Voigtlander Bessa III/Fuji 667

[Stefan Findel]

Can anyone comment on looking through the viewfinder wearing glasses? Is it easy to see the entire frame or is it a struggle? I have a Perkeo, which I like very much, but it is a challenge to oversee the entire image at once, besides the fact, that the lens obscures part of the image.
Thanks, Stefan

 

[sanking]

Can anyone comment on looking through the viewfinder wearing glasses? Is it easy to see the entire frame or is it a struggle? I have a Perkeo, which I like very much, but it is a challenge to oversee the entire image at once, besides the fact, that the lens obscures part of the image.
Thanks, Stefan

The viewfinder of the Bessa III is superb -- one of the best rangefinder windows I have ever seen.

Sandy King

 

[Stefan Findel]

Thank you for the answers.

 

[RobertV]

Indeed a remarkable camera. The shutter is indeed very quiet in fact less noise then my Leica M7.
The view finder is very good and accurate.
The only minus point is it's not really compact but the camera is not very heavy (1050g) and that you can not leave any filter on the camera. However you can leave a filter in the hood which you can easily connect and disconnect.
Loading and unloading is pretty easy by the quick relase bottoms. Also the fact you can choose between 6x6 and 6x7cm is a good option. The exposure meter is very accurate though it's not a TTL metering.

The camera is reasonable heavy build but not like a Leica

The lens has some vignetting at 3,5 and 4,0 in 6x7. In 6x6 it's much better. Further it's not a cheap camera at all.
Due to the fact the lenses are not exchangable you have to compare with a Plaubel Makina 67. But 6x7cm only, Nikkor 2,8/80mm , only available second hand and also a big price.

Just to have an impression:
Bessa III 667, Retro 100 TONAL E.I. 80, AM74 1+9 6:00 minutes. Ravenstein my hometown.

 

[Matus Kalisky]

I am wondering whether Fuji/Cosina will come up with a model with 50mm lens - if you look at the prices of the Makina with the wide lens - it would definitely sell ...

 

[sanking]

I am wondering whether Fuji/Cosina will come up with a model with 50mm lens - if you look at the prices of the Makina with the wide lens - it would definitely sell ...

That would be a hot item for sure. I sure would like to have this camera with a 50mm lens.

Sandy King

 

[Poohblah]

I am wondering whether Fuji/Cosina will come up with a model with 50mm lens - if you look at the prices of the Makina with the wide lens - it would definitely sell ...

Would a 50mm lens be feasible on a folder? The lens would need to be closer to the film plane, which risks the possibility of the cover coming into view of the lens. If the cover were made smaller, then the coverage of the whole frame would be cut off. I suppose it would work if the cover were a double-door style folder, but that's far more complex. Or a retrofocus lens would do the trick as well, but then the lens would become too large and expensive.

edit: given that there is already a folder out there with a 50mm lens... d'oh.

 

[macrorie]

OT: Perkeo viewfinder options

Can anyone comment on looking through the viewfinder wearing glasses? Is it easy to see the entire frame or is it a struggle? I have a Perkeo, which I like very much, but it is a challenge to oversee the entire image at once, besides the fact, that the lens obscures part of the image.
Thanks, Stefan

Stefan,
I use a Kontur 6X6 auxiliary viewfinder on my Perkeo, and it works very well for framing. However, the principle does not work with everyone's eyes (it involves using one eye to project a brightline frame on the scene that you are viewing with the other eye). The finders appear on fleabay occasionally and usually go for minimal money.
Gerry

 

[rhmimac]

fuji667

Dead Link Removed

who has bought this new beauty and used it?

rhmimac

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Try searching on "bessa iii" for several threads on this camera.

 

[Stefan Findel]

Thank you Gerry, I will check that out. Never heard of such a thing.
Stefan

 

[rhmimac]

Thanks David,
I wasn't aware of the Fuji being a Bessa copy.

rhmimac

 

[whlogan]

I have the so-called Voigtlander Bessa III, same beast.... its wonderful. Lots of BS here about it being too big and such, but forget that. Its a fine camera. I personally don't care much for it in the 6x6 mode, but that's me. As a 6x7 it is really nice. Does not make any noise at all. Would like a thumb type film advance, but can live with the knob. Lens is really a Fujinon of some ilk and is fine and sharp. Wish it closed with a filter on, but OK, too. Very nice travel camera.Very, very nice. Get one. You not be sorry.Your bank account will hurt. You will love it.
Logan

 

[skahde]

I wasn't aware of the Fuji being a Bessa copy.

Not exactly a copy. The same camera, made by Fuji, and sold under different names in different parts of the world.

 

[benjiboy]

Not exactly a copy. The same camera, made by Fuji, and sold under different names in different parts of the world.

That's right it's what's called " Label Engineering"they were probably made in the same factory, but sold under different brand names at different prices to suite the market.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Threads merged, title updated.

 

[lewis-richards]

Voigtlander Bessa III

I've been looking around and thinking about getting a BessaIII for some time now mainly to be used for landscapes... It would be however between this or the Mamiya 7II I have heard there is a slight problem with using filters on the BessaIII but as I will take plenty of time to take each photo I wouldn't be bothered by that.

Has anyone got any opinions on both the cameras to try and help me decide what I would choose?

 

[munz6869]

I have one (Bessa) on loan for a fortnight, and the things that immediately struck me were its relative lightness (compared to older folders), and the clarity of the viewfinder. This one's seen a fair bit of use, but apart from a minor bit of brassing around the wind knob, it's an impressively solid modern camera. The filter thing would annoy me a little bit (obsessive user of Orange filters), but I do like being restricted to one focal length. It would be a great travel camera - I am keen to see how accurate the metering is and have loaded it with Ektar today to test it...

Marc

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Threads merged. Please try the search engine before starting a new thread.

 

[lewis-richards]

I haven't yet used the bessa III but I have used the mamiya 7II and I found it very nice and easy to use. The only thing that would trouble me with this against the bessa III is that it doesn't fold which would be nice and the cost of the lenses are quite steap. Having a fixed lens isn't a downfall I don't feel as many good rangefinders have these as the 6X7 and 6X9 fuji. Let me know how it is with that film.

 

[mathomas]

Indeed a remarkable camera.

...

Just to have an impression:
Bessa III 667, Retro 100 TONAL E.I. 80, AM74 1+9 6:00 minutes. Ravenstein my hometown.

That's a beautiful photo. It has a nice timeless quality to it, and seems very sharp everywhere.

 

[goo0h]

So after all this time, are folks still liking this camera? Holding up pretty well? More example shots from it?

 

[JaZ99]

I'm using this camera for a very short time and I like it a lot. The only complain is the guide lines in the viewfinder are skewed (about 8° to the right), so basically, every picture I took is skewed too. Is it a "feature" of this camera or should I service it ASAP? Second problem: the rangefinder patch is not vertically aligned, but since it is accurate, it is not a big problem.