Superb! 1953 Voigtlander 6x9 Bessa II with Color-Skopar lens. Freshly Serviced, CLA'd.

Cleaned, Lubricated & Adjusted. Ready for immediate use!

This is the very desirable Bessa II 6x9 Rangefinder produced in Germany after WWII. Sought after by collectors and photographers alike because of their fine design, lovely handling and great performance. The Bessa II was the final and best iteration of the classic 6x9 rangefinder camera by Voigtlander. It was a high-end camera finely finished in satin chrome, real leather and black lacquer trim. The lens serial number on this example indicates that it was produced in circa 1953. It has a built-in coupled rangefinder that never leaves you guessing about the distance or the focus. It’s a lovely camera that easily slips into an unused corner of your camera bag or a backpack and yet folds out to take beautiful 6x9cm exposures on a 120 roll-film. Photos alive with all the lovely colors, rich tonal rendering and details that medium format can provide. When it comes to film, bigger is better and this camera will produce a negative that is about 6 times larger than the average 35mm snapshot.

If you’ve been collecting cameras for any length of time you’ll probably have read that the Bessa II this is one of the best classic 6x9 medium format cameras. The other one is the Super Ikonta. I’ve used both and I can confirm that both of these cameras are a joy to work with and both of them produce truly beautiful photos. That said, I’d have to give the postwar Bessa II a slightly higher grade because it’s superior ergonomics which makes it a real delight to hold in the hand and easier to slip into a pocket.

This Bessa II has been carefully Cleaned, Lubricated and Adjusted. The top-of-the-line Synchro-Compur works well and all speeds (B, 1 sec- 1/500^th) are appropriate. The slow speeds buzz smoothly and the fast speeds are clean and snappy. This shutter has an X flash sync. that’s been tested and works with a normal electronic flash. Your flash will fire correctly at any desired shutter speed. (This is of course a convenient feature for flash fill.) The built-in rangefinder is clean, works smoothly and it’s easy to use. The bellows are in great condition and completely light tight.

The coated 3.5/105mm Color-Skopar lens (a four-element lens nearly identical in layout and performance to the Zeiss Tessar) is exceptional and it looks like new. It’s clean and clear. There are no scratches, no cleaning marks and it’s capable of producing beautiful photos with modern color & B&W film.

All in all, a very fine medium format rangefinder camera and I’m sure you’ll very be happy with it. Load it with your favorite film and keep it handy for that perfect shot you’ve been looking for. You know the one... the one with the Ansel Adams light breaking through the dark storm clouds that leaves you wishing that you had a camera like this with you.