I bought this Voigtländer Bessamatic CS ...
It is beautiful, isn't it! One of those cameras that stand out in a crowd.Wonderful! I see that on the front of the prism there is an optical path for observing the lens' shutter speed and aperture through the viewfinder,. But I also see that there is a metal cover for the selenium meter (at least that's where the meter is on my Bessamatic). If you raise the metal cover, does that not block the ability to view the lens settings through the viewfinder?
Regardless, that is a beautiful and somewhat rare camera!
What happened to yout dad's original camera?
What a great great camera. I suppose it looks awkward to those accustomed to standard japanese reflexes, but who didn't own Zeiss Ikon Contarexes and alike don't know what beautiful chroming and quality in general means. It would be a sin to let it sit in a shrine, it really calls for being taken out and take photographs; I politely press you to purchase a pair of good lenses and use it on the field!I have always loved the look of this camera so I bought one at auction but without a lens. Hopefully I will be able to find one at a decent price since it will rarely get used and is most likely going to be in my collection.
I have a Rollei SL66 and a 500C/M that are occupying my time right now. I don't do a lot of film so I will buy a lens when I can get a good deal on one.What a great great camera. I suppose it looks awkward to those accustomed to standard japanese reflexes, but who didn't own Zeiss Ikon Contarexes and alike don't know what beautiful chroming and quality in general means. It would be a sin to let it sit in a shrine, it really calls for being taken out and take photographs; I politely press you to purchase a pair of good lenses and use it on the field!
Campy, I agree with Marco above; it does call for being taken out and take photographs. The Zeiss lenses for the Contarex were reputed to be the finest lenses ever made for 35mm. Sadly, the high cost of the bodies and lenses (when significantly cheaper SLRs were available from the Japanese camera companies), costly manufacturing in Germany, and the high number of warranty repairs almost bankrupted Zeiss. It would be nice to see if that reputation of those lenses still holds. However, do you know if your bullseye camera is functional? The selenium meter may be a troublesome.I have a Rollei SL66 and a 500C/M that are occupying my time right now. I don't do a lot of film so I will buy a lens when I can get a good deal on one.
Nice Bessamatic!! Have you developed film yet? If so, how did the Color-Skopar perform? Did you need to find a mercury battery or hearing aide 1.35 volt battery for the meter? Cheers,It is beautiful, isn't it! One of those cameras that stand out in a crowd.
The metal cover houses a battery and an adjustment screw (the function of which I haven't figured out yet, and the only manual I've found online for this camera is in German, which I can't read). I've read that the CS has a TTL battery-powered meter mounted in the same place as the selenium meter in the other models, so the door doesn't need to be open during metering.
I love the optical path for the shutter speed and aperture. It's only the second (working) camera I have that displays both in the viewfinder, and its considerably older than the other one. I think it's a rather elegant device.
Campy, I agree with Marco above; it does call for being taken out and take photographs. The Zeiss lenses for the Contarex were reputed to be the finest lenses ever made for 35mm. Sadly, the high cost of the bodies and lenses (when significantly cheaper SLRs were available from the Japanese camera companies), costly manufacturing in Germany, and the high number of warranty repairs almost bankrupted Zeiss. It would be nice to see if that reputation of those lenses still holds. However, do you know if your bullseye camera is functional? The selenium meter may be a troublesome.
Not being one to quit while I'm ahead, I picked up a 35 and a 100 for the Prominent and then a Minolta SRT-102 for good measure.On Friday I picked up a Voigtlander Prominent I.
Thanks! I have, but the results were... inconclusive? The shots I took to test focus showed that distance accuracy was fine, but some of the shots - even landscapes of houses where nothing was moving - showed motion blur. It could just be technique, needing to keep the camera still for longer since the leaf shutter has to close then open then close, and as I'm used to focal plane SLRs I need to adjust to that. Or, the shutter and mirror mechanisms might need a CLA to smooth things out and reduce shutters shock - it makes a fairly solid ka-thwack, rather than a satisfyingly mechanical ka-swish, so that wouldn't surprise me. Either way, the images weren't nearly as sharp as the images I'd recently taken through another Color-Skopar on a Vito CLR, which was a little disappointing. Might need some work.Nice Bessamatic!! Have you developed film yet? If so, how did the Color-Skopar perform? Did you need to find a mercury battery or hearing aide 1.35 volt battery for the meter? Cheers,
I finally found a clean Argus C4, the camera my Dad bought when I was born in 1952. It recorded much of my childhood in crisp black-and-whites and glorious Kodachromes, which I have retained.
Found it in a thrift store in a pile of unwanted film cameras, and after checking that the shutter was OK, grabbed it for $5.
Can't wait to run some film through it.
That is a really nice example for a thrift store find! I acquired three of these from online auctions trying to find one without so much corrosion on that aluminum lens barrel! Luckily the cleanest one is fully functional, if a bit stiff in the focusing. First time I fired the shutter on it I flinched! A pretty pronounced clunk! I plan to try some simichrome on the lens barrel to clean up those blemishes.
Stan
That is a really nice example for a thrift store find! I acquired three of these from online auctions trying to find one without so much corrosion on that aluminum lens barrel! Luckily the cleanest one is fully functional, if a bit stiff in the focusing. First time I fired the shutter on it I flinched! A pretty pronounced clunk! I plan to try some simichrome on the lens barrel to clean up those blemishes.
Stan
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