Bessa 66
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| Voigtländer Bessa 66 (deluxe model) image by AWCam (Image rights) |
The Bessa 66 is a folding 120 rollfilm camera made in Germany by Voigtländer, introduced in 1938 and made after the war between 1948-1950. It was one in a long series of Bessa cameras, this camera and the Bessa 46 are sometimes called "Baby-Bessa" or "Klein-Bessa", due to their compact design and because most of the Bessas until then were of 6x9 format. [1]
There were two versions, the standard with an sports finder, and a deluxe model with an optical viewfinder (inverted telescope) and a different top-plate. The optical viewfinder version came first, with the same top-plate as the more expensive 6x9 Bessa with film counter and double-exposure prevention. By 1938 the cheaper and simpler version of Bessa 66 and Bessa 46 came out without the frame counter and a simple sports viewfinder. A special version called Bessa 466 that could be switched between 6x4.5 and 6x6 was produced in small quantities. Postwar examples had the sports finder only.
Several different lenses and shutters were used through the production of the camera, and a yellow 'Moment' filter was fitted to the front of the lens, which hinged out of the way when not required in pre-war models. [2]
The shutter is released by a lever fitted through the door, which retracts when closed. There is a rotating foot at the bottom which has a double purpose, it locks the film door or is used to stabilize the camera on table-top.
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| Bessa 66 "standard" Images by Mario Groleau. (Image rights) |
Specifications
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Voigtländer
- In production: 1938~1940, 1948-50
- Film: twelve 6×6cm exposures on 120 film
- Lens: Voigtar 75mm f/3.5, Vaskar 75mm f/4.5 (post-war), Skopar or Color-Skopar (Post-War) 75mm f/3.5, or Color Heliar 75mm f/3.5
- Viewfinder: Sports finder and optical-viewfinder in "Deluxe" models
- Shutters observed:
- Compur, speeds B, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 300
- Compur-Rapid, speeds B, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500
- Prontor II, speeds T, B, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 175
- Dimensions: 128 × 89 × 97mm (41mm folded); weight 510g (Deluxe) and 460g (Standard)
Notes
- ↑ McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). Page 953.
- ↑ [In-depth listIn-depth list of all the variants at Schoebel's Voigtlander-Archive (in German) ]
Links
- Bessa 66 at The Classic Camera
- Bessa 66 at M. Groleau's site (in French)
- Voigtlander Bessa 66 on Interno in bakelite (italian)
- In-depth list of shutter-, lens-, and body variants at Heinz Schöbels' Voigtländer-Archiv, in German
- German PDF-manual on M. Butkus' site.
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| Besa 66 Deluxe with Heliar and Compur-Rapid image by Jörg Krüger (Image rights) |
