Voigtlander Bessa

The Voigtlander Bessa camera, not the Bessa l or 2 or whatever, just the Bessa, is the subject here. A macro lens was used on the video camera to get some necessary close up details, voice overs, and a Ken Burns. I've had this Voigtlander Bessa camera almost 2 years and am still learning how to use it.
Kodak changed the numbers on their film, T-MAX400, now one row is missing, and that row is what aligns with the red window of THIS camera. Not on a Nettar, not on a Kodak 620 Jr. Just this one. I have to use Arista film and no longer can use Kodak film in this camera. The red window is too far towards the middle of the camera body.

[@PedroPabloCondeChao]

Thanks a lot! I just found about how to operate the timer release of my Compur thanks to your video.

[@karkunow]

Best video on this Bessa which I've ever seen! Thanks!

[@paulwayman5137]

Thanks Michael. This is just what I needed to teach me how to use my newly acquired Bessa. I'm going to take it out for a spin next week.

[@MichaelCarter]

fun stuff!

[@mmadmic]

Thanks for your video, I'm continuing my travel back to the past, I started photography when I was a teenager in the early 90's with an used Pentax ME, then when money came, I bought a Mamiya 645 ... I moved to digital in the early 2000 and for a few years I was feeling that I've lost something in my photographic life, when I moved to my new house, I found and old Pentax SV in my attic. I cleaned it and after probably more the 4 decades, it came back to life. The passion was back, since then, I bought plenty of cameras, I'm in love with Olympus OM's but in 2015 I started my journey to the origins of photography, Bronica ETRsi -> all the Olympus OM series -> Canon FTb, dozen of Praktica and Zenit, TLR's (Rolleiflex, Rolleicord, Yashicamat, Montanus, Lubitel ...) , Rangefinders (Fed 5 -> Fed 2 -> Barnack Leica) and finally folding cameras, a Moskva 5 and a Voigtlander Bessa.

[@MichaelCarter]

Watch out for pinholes.

[@mmadmic]

@@MichaelCarter ;)

[@kfl611]

Maybe the camera was overly loved and the lettering was rubbed smooth from use (love). Maybe some dry silicon spray lubricant would help it all work more smoothly. I had a camera very much like this one, it took excellent color photographs, very sharp. I at the time was able to use speed 25 extar, I think kodak film. It's a film they don't make any more, but I'm sure some of it is available online some where.

[@Mr.HarryPotter]

July 31 2023 I made the same mistake with gaffers tape on a 1900s Kodak Folding camera I returned and feel horrible about it. Poor seller forgave me. Just learned from a Voigtlander Bessa RF's owner to Blu-Tack the red windows/s. It will remove maybe 1% of the paint if any. You could use acrylic paint if the leatherette is undamaged. Do not use any tapes please to cover the red windows. You could tape the red windows from inside if you're real expert and know when and where the First frame appears. With Kodaks, there are 130, 116 and other film formats -with adapters that you really need to use the red windows till you memorize the number of film advance turns.

[@MichaelCarter]

Gaffers tape is very strong.

[@fredricknietzsche7316]

the winding tab should only turn one way. but good workaround you came up with.

[@trondsi]

I am learning to use mine as well. Very nice camera, once you get into the rhythm of it and stop double exposing (I did that a lot to begin with)

[@MichaelCarter]

Tri-X does not have numbers in the right place any more to see them in the ruby window.

[@wojciechsiewior3868]

That's true for all Kodak films with the new backing paper. Numbers don't line up. Sucks. Leaves you with Ilford and Fuji to use.

[@vintagecameras9623]

Nice:)

[@christos1973]

A very useful video. I got mine through eBay the other day and I think that the lens is not completely parallel to the film plane, so I wanted to ask if when you open the camera both struts need that extra push to extend completely. On mine, upon opening the cover, the lower one is already completely extended and only the upper one needs that extra push to lock in place. Upon doing so, the lens is no longer completely parallel to the film plane, i.e. when the upper strut is completely extended, it sort of "pushes" one side of the lens a bit further compared to the lower strut, thus making it look like it's no longer completely parallel to the film plane. I plan to shoot a roll of Ilford FP4+ so I wanted to know how I can verify this apparent misalignement when shooting.

[@MichaelCarter]

Mine does need to be clicked into place, however I did not notice misalignment

[@christos1973]

Michael Carter Ι guess there's something wrong with the lower strut on mine, although it looks OK, or perhaps the lens base is bent? I 'll have to shoot that film roll and see how it goes, perhaps any misalignement will be offset by the DOF? Perhaps a brick wall shot from a known distance at various apertures plus a couple of infinity shots will reveal any problems.

[@johnirby493]

That's the original cover on the camera, and the self timer would work better if the shutter was CLA'd.

[@MichaelCarter]

www.flutotscamerarepair.com

[@amgluk]

My dad used this camera after WWII. All my childhood pictures are taken with Bessa. Probably, dad was not a good photographer and many pics are not as sharp (out of focus?). After this one, he used a 35mm viewfinder camera and the pictures he took were much better than from Bessa. So he gave it up because all the stuff was for 35mm. Now I'm so sorry that when I'd grown up a bit and Bessa got in my hands, I disassembled it completely. I made an act of vandalism on a thing with an "as new" status. What a fool was I, nowadays it would be cool to try a large format having a lot of remarkable samples from Bessa on the web.

[@MYCHANNEL-on1cp]

thanks for taking the time to make this video, i found a similar camera, but older looking, inside theres a number G431844, Would you know the vintage and if it has any value, im not a photographer, but its in great shape? thanks ps it looks exactly like this one except the zoom lens kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6e5YYevjNGYiJI

[@MichaelCarter]

If you have the half frame mask inside that camera you have a treasure.