Bessamatic CS

1967

Voigtländer & Sohn

Braunschweig

West Germany

Lens:

f2.8, 50 mm Color-Lanthar, automatic iris diaphragm to f22. Depth of field scale. Bayonet mount. Serial no. 6883941 .

Shutter:

Synchro-Compur X, speeds 1 - 1/500, B. Delayed action. X flash synchronisation. Shutter within camera body.

Construction:

Metal body.

Format:

36, 24 x 36 mm exposures on 35 mm film held in cassette.

Focusing:

To 1 metre.

Attributes:

Reflex viewing through taking lens. Fixed roof pentaprism finder, split-image and microprism rangefinder focusing screen with Fresnel condenser.
Auto-stop on film advance. Film advance lever tensions the shutter. Film advance and shutter inter-linked for double and blank exposure prevention.
Coupled through-the-lens CdS exposure meter, match needle system. Film setting range: 11 - 36 DIN, 12 - 3200 ASA.
View-finder shows shutter speed and aperture settings. Exposure counter.
Built-in accessory shoe. No filter factor on meter setting wheel. No flash synchronisation selector. Flap on pentaprism front lifts to reveal battery and battery test button.

Serial Number:

416921 .

With:

Ever-ready case.

The Bessamatic CS was the last in the line of Bessamatic cameras and was produced for only a year or so. It was an improvement over the De-Luxe in having a through-the-lens (TTL) CdS light meter. Other minor changes included a small window in the back of the camera showing that the film was being wound-on, a built-in accessory shoe, only X flash-synchronisation and a new view-finder window that did not accept the slide-in right-angle finder. The rather ugly flap on the front of the pentaprism housing covers the battery and battery check button. The Color-Lanthar lens, shown on the example here, was the cheapest in the range.

Early Photography