ravenxarmy
Established
Hello,
I have been using the pre-war BESSA I for some years and it's been giving me an extremely hard time with focusing not to mention the camera I had was all over the place with shutter speeds. This week I finally gave up on it and upgraded to BESSA II Heliar with coupled rangefinder. It arrived yesterday and it feels like moving from a bicycle to a Harley.
The camera I bought is quite interesting, I haven't been able to find ANY information on it whatsoever so I thought I'd try here.
It looks identical to the model I found the instructions for here:
https://www.cameramanuals.org/voigtlander_pdf/voigtlander_bessa-model_2.pdf
However, it comes with an engraving J A Riggler or maybe J A Riggles??
Has anybody ever seen another example of it? Was it personalised by the previous owner perhaps? Or was it stock Voigtlander model? The engraving looks stock, exactly the same as the Voigtlander and BESSA logos above and below it.
Another interesting bit is that on the inside it is written in something that looks like a pencil:
"Gift from Voigtlander Co on 50th anniversary 1948 - (something that looks like a name? Nillergebby(??) NYC???)"
Please see pictures.
Does anybody know what this thing is? I'd appreciate any info.
***
Also while on the subject I was wondering if there's any way to attach a dioptric lens to this camera? I have temporarily taped a NIKON one over the rangefinder but it's a short term solution. I looked on the internet but haven't found anything really.
I have been using the pre-war BESSA I for some years and it's been giving me an extremely hard time with focusing not to mention the camera I had was all over the place with shutter speeds. This week I finally gave up on it and upgraded to BESSA II Heliar with coupled rangefinder. It arrived yesterday and it feels like moving from a bicycle to a Harley.
The camera I bought is quite interesting, I haven't been able to find ANY information on it whatsoever so I thought I'd try here.
It looks identical to the model I found the instructions for here:
https://www.cameramanuals.org/voigtlander_pdf/voigtlander_bessa-model_2.pdf
However, it comes with an engraving J A Riggler or maybe J A Riggles??
Has anybody ever seen another example of it? Was it personalised by the previous owner perhaps? Or was it stock Voigtlander model? The engraving looks stock, exactly the same as the Voigtlander and BESSA logos above and below it.
Another interesting bit is that on the inside it is written in something that looks like a pencil:
"Gift from Voigtlander Co on 50th anniversary 1948 - (something that looks like a name? Nillergebby(??) NYC???)"
Please see pictures.
Does anybody know what this thing is? I'd appreciate any info.
***
Also while on the subject I was wondering if there's any way to attach a dioptric lens to this camera? I have temporarily taped a NIKON one over the rangefinder but it's a short term solution. I looked on the internet but haven't found anything really.
lynnb
Veteran
The pictures you've attached aren't viewable on my monitor, using Firefox browser. Without pictures it's difficult to research your question.
The Bessa II is a fine camera. I haven't heard of any diopters for the VF.
Regards,
The Bessa II is a fine camera. I haven't heard of any diopters for the VF.
Regards,
valdas
Veteran
It's fine using Chrome though...
It seems to me a regular Heliar lens model, but just with personalized engravings (at the factory level though). So, probably there is a history behind it, but doubt it's something you can find on the internet...
ravenxarmy
Established
I checked on both Chrome and Firefox and the images appear fine. Maybe your ad blocker doesn't like the image link?
Try this:
ravenxarmy
Established
Solved:
There was Mr. Riggles who owned Willoughbys Wold's Largest Camera Store in NYC which sold Voigtlander.
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/125/607/1477372/
Now I only wonder if this was a one off signature camera given to Mr. Riggles by Voigtlander or was it a sort of "pro model" if you will sold at the NYC store in whatever quantities?
There was Mr. Riggles who owned Willoughbys Wold's Largest Camera Store in NYC which sold Voigtlander.
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/125/607/1477372/
Now I only wonder if this was a one off signature camera given to Mr. Riggles by Voigtlander or was it a sort of "pro model" if you will sold at the NYC store in whatever quantities?
lynnb
Veteran
Thanks for the images. To my eye, the font on the T A Riggles engraving looks dissimilar to the factory engraving. That would make sense, being a gift.
Lovely camera. I have the Color-Skopar, and it's no slouch; the Heliar was beyond my budget. I wish the camera had a cold shoe for an accessory VF.
Lovely camera. I have the Color-Skopar, and it's no slouch; the Heliar was beyond my budget. I wish the camera had a cold shoe for an accessory VF.
ravenxarmy
Established
I believe the APO-LANTHAR Bessas came with cold shoe but these (for reasons unknown) are more expensive than most expensive Leicas.
Was that Lanthar lens really more than 10 times better which the prices suggest?
My biggest issue with this camera right now is the dioptric adjustment. I really need it to be -3 ...
ravenxarmy
Established
Slightly off topic...
Why is Apo-Lanthar so much better than the Colour-Heliar?
What exactly is the difference between the 3 different BESSA II lenses?
I once saw the original sales brochure that featured the info on the Colour-Skopar and Colour-Heliar. I can't remember the exact prices but the Heliar was about 30% more expensive than the Skopar.
There was no mention of the Lanthar. I wonder what was the original price difference between the 3 models.
I run a quick search but haven't found any comparisons. Just general information:
BESSA II
This is the most renowned of the cameras with the "Bessa" name. Self folding camera with a coupled rangefinder. 34,500 Bessa II's made from 1950 to 1956. The Bessas II were fitted with a Color-Skopar 3.5/10.5 cm, or a Color-Heliar 3.5/10.5 cm or from 1954, the rare and sought-after Apo-Lanthar 4.5/10.5 cm. The Compur-Rapid shutter fitted on the earlier models was replaced by the Synchro-Compur shutter from 1951. The accessory shoe appears only from 1954.
There's this pdf I found:
https://www.arnecroell.com/voigtlaender.pdf
But I can't really wrap my head around all the technical bits...
Why is Apo-Lanthar so much better than the Colour-Heliar?
What exactly is the difference between the 3 different BESSA II lenses?
I once saw the original sales brochure that featured the info on the Colour-Skopar and Colour-Heliar. I can't remember the exact prices but the Heliar was about 30% more expensive than the Skopar.
There was no mention of the Lanthar. I wonder what was the original price difference between the 3 models.
I run a quick search but haven't found any comparisons. Just general information:
BESSA II
This is the most renowned of the cameras with the "Bessa" name. Self folding camera with a coupled rangefinder. 34,500 Bessa II's made from 1950 to 1956. The Bessas II were fitted with a Color-Skopar 3.5/10.5 cm, or a Color-Heliar 3.5/10.5 cm or from 1954, the rare and sought-after Apo-Lanthar 4.5/10.5 cm. The Compur-Rapid shutter fitted on the earlier models was replaced by the Synchro-Compur shutter from 1951. The accessory shoe appears only from 1954.
There's this pdf I found:
https://www.arnecroell.com/voigtlaender.pdf
But I can't really wrap my head around all the technical bits...
CMur12
Veteran
I used to have a Bessa II with the Color-Skopar lens and mine had a cold shoe attached to it. The cold shoe looked to me like an accessory that was permanently attached to the camera. (I wish I still had it, but the squinty viewfinder was impossible with glasses.)
Voigtlander's Skopar lens was a 4-element/3-group Tessar type.
The Heliar was a 5-element lens that I think was Voigtlander's answer to the Zeiss Planar (different formulation from the Planar).
The Apo-Lanthar was an exotic lens that was supposed to be exceptional in its performance, but I don't know anything specific about it.
- Murray
Voigtlander's Skopar lens was a 4-element/3-group Tessar type.
The Heliar was a 5-element lens that I think was Voigtlander's answer to the Zeiss Planar (different formulation from the Planar).
The Apo-Lanthar was an exotic lens that was supposed to be exceptional in its performance, but I don't know anything specific about it.
- Murray
largedrink
Down Under
I have two Bessa II's, one Color-Skopar (without accessory shoe) and one Color-Heliar (with accessory shoe). They are beautifully made and beautifully designed cameras. There was an informative article about these cameras and their lenses in Italian that is no longer available on the web, but I found it in the wayback machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20150204045919/http://www.scattineltempo.it/Bessa due.htm
(You'll need to translate it from Italian if you can't speak that language).
Here's a snippet describing the Apo-Lanthar:
(You'll need to translate it from Italian if you can't speak that language).
Here's a snippet describing the Apo-Lanthar:
