January 16, 2025 – donsalvo.org

Metal, metal, metal. Voigtländer lenses and cameras are legendary. The Bessa was one of the most popular folder cameras in the 20th century. In the 1960s, the Braunschweig-based company attempted to hold its own against the competition from the Far East. The Bessamatic represents the effort to offer a high-end, sophisticated, expertly machined camera to an audience of amateur photographers with deep pockets. It is heavy, weighing in at more than 900g. It is impressive. Solid. Complex. Full of ideas. Levers, gears and pulleys. A fine mechanic’s dream.

Flowering Fields in Floisdorf/Eifel. SuperDynarex135mm (Kodak 200)

Manual focus, manual exposure. A leaf shutter. My de luxe model from 1962 has a little window with a mirror which lets you see the aperture. Some call it a “Judas window”, others prefer the “nose”.

Rodenkirchen Autobahn Bridge, Cologne 135mm (Kodak 200)

The Voigtländer Bessamatic eventually offered 9 interchangeable lenses from 35mm to 350mm. The marketing department used the slogan “…because the lens is so good!” The Color-Skopar 50mm is a great lens as well.

Bergneustadt, local history museum (Kodak Pro Image 100)

Frederick Engels’ Factory: Engelskirchen (Kodak Pro Image 100)

Walk in Frederick’s footsteps: Engelskirchen walk (Kodak Pro Image 100)

The Bessamatic tried to out-compete the Kodak Retina Reflex series and the Contaflex from Zeiss Ikon. It was priced at around 500 DM and pretty much out of reach for the average family in the 1960s. The camera cost about the same as an average person’s monthly salary! Depending on the accessories (the Zoomar lens was and is expensive, since it was the world’s first Zoom lens), the cost could approach the price of a brand new VW Beetle car! (around 3,700 DM at the time).

View over the valley: Near Floisdorf/Mechernich 135mm (Kodak 200)

What I always find remarkable is that the mechanics have held up so well, even if there is a point to saying a little prayer every time you put the Voigtländer into your bag. Not many mechanics can repair a camera like that…I was fortunate to find someone to do a complete CLA after the film transport failed and now it’s as good as new.

Modern and vintage: old roof and solar panels. Super Dynarex 135mm (Kodak 200)

The Bessamatic is like a vintage car you take out on sunny Sundays for a drive in the beautiful countryside. Then, you notice all the niceties you didn’t see at first. Designers came up with an ingenious little “foot” to stabilize the camera when you place it on a flat surface.