Bessamatic Lenses

[Mesti3K]

I'm thinking about buying a couple Voigtlander Bessamatic/Ultramatic lenses and getting an adapter for my Nikon to get a 'nuanced' look.

Does anyone know about these lenses? Are any better than the others? How about an adapter I could use to fit the F mount.

And a price point for any of the above?

Your advice is much appreciated.

 

[ZeissFan]

The most common lens is the f/2.8 Color-Skopar, which is a Tessar design.

The most common wide angle is the 35mm Skoparex, and a common telephoto is the 135mm Dynarex. I'm not sure which Carl Zeiss design these are based upon, although I would guess the Dynarex is a Sonnar design.

There also is a less common f/2.0 50mm Septon (which always means pricey, if you can locate one).

Among the bodies, the Ultramatic is reputed to be notoriously mechanically fragile (i.e., could break down and difficult to repair).

The Bessamatic is a very hardy camera with the usual issues involving dirt/debris in the viewfinder, possibly a dead selenium cell and the need for service to the Synchro Compur leaf shutter.

 

[alienmeatsack]

I actually have a lens for the Bessamatic in the usual DKL mount format that I am looking for a new home for.

It's the Color-Skopar X 50/2.8. When I got it, I had hoped to use it on a Bessamatic that I had arranged to purchase but the seller flaked on me last minute so I have the lens and no camera.

In good condition these run $50-80 USD from what I've seen. Mine's seen some use and has some dings, scratches, a little paint chipping and some light fungus damage to the rear glass but it works great best I can tell as far as focus ring function and the aperture.

I was considering finding a mount for it to use on one of my other cameras but I found it difficult to find a DKL mount adapter that wasn't more then the lens was worth. Fotodiox's adapter for the Nikon F Mount is $50 USD according to Amazon.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

I actually have a lens for the Bessamatic in the usual DKL mount format that I am looking for a new home for.

It's the Color-Skopar X 50/2.8. When I got it, I had hoped to use it on a Bessamatic that I had arranged to purchase but the seller flaked on me last minute so I have the lens and no camera.

In good condition these run $50-80 USD from what I've seen. Mine's seen some use and has some dings, scratches, a little paint chipping and some light fungus damage to the rear glass but it works great best I can tell as far as focus ring function and the aperture.

I was considering finding a mount for it to use on one of my other cameras but I found it difficult to find a DKL mount adapter that wasn't more then the lens was worth. Fotodiox's adapter for the Nikon F Mount is $50 USD according to Amazon.

I've used an original model Bessamatic quite a bit. As ZeissFan says they're quite a reliable camera. Don't take any notice of the usual leaf shutter unreliability rubbish--it never stopped Hasselblads from selling SLRs. If they have a reputation otherwise it is probably only because they rarely get serviced. The shutter is scarcely more complex than that found in a rangefinder or TLR. But it is harder to get to. After fifty years if you find an example that is still running well it is likely to do so for a while yet. If the slow speeds work the rest of the mechanism is is usually OK and Voigtlaender made some of the most durable selenium cells I've ever encountered. Of course you also get full flash sync and one of the smoothest shutters ever fitted to an SLR. The Bessamatic is better than even a Hasselblad lens in smoothness, providing you set the timer to pre-fire the mirror and capping plate. Personally, I would find another body and give them a try. They handle and feel like an SLR twenty years newer, and have a snappy microprism and surprisingly bright viewfinder.

If the whole lens shutter SLR idea appeals but you're looking for something easier to fix, a later Contaflex model is not as complex, and the shutter is much much easier to access than a Bessamatic Synchro Compur for CLA (if you talk to someone who knows how to, I do).

Regards,
Brett

 

[jajong]

I don't know of any adapter to nikon F, but I do know these lenses are great: http://www.pbase.com/jajong/bessamatic
Cheers,
Jan