Difference between revisions of "Bessa (folders)"

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The '''Bessa folders''' were part of a range of Bessa cameras produced in Germany by [[Voigtländer]] over a long period. Voigtländer is rather famous for re-using and recycling trademarks and camera names. For instance there are various "Bessa" models out there that are in no way similar to the pre-war Bessa.
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The '''Bessa folders''' were part of a range of Bessa cameras produced in Germany by [[Voigtländer]] over a long period. Voigtländer is rather famous for reusing and recycling trademarks and camera names. For example, there are various "Bessa" models out there that are in no way similar to the pre-World War II Bessa.
  
 
=='''Bessa '''==
 
=='''Bessa '''==
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The Bessa folder was the first production model of the Bessa line, produced between 1929 and 1956. It is a medium-format folder that uses 120 film to produce 6&times;9cm or, in some versions with the use of a frame mask, 4.5&times;6cm photographs. It is the best known and the best selling of all the Voigtländer cameras; it is estimated that as many as 575,000 of the folders were made. The first self-erecting folder offered by Voigtländer, the Bessa was produced with four different lens types: Voigtar, Vaskar, Skopar, and the Color Skopar. There were also three shutter options: Prontor, Compur, and Compur Rapid. Identifying which options are present in the camera is usually done by inspecting the inner lens ring and the outer lens ring, or by year of production.  
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|image_text= Voigtlander Bessa 1937<br/>Voigtar lens, Prontor shutter.
 
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The Bessa was the first production model of the Bessa line. Produced between 1929-1956 by Voigtländer, the Bessa is a medium format folder that uses 120 Film to produce 6&times;9cm photographs. It is the best known and the most sold of all the Voigtlander cameras, with estimations as high as 575,000 cameras made. It was the first self-erecting camera offered by Voigtländer. The Bessa was produced with four different lens types: Voigtar, Vaskar, Skopar, and the Color Skopar. Also there were three shutter options: Prontor, Compur, and Compur Rapid. Identifying which options are present in the camera is usually done by inspecting the inner lens ring, and the outer lens ring, or by year of production.  
 
  
  
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*'''1929-1949'''. Self-erecting rollfilm camera. Similar to the "Rollfilm". There were many sizes and modifications. All models are priced about the same.
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*'''1929-1949'''. Self-erecting rollfilm camera. Similar to the [[Rollfilmkamera|Rollfilm]]. There were many sizes and modifications. All models are priced about the same.
 
*'''1929''': 6x9, brilliant finder;
 
*'''1929''': 6x9, brilliant finder;
 
*'''1930''': 6x9 and 6.5x11, brilliant and folding finders;
 
*'''1930''': 6x9 and 6.5x11, brilliant and folding finders;
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*'''1932''': 3.4x5.5 and 6x9, lens on rails, replacement to "Inos";
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*'''1932''': 3.4x5.5 and 6x9, lens on rails, replacement to [[Inos]];
 
*'''1935''': 4.5x6 and 6x9, shutter release on door;
 
*'''1935''': 4.5x6 and 6x9, shutter release on door;
 
*'''1937''': 4.5x6 and 6x9, finder with cover;
 
*'''1937''': 4.5x6 and 6x9, finder with cover;
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There is an eye level sports finder located in the top of the camera (the top when held horizontally), folded under a metal hood in some models. In some models, the front frame of the finder has a negative lens. Bessa's produced after 1930 also have a [[brilliant finder]].  
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An eye-level sports finder is located in the top of the camera (the top when held horizontally), folded under a metal hood in some models. In some models, the front frame of the finder has a negative lens. Bessas produced after 1930 also have a [[brilliant finder]].  
  
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Voigtländer offered a few accessories or optional equipment for the Bessa line. A simple cable release, brilliant-finder magnifier and a  "Alpha" Yellow filter.
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Voigtländer offered a few accessories or optional equipment for the Bessa line: a simple cable release, a brilliant-finder magnifier, and an "Alpha" yellow filter.
  
 
{{br}}
 
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The Bessa I was manufactured from 1951 up until 1956 (about 80.000 units) and is a well made camera that uses [[120 film]] and can give either 6x4.5(with insert) or 6x9 size negatives. The Bessa I has a simple finder that lacks a built-in rangefinder, however is possible to use a small external rangefinder that mounts in the shoe on the top which in practice is pretty easy to use- you just transfer the distance to the lens.
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The Bessa I was manufactured from 1951 until 1956 (about 80,000 units) and is a well made camera that uses [[120 film]] and can give either 6x4.5cm (with insert) or 6x9cm negatives. The Bessa I has a simple finder that lacks a built-in rangefinder; however, it is possible to use a small external rangefinder that mounts in the shoe on the top, which in practice is easy to use--simply transfer the distance to the lens.
  
 
* Shutter/Lens Combinations:  
 
* Shutter/Lens Combinations:  
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** Vaskar 1:4.5/105mm (coated) in a a [[Pronto]], [[Prontor-S]] or [[Prontor-SV]] leaf shutter
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** Vaskar 1:4.5/105mm (coated) in a [[Pronto]], [[Prontor-S]] or [[Prontor-SV]] leaf shutter
 
** Color-Skopar 1:3.5/105mm (coated) in a [[Prontor-S]], [[Prontor-SV]] or [[Prontor-SVS]] leaf shutter
 
** Color-Skopar 1:3.5/105mm (coated) in a [[Prontor-S]], [[Prontor-SV]] or [[Prontor-SVS]] leaf shutter
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* Filter size : Push-on 37mm  
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* Filter size: push-on 37mm  
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* Viewfinder: optical direct vision viewfinder.With 4 different masks, two formats (6x9 and 4.5x6) and two parallax corrections (1meter, close-up) separate for each format   
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* Viewfinder: optical direct-vision viewfinder with four different masks, two formats (6x9 and 4.5x6), and two parallax corrections (1 meter, close-up) separate for each format   
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* Dimensions (folded) : 168 x 98 x 48 mm
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* Dimensions (folded) : 168x98x48mm
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* Weight : 770 Grams
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* Weight : 770 grams
  
  
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This is the most renowned of the cameras with the "Bessa" name. Self folding camera with a coupled rangefinder.
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This is the most renowned of the cameras with the "Bessa" name. It is a self folding camera with a coupled rangefinder. Thirty-four thousand five hundred Bessa IIs were made from 1950 to 1956. They were fitted with a Color-Skopar 3.5/10.5cm; a [[Color-Heliar]] 3.5/10.5cm; or, from 1954, the rare and sought-after [[Apo-Lanthar]] 4.5/10.5cm. The Compur-Rapid shutter fitted on the earlier models was replaced by the Synchro-Compur shutter from 1951. The accessory shoe appears only from 1954.
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34,500 Bessa II's made from 1950 to 1956. The Bessas II were fitted with a Color-Skopar 3.5/10.5 cm, or a [[Color-Heliar]] 3.5/10.,5 cm or from 1954, the rare and sought-after [[Apo-Lanthar]] 4.5/10.5 cm. The Compur-Rapid shutter fitted on the earlier models was replaced by the Synchro-Compur shutter from 1951. The accessory shoe appears only from 1954.
 
  
 
{{br}}
 
{{br}}
  
 
=='''Bessa RF (1936-1951)'''==
 
=='''Bessa RF (1936-1951)'''==
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|image_text= Voigtländer Bessa RF
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|image_by= THE LAST PHOTOGRAPHIES
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The Bessa RF camera had a very long life and is the predecessor of the Bessa II.
 
The Bessa RF camera had a very long life and is the predecessor of the Bessa II.
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An improved version of the Bessa 1935 model but with a coupled rangfinder.
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It is an improved version of the Bessa 1935 model, but with a coupled rangfinder.
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All models have a 1/400 Compur-Rapid shutter but can be fitted with four different lenses :
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All models have a 1/400 Compur-Rapid shutter but can be fitted with four different lenses:
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* Skopar 3.5/10.5 cm
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* Skopar 3.5/10.5cm
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* [[Heliar]] 3.5/10.5 cm
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* [[Heliar]] 3.5/10.5cm
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* Helomar 3.5/10.5 cm
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* Helomar 3.5/10.5cm
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* Color-Heliar 3.5/10.5 cm
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* Color-Heliar 3.5/10.5cm
  
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As several Bessa's it uses 6x9 and 4.5x6 exposures on 120 film and shutter release on front door.
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Like several Bessas it makes 6x9 or 4.5x6 exposures on 120 film and has a shutter release on the front door. Sixty thousand of the Bessa RF were made.
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60,000 Bessa RF were made.
 
  
 
{{br}}
 
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== Bibliography ==
 
== Bibliography ==
 
*  Claus Prochnow, Voigtländer Report 3, First edition, Braunschweig (D), Lindemanns Verlag, 2007, <nowiki>ISBN</nowiki> 978-3-89506-274-2.
 
*  Claus Prochnow, Voigtländer Report 3, First edition, Braunschweig (D), Lindemanns Verlag, 2007, <nowiki>ISBN</nowiki> 978-3-89506-274-2.
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== Links ==
 
== Links ==
 
In English:
 
In English:
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* [http://arukucamera.net/BessaIandII.html Bessa I and Bessa II folding cameras at antjam65's site]
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20200217132926/http://arukucamera.net/BessaIandII.html Bessa I and Bessa II folding cameras at antjam65's site] (archived)
 
* [http://photographic.co.nz/cameraworks/cameras/bessa1/ Bessa I repair notes] at [http://photographic.co.nz/cameraworks/Default.htm Robert Ian Axford's Camera Works]
 
* [http://photographic.co.nz/cameraworks/cameras/bessa1/ Bessa I repair notes] at [http://photographic.co.nz/cameraworks/Default.htm Robert Ian Axford's Camera Works]
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* [http://www.cosmonet.org/camera/bessa_e.htm Bessa], [http://www.cosmonet.org/camera/bessa2_e.htm Bessa II], and [http://www.cosmonet.org/camera/bessa66_e.html Bessa 66] at [http://www.cosmonet.org/camera/index_e.html The Classic Camera]
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170609114338/http://www.cosmonet.org/camera/bessa_e.htm Bessa], [https://web.archive.org/web/20170609154244/http://www.cosmonet.org/camera/bessa2_e.htm Bessa II], and [https://web.archive.org/web/20170609114624/http://www.cosmonet.org/camera/bessa66_e.html Bessa 66] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20170609131749/http://www.cosmonet.org/camera/index_e.html The Classic Camera] (archived)
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* [http://shutterbug.com/equipmentreviews/classic_historical/1003sb_classic/ Bessa] by Roger W. Hicks, among [http://www.shutterbug.com/equipmentreviews/classic_historical/ Shutterbug's Classic & Historical Cameras]
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* [https://www.shutterbug.com/content/classic-camerasbrvoigtlander-bessa Bessa] by Roger W. Hicks, among [https://www.shutterbug.com/category/classic-camera-reviews Shutterbug's Classic & Historical Cameras]
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* [http://www.certo6.com/cameras/voigtlaender-bessa Bessa I and II] at [http://www.certo6.com/ Jurgen Kreckel's site]
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* [https://certo6.com/camera-archive/voigtlander-bessa-i-ii/ Bessa I and II] at [https://www.certo6.com/ Jurgen Kreckel's site]
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* [http://www.marriottworld.com/instruct_page.htm Bessa I instructions] (three options), from [http://www.marriottworld.com/ F. and S. Marriott]
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20191002011344/http://www.ukcamera.com/classic_cameras/voigt7.htm Bessa models] (very well illustrated), at [https://web.archive.org/web/20160323220431/http://ukcamera.com/index.php UK Camera] (archived)
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* [http://www.ukcamera.com/classic_cameras/voigt7.htm Bessa models] (very well illustrated), at [http://www.ukcamera.com/index.html UK Camera]
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* [http://www.butkus.org/chinon/voigtlander.htm Bessa instruction manual] from www.orphancameras.com
 
* [http://www.butkus.org/chinon/voigtlander.htm Bessa instruction manual] from www.orphancameras.com
  
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In Polish:
 
In Polish:
 
*[http://www.stegierski.com/2009/11/voigtek.html Voigtek] at [http://www.stegierski.com www.stegierski.com] by Rafał Stęgierski
 
*[http://www.stegierski.com/2009/11/voigtek.html Voigtek] at [http://www.stegierski.com www.stegierski.com] by Rafał Stęgierski
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[[Category: German 6x6 viewfinder folding]]
 
[[Category: German 6x6 viewfinder folding]]
 
[[Category: German 6x9 rangefinder folding]]
 
[[Category: German 6x9 rangefinder folding]]
 
[[Category: German 6x9 viewfinder folding]]
 
[[Category: German 6x9 viewfinder folding]]
 +
[[Category:120 film]]
 
[[Category: Voigtländer]]
 
[[Category: Voigtländer]]
 
[[Category: B]]
 
[[Category: B]]

Latest revision as of 04:25, 17 June 2023

The Bessa folders were part of a range of Bessa cameras produced in Germany by Voigtländer over a long period. Voigtländer is rather famous for reusing and recycling trademarks and camera names. For example, there are various "Bessa" models out there that are in no way similar to the pre-World War II Bessa.

Bessa

9621692978_cc3f7e4d27.jpg
1930s Bessa with f/4.5 Skopar and Compur shutter
image by Dietmar Schwanitz (Image rights)

The Bessa folder was the first production model of the Bessa line, produced between 1929 and 1956. It is a medium-format folder that uses 120 film to produce 6×9cm or, in some versions with the use of a frame mask, 4.5×6cm photographs. It is the best known and the best selling of all the Voigtländer cameras; it is estimated that as many as 575,000 of the folders were made. The first self-erecting folder offered by Voigtländer, the Bessa was produced with four different lens types: Voigtar, Vaskar, Skopar, and the Color Skopar. There were also three shutter options: Prontor, Compur, and Compur Rapid. Identifying which options are present in the camera is usually done by inspecting the inner lens ring and the outer lens ring, or by year of production.


Bessa Production variations by year

  • 1929-1949. Self-erecting rollfilm camera. Similar to the Rollfilm. There were many sizes and modifications. All models are priced about the same.
  • 1929: 6x9, brilliant finder;
  • 1930: 6x9 and 6.5x11, brilliant and folding finders;
  • 1932: 3.4x5.5 and 6x9, lens on rails, replacement to Inos;
  • 1935: 4.5x6 and 6x9, shutter release on door;
  • 1937: 4.5x6 and 6x9, finder with cover;
  • 1945: same as 1937, some models had sync;
  • 1949: similar to 1937, better shutters.


An eye-level sports finder is located in the top of the camera (the top when held horizontally), folded under a metal hood in some models. In some models, the front frame of the finder has a negative lens. Bessas produced after 1930 also have a brilliant finder.

Voigtländer offered a few accessories or optional equipment for the Bessa line: a simple cable release, a brilliant-finder magnifier, and an "Alpha" yellow filter.


Bessa I

20010457382_e0388e48d6_m.jpg
Voigtländer Bessa I
image by Hans Kerensky (Image rights)

The Bessa I was manufactured from 1951 until 1956 (about 80,000 units) and is a well made camera that uses 120 film and can give either 6x4.5cm (with insert) or 6x9cm negatives. The Bessa I has a simple finder that lacks a built-in rangefinder; however, it is possible to use a small external rangefinder that mounts in the shoe on the top, which in practice is easy to use--simply transfer the distance to the lens.

  • Shutter/Lens Combinations:
  • Filter size: push-on 37mm
  • Viewfinder: optical direct-vision viewfinder with four different masks, two formats (6x9 and 4.5x6), and two parallax corrections (1 meter, close-up) separate for each format
  • Dimensions (folded) : 168x98x48mm
  • Weight : 770 grams



Bessa II

8363398847_c3b3d8b253_m.jpg
Bessa II 1956
image by Geoff Harrisson (Image rights)

This is the most renowned of the cameras with the "Bessa" name. It is a self folding camera with a coupled rangefinder. Thirty-four thousand five hundred Bessa IIs were made from 1950 to 1956. They were fitted with a Color-Skopar 3.5/10.5cm; a Color-Heliar 3.5/10.5cm; or, from 1954, the rare and sought-after Apo-Lanthar 4.5/10.5cm. The Compur-Rapid shutter fitted on the earlier models was replaced by the Synchro-Compur shutter from 1951. The accessory shoe appears only from 1954.


Bessa RF (1936-1951)

34260406616_73a7afa976_n.jpg
Voigtländer Bessa RF
image by THE LAST PHOTOGRAPHIES (Image rights)

The Bessa RF camera had a very long life and is the predecessor of the Bessa II. It is an improved version of the Bessa 1935 model, but with a coupled rangfinder. All models have a 1/400 Compur-Rapid shutter but can be fitted with four different lenses:

  • Skopar 3.5/10.5cm
  • Heliar 3.5/10.5cm
  • Helomar 3.5/10.5cm
  • Color-Heliar 3.5/10.5cm

Like several Bessas it makes 6x9 or 4.5x6 exposures on 120 film and has a shutter release on the front door. Sixty thousand of the Bessa RF were made.


Bibliography

  • Claus Prochnow, Voigtländer Report 3, First edition, Braunschweig (D), Lindemanns Verlag, 2007, ISBN 978-3-89506-274-2.


Links

In English:

In French:

In Japanese:

In Polish:

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