Voigtlander guys, help me out if you would

subscuck · Jul 25, 2010

My dad gave me a Bessamatic with the Color Skopar 50mm 2.8 about 30 years years ago, when I was a sophomore in HS. My uncle had brought it back for him when he was stationed in Germany around '67 or '68. My dad never purchased any lenses for it, and by the time I got it, they were only available on the aftermarket, and expensive as I seem to recall. As a result, a couple of years later I sold my soul to Canon, and have been there ever since.

I was always blown away with the IQ of this camera and occasionaly used it over the years. The last time was probably ten years ago when it started having a problem advancing the film. I believe it's the tab on the take up spool. It appears worn, and I remember last time I used it, even loading, it didn't want to grip the film.

Is this worth having repaired? I'm not sure I will ever shoot film again, but if my Bessamatic were fully functional, I just might. I have no idea what these bring pricewise anymore, so I'm just curious and will consider any advice and suggestions you guys have.

compur · Jul 25, 2010

In many cases older film cameras cost more to repair than to replace but
it's possible your camera's problem might not cost much to fix. I would
email some repair shops and see if you can get an estimate sight unseen.
I've gotten estimates like that from Photography on Bald Mountain. They
are located in California and have reasonable prices in my experience.
There are other repair shops as well, of course.

Proteus617 · Jul 27, 2010

Bessamatics are wonderful cameras. Unfortunately, the drivetrain is ridiculously complicated. Is your camera not advancing correctly resulting in half frames or double exposed frames? Most likely the issue is not the teeth on the take-up but wear in the cocking rack. To repair it you would need a repair person willing to work on a bessamatic (most wont), and most likely a donor camera with a good cocking rack. I'm sure the repair wont make any economic sense as a good bessamatic can be had for less than $100. Might be worth it to you though. A great camera, even if you cant really expect it to stand up to daily use in the 21st century. Wish mine still worked.

subscuck · Jul 27, 2010

Proteus617 said:
Bessamatics are wonderful cameras. Unfortunately, the drivetrain is ridiculously complicated. Is your camera not advancing correctly resulting in half frames or double exposed frames? Most likely the issue is not the teeth on the take-up but wear in the cocking rack. To repair it you would need a repair person willing to work on a bessamatic (most wont), and most likely a donor camera with a good cocking rack. I'm sure the repair wont make any economic sense as a good bessamatic can be had for less than $100. Might be worth it to you though. A great camera, even if you cant really expect it to stand up to daily use in the 21st century. Wish mine still worked.

That's exactly the problem I'm having. I resorted to putting the lens cap on and firing off a shot, then advancing it. You still get a slight partial frame down the side, but no double exposures.

Like I said, I had no idea what they go for, and for $100, I guess sentimental value loses out to practicality. So the follow up question would be, where's a reputable source if I wished to purchase another one?