Bessamatic

Jiaming · Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 107

Hi guys, I just got a Voigtlander Bessamatic kit at a VERY bargain price, but unfortunately there are a couple of things wrong.

1. Low shutter speeds are problematic. The reason is not oily shutter blade, since the B mode works super crispy. I guess the shutter timer is getting weak - I can hear the timer noise, but it tends to stop in the middle and not "noisy" enough. A 1/8s shutter may take 2s to finish, if ever. Any chance to repair? Fast shutter speeds look fine to me.

2. The 135/4 lens has a stuck aperture. I removed the mount, and was able to manually operate the blades, but they move very reluctantly. Spring doesn't seem wrong. The reason might be oil on blades or some of them are out of shape (not quite likely though). That's all I was able to do. I had no idea how to access the blades. Any suggestions?

The system is surprisingly (at least to me) elegant but complicated, which suggests that the reliability might be a problem.

Thanks!

Jiaming · Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 107

Alright.. I answer the question myself.

To access aperture, first remove the tiny screw in the front of the focusing barrel, and then use a little force to screw the front group out. Voila!

Repairing the shutter is worse than unpleasant, but there is a nice guide here and it's certainly doable:
http://www.suaudeau.eu/memo/rep/Compur-shutter-repair-manual.html
I was able to remove the outmost mount, but I do not have the type of screwdriver (never seen this type before) to go further inside. I had to put everything back, which again took me some time to recalibrate the exposure system. If you are smarter than I am, the link should guide through the process nicely.
Another complaint: the screws they used are SO soft that I could easily strip them!

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9109 Location: Houston, Texas

I dismantled -- and "remantled" -- a Synchro Compur shutter a few years ago. I followed a step-by-step guide I found on flickr to accomplish this feat. The slow speeds were very sluggish originally. After I finally got it back together, the shutter speeds were worse.. Sad

So honestly I recommend you find somebody who has experience doing CLAs on these old shutters and have them do the job.

Jiaming · Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 107

Thanks Michael. I totally agree with you, compur shutters are just too complicated to diy.