Bessaflex TM

Bessaflex TM, chrome
image by Lightshaper (Image rights)

The Bessaflex TM is a retro styled SLR camera body for 35mm film by Cosina Voigtländer released in May, 2003 and discontinued in 2007. It was priced at 50,000 yen.^[1] The camera came in black, in a style reminiscent of the Canon F series, and in silver, in a style reminiscent of the Topcon Super D. Mr Kobayashi also introduced a Topcor 58/1.4 to complement the package.

It revived the 42mm screw mount for M42 lenses, providing stop-down TTL metering. This allows enthusiasts to shoot with desirable vintage lenses, on a body that is not itself many decades old (and possibly in need of repair) and that had some features not available at the time.

The shutter is mechanical (Copal) with speeds of 1 to 1/2000 sec. plus B with electronic flash sync at 1/125 of a sec. The finder has a split image rangefinder focusing screen that is surrounded by a circular microprism, with 95% coverage of the image in the high-point style. The meter is silicon photo diode-based, center weighed, with a range of 1-19 EV at ISO 100, and LEDs on the viewfinder indicate proper (green) or over/under (red) exposure. The metering covers film speeds of 25 to 1600 ISO in 1/3rd stops. The stopped-down metering switch is positioned by the lens mount and is easily accessible by using the left thumb to push upwards. The meter is powered by two silver oxide batteries (SR44/357). The self timer also doubles as mirror lock-up for long exposures. A film-window was added to the back door. The camera has a PC-socket for flash but no accessory shoe built-in. The camera is also compatible with grips and trigger winders that Cosina introduced for their Bessa rangefinder cameras.