Bessamatic Collection

[bhargav]

I recently acquired a rather large collection of Bessamatic cameras and lenses. There are two bessamatic bodies with total 9 lenses and several other accessories. There are 3 X 90/3.4 (Dynarex), 2X 35/3.4 (skoparex), 135/4 (super dynarex), 36/82 f2.8 (Zoomar), 50/2 Septon and 50/2.8 (color skopar). All in mint condition except the Zoomar. They belonged to an elderly gentleman who was a collector (and a hoarder I was told) and kept everything in exceptionally good condition. Interestingly the box also contains original brochure of an Ultramatic and several photographic catalogs from 70s. I will keep a 90mm, one 35mm and the Septon and sell off the rest I think.

Over the next few weeks I would like to try them on my NEX.

There are also various filters in the box. I just got the adapter today and tried the 90mm, 35mm and the Septon around the garden. Here are some samples. No pp just cropped in LR.

35/3.4 Wide open with the Focar B (close focus @ 0.5m)




Dynarex 90/3.4 with Focar B


Septon 50/2

[iangreenhalgh1]

Wow, I really like these, those old Schneiders look to be excellent.

[danfromm]

[iangreenhalgh1]

That would be Voigtlander. I happened to be looking at a Xenon in DKL just before I saw this thread and monkey see monkey do...

[std]

So many of them - wow.
you should post a lens porn picture of all of them.
I just feel envy - especially for the septon and skoparex
On the Nex they will be very good.

[patrickh]

Clearly a treasure trove. Well done


patrickh


BTW I would keep a copy of each.

[Attila]

I am envy Congrats!!

[bhargav]

Thanks all for your comments! I think I got lucky. Mind you it wasn't very cheap but I guess I can recover partly by selling duplicate copies. I will try to post some photos of the collection but currently it is quite hard to get everything together due to space issues.

Also, will be interesting to see how the zoomar works on NEX. From what I read it's performance is very ordinary but it has collectible value.

[pdccameras]

Nice pics and quite a haul - that is a great collection!

I think the Bessamatics had one of the highest engineering standard of any leaf shutter SLR system. Many of those that have survived till today still work just fine. The feature list is impressive as is the performance of the lenses. I love the moving depth of field pointers (a la Zeiss Hassy lenses) on the lenses and the top mounted camera knob for setting your f-stops. The meter on my Deluxe actually is still quite accurate! I haven't gotten around to testing any of the lenses on the NEX yet, but I do have one of the DKL -> M42 adapters.

Here is my Bessamatic kit, which includes the standard Bessamatic body, a Bessamatic deLuxe (with f-stop readout in the finder), the 50 mm f/ 2.8 Skopar and f/2.0 Septon as well as the 35mm, 135mm and 200mm accessory lenses.

I definitely have a spot in my lineup for one of those 90mm's you mentioned. Please let me know if you decide to sell one!

I know you will enjoy your kit.

Best,

paul

[bhargav]

I finally got around to take some photos. But I don't have a proper setup to take nice product photos. There are three sets of filters (focar a, b and sf and most lenses are fitted with skylight filters). Also, some other accessories and brochures.

If anyone is interested in Dynarex 90/3.4 or Skoparex 35/3.4 do let me know as I have a spare copy. I might also let go of Zoomar but will surely keep the Septon.

[LucisPictor]

Is there a working and affordable Bessamatic-NEX-adapter?

[bhargav]

[LucisPictor]

Cool, thanks!

[rbelyell]

lovely! very similar to my kodak retina iv collection. the mount is virtually the same, and my lenses perform wonderfully as well on m4/3 and film. good luck!
tony