Bessamatic Deluxe - Voigtlander - c1963
Classic reflex camera. It is interesting how the designers managed a way to have a viewfinder with all information. It is quite easy today with electronics but only using mechanical and optical devices image and information should be optically and mechanicaly actually transported to the focusing screen. In this Bessamatic the small roof on top the light meter window is a prism that sends to the viewfinder the image of both rings speed and aperture. When you turn the knob on top plate on the left, a gear system turns the apperture ring at the same time. Automatically a lever behind the pentaprism matches the light meter needle to indicate the correct exposure. That is also visible through the viewfinder. Depth of field is displayed by two red sliding pointers that mark the nearest and farthest point in focus directly over the focus scale. All mechanical ! Lenses are top class for normal usage. The 50 mm f2 Septon is a 7 elements lens that render excellent pictures. The set of 35 f3.4 Skoparex, 135 f4 Super Dynarex and 50 f2.8 Color Skopar uses always a 40.5 mm diameter screw for filter and that is really convenient. Only pitfall is that the mirror doesn't go back to position after firing the shutter. That was common thing for this generation and level of camera. Anyway I would recommend this camera to anyone nowadays because of the simple fact that it will probably be working for the next 40 years. Look also the Contaflex  from Zeiss and the Retina Reflex  from Kodak. Case you are interested in lens constructions find here the design of lenses for the Bessamatic system: Color Skopar 50 f2.8, Septon 50 f2, Skopagon 40 f2, Skoparex 35 f3.4, Dynarex 90 f3.4, Dynarex 100 f4.8 and Super Dynarex 135 f4. I scanned it from Voiglander's advertising. |
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