Voigtlander Bessa 66

[Nesster]

This folder is from '37 or '38 and seems to be a pretty deluxe model. It has an auto stop feature on the film wind, so you use the red window only to get to 1. Otherwise, it's a left eyed, left handed camera. There's a cute little foot that folds out so the camera can stand on its own.

The uncoated Skopar has beautiful tone with color, the built in flip-out yellow filter is a mixed blessing - useful for b&w, but it precludes the use of a lens shade. Compur shutter with speeds up to 300.



I think the Bessa 66 and its reincarnation Perkeo were amongst the smallest of 6x6 MF folders. Here it is side by side with an OM2s:


and next to a Bessa 1 6x9



The lens is very good, though focusing can be an act of faith to one used to SLRs, TLRs and coupled RFs. The best thing is I got the Bessa and a Gossen Luna Pro SBX for $25 total!

I like this photo, I took it without locking the folding part so one edge is in focus while the other isnt:







more samples at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nesster/sets/72157603388265948/
_________________
Camera Fetishism:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nesster/sets/72157601067248451/

[Farside]

Remarkable how they managed to make a 6x6 nearly as small as an OM.
_________________
Dave

The Lenses of Farside

"The largest threat to freedom, democracy, the market economy and
prosperity is no longer socialism. It is, instead, the ambitious,
arrogant, unscrupulous ideology of environmentalism."

-- Czech President Vaclav Klaus

[Katastrofo]

Nesster, love these shots and I checked out your flickr ones as well. What
color and B&W film did you use! Great results!

Bill

[Nesster]

Thanks, Bill - I tend to use 160 speed Kodak or Fuji, and either of the C41 B&W films (Kodak or Ilford). I often convert the color to b&w in ps though.

(BTW, in some conniption I bought a Yashica Mat 124G of all things... when it arrives I'll report on how it stacks up against the Diacord)
_________________
Camera Fetishism:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nesster/sets/72157601067248451/

[Katastrofo]

Congrats, Nesster! Looking forward to your impressions of the Yashica!
I've heard the lenses are very similar in sharpness between the Ricohflex
and the Yashica, and am wondering if the Yashica is a Tessar design as well.

Thanks for sharing!

Bill

[Nesster]

Bill, yes all Tessars... but we've since been educated on things like bokeh and contrast/flare, which I suspect could be a difference between the lenses. I count 10 blades in my Rikenon, a nearly perfect circle. The Skopar in the Bessa has 10 as well.

Unfortunately I just discovered the shutter on the Bessa is stuck... so I guess the CLA I've been putting off is due.
_________________
Camera Fetishism:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nesster/sets/72157601067248451/

[Katastrofo]

It will be interesting to see if there's any great difference between the two
lenses.

Sorry to hear about the Voigtlander, hope you're able to fix it!

Bill