john_lawson Posted July 5, 2000 Share Posted July 5, 2000 I recently purchased a Voigtlander Bessa II 6x9 folding camera on Ebay and love the extemely sharp large negs. The viewfinder/rangefinder optics are very dirty on the inside however and I would like to clean them. The problem that I'm having is removing the top cover. I don't see the screws that must be holding the top on. Does anyone know the removal proceedure or where I could buy a repair manual? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_schank Posted July 5, 2000 Share Posted July 5, 2000 John, Unless you are an extemely handy guy and have watch maker skills and patience, the few bucks you'll save doing it yourself may not be worth the risk of damaging some delicate unavailable part. I've been tempted to clean the finders in a few older cameras I've owned over the years, but after screwing up the goggles on a 35mm Leica M3 lens, my repair attempts are over. A good shop like Ross Yerkes will do a thorough clean lube and adjust for a small fraction of the cost of the camera.Good luck if you decide to take it on, and don't force anything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd frederick Posted July 9, 2000 Share Posted July 9, 2000 I found a near mint Bessa II in an antique shop and bought it for $35. Later I sold it for $400. I wish I had it now. That was one a many stupid things I've done in my life. Don't be stupid and try to clean it yourself. I've cleaned the insides of Cononets, and even some SLR's, but I wouldn't even dare try to do it on a Bessa...too precious. Have lots of fun with it...the images you will produce with it will be magnificant. Also, if you do your own b&w printing, try making contacts and mounting them on 5x7 mount board...they're like little gems! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger_michel Posted April 3, 2001 Share Posted April 3, 2001 DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLEAN THE VIEWFINDER/RANGEFINDER OF A BESSA II UNLESS YOU ARE AN EXPERT. THE RANGEFINDER IS EXTREMELY DELICATE!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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