Bessa II - Heliar - Tests after CLA

[Solinar]

I took a chance on an inexpensive Bessa II in need of serious disassembly and reassembly. The focus was frozen.

Any way, it works. The Heliar is incredible. It totally puts my 105 Solinar on the Recordd III to shame.

The Compur Rapid shutter a bit lazy - all negs but one were over exposed and I don't believe I used a light meter for the one that wasn't.

Not quite a large format camera, but very usable with its left-handed quirks. The top cover is with my machinist to have an accessory shoe installed. It will definitely benefit being able to use a bright-line finder. The RF/VF is small.

Test shots are in my gallery - http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=57600

On the pool shot below, while making the enlarged portion of the full frame of the pool shot, using a grain magnifier on an enlarger, I was able to read the labels on the plastic pool buckets.

 

[Solinar]

A late addition to Bessa II photos. This image below which illustrates one of features of the the 6x9 Bessa. It wasn't printed until last night. Unlike my Record III there is no double exposure prevention built into the shutter release.

 

[Abbazz]

I took a chance on an inexpensive Bessa II in need of serious disassembly and reassembly. The focus was frozen.

Any way, it works. The Heliar is incredible. It totally puts my 105 Solinar on the Recordd III to shame.

I guess we will have to call you "Heliar" now 😀

I totally agree with you, the Heliar is the very best lens I have ever tried on any vintage folding camera. Much better than the Super-Ikonta's Tessar. I find the Heliar on a well adjusted camera a good match for modern MF lenses. The only problem being that the Bessa cameras are even more quirky than other folders because, as you noticed 🙄 , there is no double exposure prevention.

Cheers,

Abbazz

 

[phillip]

andrew in austin:

small world: noticed the howard and nancy terry bench. my wife works for the terry foundation.

drop me a line if you ever consider selling any of your folders.

 

[Robert Kildare]

I have a Heliar lens that I took off a busted Voigtlander folder--the one with green covering. I put the lens on a Speed Graphic, and it gives the best color rendition of any lens I own. For black and white film, I prefer the old Skopar lenses. They are sharper and more contrasty than the Heliar.

 

[Solinar]

I don't recall a Bessa with a green covering - so I'll guess it is one of the sheet film folders from the 1930's.

What did you do to perform the swap, mount the the lens and shutter onto lens board for the Speed Graphic?

 

[Silva Lining]

I don't recall a Bessa with a green covering - so I'll guess it is one of the sheet film folders from the 1930's.

Yes, quite possibly a Voigtlander Bergheil - they came in green and some had Heliar lenses - they were indeed plate or sheet film shooters. I have an old Bergheil with a Colinear lens, that I am still trying to get working...