Voigtlander Bessaflex blog post

<p>Hi there</p>

<p>Another camera review for my blog post - it's the Voigtlander Bessaflex, Cosina's M42-mount camera which was released in 2003.</p>

<p>http://zorkiphoto.co.uk/2013/06/02/voigtlander-bessaflex-tm-camera-review/</p>

<p>This has been my go-to travel camera for the past seven years of so - light, reliable, and it just has that classic 70s SLR feel. It was a shame it was discontinued after only a few years.</p>

<p>Anyone else shot with them?</p>

<p>Cheers<br>

<br />S</p>

 

<p>FWIW<br>

Stephen Dowling<br>

A member of the photo.net community since December 13, 2000.<br>

Forum Postings :21 total (in 12+ years)</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Yes, I have the original one and the new model that copies the Topcon Super is a nicer looking camera, but the same underneath.<br>

I bought this to get a camera that takes all my Takumar lenses and has a reliable built in meter. Surprised at how good it is, great viewfinder and the meter is really accurate. Apart from the weird shutter noise the Bessaflex is a terrific Pentax substitute if you can find one!</p>

<p><strong>Tony:</strong> Yep, it's a cracker... I'm selling my silver model but definitely keeping the black ones. The bright finder is another real bonus... makes the Spotmatic look really dark and dim in comparison.</p>

<p>JDM, Stephen reserves his posts for the best!<br>

Stephen, there are some cracking pictures with your blog posts. I love the one of the ginger moggy.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>The M42 mount was also known as the Universal Mount – and camera and lens manufacturers didn’t have to pay for a license to build models using the mount. It meant that from the mid-60s until the early 1980s dozens of manufacturers built lenses using the mount, including big names such as Pentax, Sigma, Richoh, Chinon and Fujica. <strong>East of the Iron Curtain, the M42 mount was enthusiastically embraced by the major manufacturers – most of the millions of Prakticas and Zenits made during this time used the screw mount aswell.</strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Is this correct history? I understand that the M42 mount was invented in Dresden by KW for their first SLRs the Contax/Pentacon models. Pentax itself was a copy of the Praktica. [including its name bought from KW/Pentacon]. <strong>JDM, </strong>please clarify; you are one of the most knowledgeable on the Dresden cameras. sp.<strong><br /></strong></p>

<p>The M42 mount first appeared on the Zeiss Ikon Contax S, the world's first SLR with a pentaprism viewfinder.</p>

<p><strong>Fred</strong> and <strong>Subbarayan</strong>: Cheers for the notes. I'll tweak the blog a little to make that clear. S</p>

<p>Oh, Stephen, meant to say...excellent blog.</p>

<p>Good stuff Stephen. Thanks for pointing this info JDM. I look forward to seeing Stephen's next post, coming to us sometime next year.</p>

<p><strong>Steve:</strong> After commenting on a few hundred other posts beforehand? I hears ya. Consider me a responder rather than a poster for the near future.</p>

Thanks for another great blog! As you said there was a method to his madness and it was not lost on you and Tony L. I recall admiring them on Stephen Gandy's site and wondering what next Mr Kobayashi’ I can imagine they are quite rare as they were not in production long! It is a rather treat to to haver a 1/2000 of a shutter AND a reliable meter. I would like to try one after the accolades regarding the finder. I have always hated that the SLR finders are so dim ,...especially in low light ( ie oting bands in clubs) Thatthis finder is alleged to be brighter than the average would be something to experience first hand. Thanks for a grea blog umm post YKWIM