Voigtlander Brilliant S with Heliar 75mm f3.5 lens, TLR or not !!

A recent purchase of this classic 6x6 camera, I test the camera in rea life situations, show you the pitfalls and advantages of using this type of camera and my thoughts at the end of how I rate it compared to other TLR cameras. Your contributions help me make these learning video's.
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[@planeman1995]

Just getting back into 120 b&W film photography at age 76 - and discovering the Voigtlander range of TLRs - the Brilliant and Superb. Thanks for these videos, very informative...

[@lensman5762]

The photographs certainly have that classic 1930/1940s look to them.

[@GeorgiosKalaydjian]

So beautiful photos, taken very carefully by a Master.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Thanks George

[@davestubularvideos9046]

I have a Heliar Brillant too. The focus was slipping because the helical grease was stiff. Cleaned and used a modern white lens grease. Used a ground glass to synchronise the viewing and taking lenses which required the careful removal of the Compur label ring, lifting with the corner of a single edged razor blade which revealed set screws. Too complicated to explain here but you’ll figure it out. But the vital thing before adjustment is that the shutter assembly retention ring in the back is slackened and the gears brought into deeper engagement by holding up the shutter assembly up as you retighten the retention ring. It’s only the clearance in the body moulding that you have to play with but it made all the difference on mine. May apply to top lens too but not looked behind the mirror. I always use the viewing lens with its thicker ring to focus. Also had to clear out flaking black paint in the film chamber and re coated it with flat black model paint Hope this helps. Really enjoy your videos and inspiring photography. Thanks

[@martinhensonphotography]

Cheers I will check that out

[@MrMima77]

Fantastic result!

[@jaykey6307]

This has become one of m favorite channels. I think the video about snow, water, and ice, was best. Please keep these long-form videos with your walks, photography, some reflections about the meaning and art of photography mixed with geeking out on cameras and developers. Don't pressure yourself to present new gear every time, there are already too many channels on that. Thanks again for making these videos. Btw, I am a Voigtlaender fan myself. Cheers from California.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Thanks I will

[@johnfontana8115]

Interesting and informative as always, Martin. you have reminded me of the interest in some of the back alleys in Otley.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Glad you enjoyed the vid

[@cappysdad383]

I bought a mint pre-war 1939 Focusing Brillant S last year from a serious collector in Florida. Finally got around to shooting it and found the film advance did not seem to be stopping as it should and now, thanks to your instruction, I know why. I will be using the window for the remaining 3 shots. Its good to know how to disengage the advance stop mechanism too, thanks for that. Hopefully my focusing rings are in sync, I will be looking for proper focus in my images. I also enjoyed your excellent sample photos. You have a new subscriber!

[@petercooper9054]

A lady gave me one of these years ago to repair for her but there was a spring broken in the shutter. I've never used one. From memory I think they are bakerlite plastic. You got some good photos from it despite it's draw backs. I just picked up a bronica s2a with the rarer black finish which was not working. These are not for that faint of heart to open. It's a nightmare in there! I had some great help from a retired bronica repairman and it was two pieces of metal stuck together with dried grease. A quick clean and re grease was all it took to make it work! I've done all the mirror foams and viewfinder foams and the light seals. Might go out tomorrow and see how it works.

[@martinhensonphotography]

The shutter works great, its getting accurate precise focus that's hard, Peter, hope your camera works after the work you have put in and thanks for commenting

[@petercooper9054]

@@martinhensonphotography it works but of course it's not tested with film yet. The last S2a I bought in 2015 I was at a beach in Wales and the first roll all came out great. I think what your video shows is that you don't need a Leica to be able to take good photos. The camera is just the tool like an artists paintbrush.

[@massapix]

Thank You for this great video. It helps me a lot for my decision to get one, or not. Very well explained. 5 stars.

[@daviddmonte]

I found one with lenses inside and perfectly synced focus wheel, will try my best on this..

[@leicahooligan]

Martin - thanks for your instructive videos, you make me want to shoot film again.

[@f1remandg]

So helpful and the tips for focusing are also a sound piece of advice, as ever you do evoke a get out there spirit, I thought the river and park were the better ones, but the star for me was the White cottage and shining cobbles along with the clouds that achieved a great look.

[@antiquaria9207]

Very informative look at the camera. Also a great discussion of depth of field and hyperfocal distance.

[@geekgee]

Lovely compositions Martin... thank you. The first camera I used was a Yashica TLR and your overview of the operation of your camera reminded me of some of the workings of mine that I had long forgotten. I wish I still had it.

[@martinhensonphotography]

thanks

[@tommorgan3125]

Great review Martin and yes some of these old cameras can be finicky to use but the results make it all worthwhile. I think you just have to photograph within their limits and those gentle tones are truly magnificent.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Thanks Tommy, yes your right, old cameras can be like that and its something you have to accept and just enjoy them

[@russelltorres5276]

Martin, I really enjoy your videos. I just picked up a Yashicaflex A 6X6 camera, and I'm looking forward to shooting some 120 b&w film. Your channel is very inspiring!

[@grahammcarthur1794]

Excellent video Martin. Beautiful images.

[@jameslane3846]

Lovely review and the two photos at 14:50 and 15:00 were absolute stunners Martin!

[@frankzappa3834]

The body looks like an American Argoflex EF, but the images from it are of top quality! Great content as always, your videos are a highlight of the week!

[@ledesclos5321]

Excellent review of the Brilliant camera. Lovely shots. I swear you never miss. I love the nostalgic look. Thank you.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Thanks you

[@liveinaweorg]

Beautiful design on the viewing lens. Art for art's sake and you have produced some lovely art with it.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Thank you

[@BoundANDDetermined88]

Howdy Martin, thanks for sharing another vintage camera video. I have yet to try a TLR, but have an old Yashica that needs some work. I hope to get it up and running soon. But now, this Voigtlander, looks to be very interesting. Thanks!

[@carlinschelstraete682]

These images were really beautiful! Great work.

[@Periskop1]

The setting screws for the taking lens are loose.Thighten them and the viewing lens gears will couple once again with the taking lens which needs to be collimated.The Heliar lens is all worth the effort.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Thanks I agree it’s worth the effort , since the video I have adjusted the viewing lens and s and it matches the taking distance so hopefully it will be accurate now, thanks fir the info

[@Periskop1]

@@martinhensonphotography Sure.

[@mickcookson8009]

Martin I have read on the net, that when you get overlapping or uneven gaps in these old camera's that you can build up the take up spool with tape so that it increases the diameter so that it makes up for our modern day thin films.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Yes that's true Mick, its the mech that's the problem and a pain in thee &ss unlocking it after every exposure, thanks for commenting

[@minoltavision6109]

14:45 👍🏾

[@mueslimuncher1950]

When I use my voigtlander brilliant, or my Lubitel, I don't use the magnifier to focus. I use a seperate rangefinder and the distance scale.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Hi Bill, the problem with mine is the depth of field scale is out of sync with the taking lens

[@norfener]

I have a Perkeo II folding camera. I read somewhere it is better to leave winding on the film and do it before taking the shot. This is because when opening the camera the bellows can suck the film forwards causing the film to distort. In any case, you always have to have a fixed and rigid sequence of doing things otherwise things get missed or go wrong.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Yes I agree with that when using folders and that's why I always say that they should be opened slowly rather then flipping open, I have never had a an issue working that way, but I have had issues when I have not wound the film on after each exposure, it happened in this video were I forgot to do that and double exposed, I must practice what I preach but t does happen to the everyone once in a while, thanks for commenting.

[@tompaste387]

Nice photos

[@Dahrenhorst]

Great coincidence! Just today I received such a Voigtländer Brillant S with the Heliar lens in the mail. Bought it on eBay for 75 € incl. shipping, but I have to fix the shutter and the focusing mechanic first (the viewing lens is frozen stuck), and it looks like I have to replace the mirror as well. (What did you pay for your camera, btw?) Otherwise it is in great condition and even still has the light meter and yellow filter in the chamber. It's an older model than yours since it does not have the cold shoe and the brass name plate. I have a pre-war Rolleiflex Automat and I'm curious how the Voigtländer will behave differently and how the Heliar (it's my first with a Heliar lens) is different from the Tessar. I was told, that the Heliar lens is one of the best portrait lenses ever made. I actually do not think, that the focus is to be set via the viewing lens, but at the taking lens. You won't create the slipping effect when you only use the taking lens for setting the focus, while this one turns the viewing lens with it for focusing.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Hope you get the camera working,

[@NasuMeji]

once you calibrate the taking lens can't you then recalibrate the viewing lens? Or are the cogs so worn that it will drop synchronicity too quickly to make it worth the time? Is there anyway to fix the slippage between the two sets of opposing cogs?

[@jaromali1]

Can you make a movie about the Soviet Smen? It's a cheap camera. I'm curious how your pictures would turn out.

[@graystray5652]

Good video, Martin. I like your work around for distance calculations. I’d have never thought of doing that!

[@Gosmeister]

Excellent video Martin, and magnificent images as always! I found what you said about exposing and developing for a hybrid scanning workflow interesting - is this something you might go further into in a future video?

[@martinhensonphotography]

Well its just a way of controlling contrast, because I scan the negs I have far greater control of contrast then in the darkroom, so it follows that as long as you get the required tones in the negative its better not to have to much contrast as a start point of the scan, far easier to add it than remove it in editing, hope that makes sense, thanks

[@kevinthephotographer9346]

The focussing mechanism reminds me of the Lubitel 166B - perhaps the makers copied features from the Voigtlander Brilliant. I never got on with that camera and it fell apart before I got a chance to sell it. However you always get the the best from the camera whatever the limitations.

[@martinhensonphotography]

I think the lubital is in fact a copy of this camera,the Voigtlander will better constructed I’m sure, I have a 1932 and this 1945 and they still work

[@JumpinJackQ]

Lovely photos as always. Im a big fan of these being so compact and lightweight for a "TLR" so have a couple of them. Just a quick heads up. I have one of these where it the taking and viewing lens appears to be synced but the front element focussing was seized so the lens was not actually moving.. Not sure if these are prone to this issue but the method of construction seems to indicate it could be a problem on any using the original lubricants. This will show anyway when youre creating the new scale via ground glass.

[@martinhensonphotography]

The front lens does move in and out so don’t think it is seized , thanks

[@jamesc3507]

Hi Martin. I was just wondering if you get the taking lens sorted out with the rear ground glass as you had mentioned, will you not be able to then re-index the teeth of gears between top and bottom lenses? I was thinking it looks as though the teeth may be just slightly worn causing it to slip at certain areas. As a quick test after resynchronizing or indexing the two gears, perhaps one thin wrap of cloth tap around the gears would be establish enough thickness to keep them in sync. Absolutely love your videos.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Thanks , yea worth a try, I focused at one meter using the ground glass on the rear and it was out so needs re syncing but this time at infinity

[@CaseyR]

I realise that you're a busy man, but did you ever carry out the alterations to this camera? If so, I'd love to see the results.

[@Acbaih]

I also always wind on for the next exposure. But out of curiosity, I read that some people suggest, especially with Folder from this times to only wind before you expose. They argue with the tension of the roll and that if the last shot was longer ago the loose tension could harm the sharpness. What do you think about that. If I may ask. And as always, entertaining content.

[@martinhensonphotography]

Well if you only wind on when you want to take a shot, you take the exposure and then don't wind on to keep the film taught, lets say a week later, will you remember if that frame was exposed or just wound on, always wind on after every shot.

[@Acbaih]

@@martinhensonphotography that's why I don't do it, I wouldn't remember 🙂 but I was curious if you think it can affect the sharpness?

[@martinhensonphotography]

I doubt that it would

[@RobBob555]

Brilliant channel cheers 👍