderfull camera .

with regards

Doug Richardson · Apr 24, 2017

I have one of these as well that, in my opinion, is quite clean. Will have to verify the lens, but I have the COMPUR RAPID shutter giving speeds up to 1/400. I did notice that the lens element was slightly off on mine as well. I tried to adjust but am afraid of breaking it beyond use. I am waiting until I can see the prints to see if it creates any issues that I cannot live with.

I have shot the film, just waiting to develop, this week sometime. Seeing your images gives inspiration that it will provide nice images. I especially like the shutter release on this camera versus others. Will post images from and of camera when I get them done.

Long live these beautiful machines. -Doug

LAG · Apr 26, 2017

I'm glad to hear when cameras are taken off the shelves ... Here's mine, although no much longer it is in worse conditions than yours. Lovely cameras indeed!

Best

Michael Tuell · May 10, 2017

I just picked one of these up on eBay for pretty cheap from Kiev (Evgeniy Zubenko has a great store!) It just came yesterday and I got my first shots today. Here is my first print (a measly almost 8x10, so only a little more than 2.5x enlargement on the Beseler 23Cii-XL with Schneider Componon 100 mm lens (a real beauty of a lens!))

This is from at least 1937 since it has a folding viewfinder with cover, but in great shape. It has the Compur Rapid shutter up to 1/400th with an f/3.5 lens. This photo was at f/11 and 1/100th, I think. Printed on Ilford Multigrade RC VC with 1 1/2 VC filter for 30 seconds with the Componon lens almost wide open. No post-processing at all.

What a lovely instrument from ~75 years ago! It will take some practice to get used to guessing the focus and shutter speed, but I'm liking it so far! Easier to carry around than a Pentax 67, that's for sure!

Mike
https://lavinia.as.arizona.edu/~mtuell/

summicron1 · May 10, 2017

Michael Tuell said:
I just picked one of these up on eBay for pretty cheap from Kiev (Evgeniy Zubenko has a great store!) It just came yesterday and I got my first shots today. Here is my first print (a measly almost 8x10, so only a little more than 2.5x enlargement on the Beseler 23Cii-XL with Schneider Componon 100 mm lens (a real beauty of a lens!))

View attachment 178827

What a lovely instrument from ~75 years ago! It will take some practice to get used to guessing the focus and shutter speed, but I'm liking it so far! Easier to carry around than a Pentax 67, that's for sure!

Mike
https://lavinia.as.arizona.edu/~mtuell/

Good buy, Mike -- congratulations. You'll get the distance down quickly -- fortunately, shooting daylight at f 8 or 11 or so, depth of field covers many sins.

charlie

Anirudha Ambekar · May 10, 2017

summicron1 said:
Got to playing a bit with the Ikonta I just sold, and decided to finally run a roll through the Voigtlander Bessa that I've had sitting on a shelf. Camerapedia dates it to 1937 (shutter release on door, cover on finder) so this is its 80th birthday.View attachment 177648 View attachment 177649 View attachment 177650 View attachment 177651 View attachment 177652 View attachment 177653 View attachment 177654 View attachment 177655

It's running pretty good for a codger -- shutter still sounds right, bellows are tight (God bless German leather) and nobody ever used to to pound nails. The f 4.5 Voigtar -- I am assuming it is their version of a Tessar formula -- is clear and gloriously uncoated. Someone did break off the tab that lets you shift that little lever thingy on top of the shutter to engage the self timer, but who uses those anyway?

So how does it do? I loaded a roll of Foma 200 (old school film for an old school camera) and took it out.

The optical finder is a lot nicer to use than a simple frame or that little folding thing mounted on the shutter. The body release that unfolds when you open the camera and is mounted on the camera door is nicely located for left-hand use.

So I snapped away -- eyeballing exposures around Ogden's Union Station and Notorious 25th Street. The result you see here.

This is great coincidence!
I came across one of these in an antique camera shop just a couple of days ago.
It was in great condition (looked like) but the lack of rangefinder assistance to focus put me off from buying it.
From your pictures it seems small aperture, bright day light, and at least somewhat distant objects are beautifully captured.
Any examples of street/ portraits with this? I might just visit that shop again.
Also, what is that small lens thingy near the lens aperture/ exposure ring?

bernard_L · May 10, 2017

Anirudha Ambekar said:
but the lack of rangefinder assistance to focus put me off from buying it

You can buy a separate rangefinder (Watameter or similar) and the total price will still be less than a similar camera with coupled rangefinder. A bit slower, but the idea of these cameras is to take your time anyway.

summicron1 · May 10, 2017

Anirudha Ambekar said:
This is great coincidence!

Also, what is that small lens thingy near the lens aperture/ exposure ring?

the camera has two viewfinders -- the folding one attached to the body of the camera that flips open, and one of the smaller reflex ones like all old classic folders used to have -- that's what you see next to the lens/aperture ring. It's pretty accurate, and great for waist-level shooting either horizontally or vertically..

Guestimating focus is not that hard even for closer objects -- and with a maximum aperture of f 4 or thereabouts, you have sufficient depth of field. The image near the top, of a bunch of boards leaning against a window, was shot "wide open" and focused at what seemed right, and it was.

Go get the camera.

Anirudha Ambekar · May 10, 2017

summicron1 said:
Go get the camera.

The guy wants 180 bucks for it. Fair price?

LAG · May 11, 2017

Anirudha Ambekar said:
...Fair price?

I don't think so

nsurit · May 11, 2017

Just shot 8 rolls with my Bessa RF (a bit newer than your Bessa) while traveling in Spain, Portugal, England and France. Got back a week ago. Time to process! You have made me move that to the top of my list. I can download the other stuff from the other side anytime. Bill "Soon to be dark and wet" Barber

summicron1 · May 11, 2017

Anirudha Ambekar said:
The guy wants 180 bucks for it. Fair price?

That's a bit high -- if i were to sell mine I'd probably ask $125 or so. That one would have to be really cherry, like new, perfectly running, to command a price like that.

Anirudha Ambekar · May 11, 2017

summicron1 said:
That one would have to be really cherry

It wasn't. ...

silveror0 · May 11, 2017

I guess I'm a pretty lucky guy. Some time ago my grandson's bride returned from a visit to her native Bulgaria with a gift to me of a Bessa (she knows my interest in things photographic). As near as I've been able to determine, it's one of the first Bessa models from, I think, 1929, not in perfect condition but very clean. I've checked the shutter speeds with my home made checker, and they're right on. Then checked the lens focal length using a setup with my Sinar monorail camera and found it to be 105mm as specified. (Incidentally, I used the same Sinar setup to check the focal length of my 105mm Componon enlarging lens, because I had reason to believe it was not as specified and found it to actually be 110mm - later I was told by an expert that's not uncommon). Since I only use sheet film nowadays and have sold all my 35 & 120 cameras and processing gear, I'm still re-acquiring what I need to process and print the Bessa negatives. I have a black Border Collie with a nice white ruff who'll be my first subject.

1937 Voigtlander Bessa--80 years on.

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