bessa 6x9 repair ?

[ianstamatic]

I have my grandmothers 1930's Bessa but it is in need of some serious repair.

The general condition and shutter etc is fine it is the folding mechanism and focus areas that are literally bent out of shape.

Can anyone recommend a good competent repair person ?

Thanks !

 

[sevo]

What Bessa? The coupled rangefinder models and the Bessa II are of enough value
to warrant a repair, but the bulk are early 30's ones with frame finder and f/6.3 Voigtar, which tend to go for less than 20€ on ebay in nice shape (or a fiver on garage sales and flea markets) - which makes repairs rather pointless.

 

[Vickko]

If there is sentimental value, try http://www.certo6.com/

Vick

 

[ianstamatic]

It has a coupled rangefinder (separate window to VF) and a Skopar 3.5 105 Except for the bent support it is in excellent condition.

It looks like this one ..

 

[JeffL]

Also there is Mark Hansen's Classic Camera Repair
http://www.zeissikonrolleirepair.com/index.html
or
Ken Ruth at Photo on Bald Mountain

My Super Ikonta is at Mark's right now. This is my first time using him.
Both shops have a good rep on the internet.

 

[KoNickon]

Jurgen Kreckel (certo6) specializes in folding cameras -- that Bessa is well worth the cost of the repair. I don't know that Mark Hansen thinks too highly of Voigtlanders, based on comments on his site. But ask him!

There is always Essex Camera in NJ -- they seem able to fix pretty much anything.

 

[citizen99]

Yes, that particular model camera has a very good lens, shutter and all-round 'usability' - I'm very fond of the model. Certainly, if you have it repaired for your own use I don't think you'll regret it. But if you're thinking of getting it repaired for sale, you would be wise to compare the cost with what they have gone for on e.g. ebay Completed Listings. Here's one current at the time of posting:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-V...448?pt=US_Vintage_Cameras&hash=item2c5f3aab28
NB Don't go by the prices of Heliar lens models, these really appeal to collectors and can go for much more.
On the other hand, with the Skopar lens (and, of course, Compur-Rapid shutter), your model might fetch a useful price as a 'parts/for repair' camera.

 

[Argenticien]

Jurgen Kreckel (certo6) specializes in folding cameras -- that Bessa is well worth the cost of the repair. I don't know that Mark Hansen thinks too highly of Voigtlanders, based on comments on his site. But ask him!

I have the same camera, but with a Helomar triplet, not Skopar, and the flip-open filter aeons ago lost, so actually not the same camera! (Yours is far better.) Mark Hansen worked on mine without complaint a few years ago. It was a general CLA but mostly shutter work, and I was satisfied. I don't see why he couldn't also work on the bent strut in yours.
--Dave

 

[djonesii]

just use Mark ....

just use Mark ....

I just had a folder worked on by Mark, and I'm happy with the initial results, need to do some more through testing, but based on what I have done so far, a surprise is highly unlikely .... Photos to follow in another thread when I get them scanned.

Under a loupe things are good!

Dave

 

[ianstamatic]

Yes, that particular model camera has a very good lens, shutter and all-round 'usability' - I'm very fond of the model. Certainly, if you have it repaired for your own use I don't think you'll regret it. But if you're thinking of getting it repaired for sale, you would be wise to compare the cost with what they have gone for on e.g. ebay Completed Listings. Here's one current at the time of posting:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-V...448?pt=US_Vintage_Cameras&hash=item2c5f3aab28
NB Don't go by the prices of Heliar lens models, these really appeal to collectors and can go for much more.
On the other hand, with the Skopar lens (and, of course, Compur-Rapid shutter), your model might fetch a useful price as a 'parts/for repair' camera.

Thanks for the replies.

I'll email mark.

This definitely is a keeper camera.
It belonged to my grandmothers brother, who was killed in the Holocaust.
The camera remained hidden till after the war, my grandmother surviving the concentration camps.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/obituaries/mother-who-escaped-ss-with-her-infants-20110215-1av0w.html
"Mother who escaped SS with her infants"

She passed recently and I'm trying to get the camera working.

 

[jnoir]

I have a Bessa RF with the Heliar lens, and its original maker's box (actually, a bicentenary edition, 1756-1956), in absolutely great shape (rangefinder's vertical alignment was slightly off, I already solved that). Go ahead, repair yours and enjoy it!

How much do you think mine will be worth? Or how much would you pay for it? Not that I plan on selling it - that will never happen, just curious about current pricing for this particular combination of black RF + Heliar.

 

[sevo]

I have a Bessa RF with the Heliar lens, and its original maker's box (actually, a bicentenary edition, 1756-1956), in absolutely great shape (rangefinder's vertical alignment was slightly off, I already solved that). Go ahead, repair yours and enjoy it!

How much do you think mine will be worth?

If it is indeed a RF (E-messer Bessa) and not a Bessa II, not significantly more than without box, as they don't belong together. Even if some dealer should happen to have re-boxed some old stock camera back then, a pre 1951 camera does not really belong into a 1956 box - a honest, but profitable solution would be to sell them separately.

As far as Heliar Bessa RF prices go, I bought mine for less than 60€ a few years ago, when prices consistently were in the 50-100 range, but prices have at least doubled in the wake of the Bessa II hype, and are all over the place nowadays - currently nice ones often score more than 300€...

 

[jnoir]

Couldn't it be that the box was actually made and sold before the bicentenary? Not that it makes lots of sense, 5 years are somehow a lot of time, but in this world who knows :bang:

 

[Argenticien]

Wow...

Wow...

Right then, that back-story puts paid to any discussion of selling that camera. Not that any repairman ever intentionally treats one customer's camera less well than others, but you might want to give Mark (or whoever ends up with the job) the alert that this is an heirloom that's gone from Europe to Australia to America in the hands of Holocaust survivors and he needs to be ridiculously careful with it. (That, and insure the dickens out of it in the post.) The story of your grandmother is amazing. It's remarkable enough whenever anyone lives to 96, but I always think the greatest revenge (or last laugh) that any survivor can have against the Nazis is to live a very long life and die of old age among loved ones, so your grandmother did well on that one. Good on her!
--Dave

Thanks for the replies.

I'll email mark.

This definitely is a keeper camera.
It belonged to my grandmothers brother, who was killed in the Holocaust.
The camera remained hidden till after the war, my grandmother surviving the concentration camps.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/obituaries/mother-who-escaped-ss-with-her-infants-20110215-1av0w.html
"Mother who escaped SS with her infants"

She passed recently and I'm trying to get the camera working.