Voigtlander Bessa Voigtar 1:3.5 F=10.5 Compur Rapid Nr 2013233

[Ed D Mac]

Just unearthed the above Voigtlander. Working; if a bit dusty, rusty and musty... and the self timer took a few days to get to around giving 10 seconds - fairly regularly (!) Any ideas of age, please? It would be a real joy to find out if it is a year or two older than me. I was made in 1938! Ed

 

[R.Gould]

Ed, If it is the BABY Bessa, that is the 6x6 bessa then it is almost certainly pre war, I have a 1938 baby bessa that I use regulaly, works fine, Mine has the voigtar lens, uncoated and a Prontor shutter, and is smaller than many 35mm cameras of the period, Voightlander were renowned for producing some very compact full frame cameras,
Richard

 

[Ed D Mac]

Thanks Richard. Its 6x9, so not the 'baby'. But thanks for the info. Doubt if I can use it. Grime has taken a toll. Not all is lost, though. I have a Rollie - probably a 'T'- that is also working, complete with a variety of lenses and accessories. The case stitching is frayed etc, but the camera is fine. So perhaps I can get back to Medium format sometime soon. Thanks for your time. Ed

 

[ntenny]

Focal length in cm rather than mm usually means prewar, but I think not always. Is the serial number from the lens or the shutter?

-NT