Voigtlander Bessa 66 (about 1939)

The Voigtlander Bessa 66 is a folding camera that takes 2-1/4" square (6cm x 6cm) pictures on size 120 roll film.  It was made from 1938 until 1950 with an interruption due to WWII.  This one was made probably in 1939 and was an export model because the distance scale and the depth of field calculator are in feet.  The Bessa 66 came with a range of lenses, shutters and viewfinders.  The available lenses were the Voigtar (three elements in 3 groups), the Skopar (4 elements in 3 groups) and the Heliar (5 elements in 3 groups).  [An element is a single lens.  Groups are separated by air spaces and a group consists of either a single element or multiple elements cemented together.]  The available shutters were the Gauthier Prontor II (fastest speed 1/175 second), the Deckel Compur (1/300) or the Deckel Compur-Rapid (1/500).  The available viewfinders were a folding open frame finder, a folding optical finder and an enclosed optical finder.  The cameras with enclosed viewfinders also had automatic frame counters.  The features on this Bessa 66 include an uncoated f/3.5 Voigtar lens, a Compur-Rapid shutter, an enclosed optical viewfinder and an automatic frame counter.  The shutter is not synchronized for flash and does not have a self-timer.  Anti-reflective lens coatings, flash synchronization and self-timers appeared post-WWII.

The top of the camera has the film winding knob and the frame counter window.  The bottom of the camera has the lens door button, the 3/8" tripod socket, the base support and the depth of field calculator.  The front has the lens door and the viewfinder window.  The back of the camera has the viewfinder eyepiece, the frame counter start slider, and the little red window.  The red window has a shutter that you open and close using the knob next to the window.  The film back hinge is on the left and the film back latch is on the right.

The lens is an uncoated, f/3.5-f/16, 75 mm, Voigtlander Voigtar lens with front cell focusing.  A 32 mm Series VI filter adapter fits the lens.  The Voigtar is a Cooke Triplet design.  The Cooke Triplet was invented in 1893 by Harold Dennis Taylor (1862-1943) at the Thomas Cooke and Sons optical firm in England.

The shutter is a Compur-Rapid leaf shutter with speeds of 1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/250 and 1/500 second.  The shutter release is on the lens door and is interlocked with the automatic frame counter to prevent double exposures.  The socket for a cable release is on the top of the shutter release mechanism near the lens door hinge.  The shutter is manually cocked with a lever on the side of the shutter.

When you press the lens door button the lens door pops open and you can pull the lens door down until the lens struts click into place.  To close the lens door you press the curved plate under the lens to unlatch the lens struts and push the lens door closed.

To open the door to the film compartment you turn the base support to the front, squeeze together the latches and pull open the door.  The film door latches when you close it.  Turning the base support back under the base moves a tab under the bottom latch to keep it closed.

The frame counter has to be at zero in order to load film.  If the counter needs to be reset you rotate the toothed roller near the supply chamber to the left until you hear a click, then cock and release the shutter.  Repeat until the counter is at zero and the film winding knob turns freely.  The take-up spool goes into the cradle on the left under the winding knob.  The new roll of film goes into the cradle on the right side.  Thread the backing paper into the slot on the take-up spool, close the back and wind the film until the number 1 shows through the little red window.  You push the start slider to the left and a one will appear in the frame counter window.

To take a picture you set the aperture and the shutter speed, focus the lens, cock the shutter, aim and press the shutter release lever on the lens door all the way down to take a picture.  The lever then locks to prevent a double exposure.  The winding knob unlocks when you press the shutter release lever.  Turn the winding knob until it locks to advance to the next frame.  You need to advance to the next frame to unlock the shutter release lever.  After you have taken 12 pictures the frame counter resets to zero and the winding knob turns freely to let you wind up the roll of film to be ready to load a fresh roll.

The focusing scale has distant and near settings for snapshots.  When the aperture is set at f/8 and the focus is set to the circle symbol (about 32 feet or 10 meters)  on the focusing scale, the depth of field extends from 16 feet or 5 meters to infinity.  When the lens is set at the triangle symbol (about 11 feet or 3.3 meters) the depth of field extends from 8 feet or 2.5 meters to 16 feet or 10 meters.  Use the depth of field calculator on the bottom to estimate the depth of field for other settings.

For long exposures you can put the camera on a stable support and use a cable release.  You can turn the base support forward to set the Bessa 66 on a level surface without tipping over.  The tripod socket takes a 3/8" screw.  You need a 1/4" to 3/8" adapter to use most modern tripods.

The Bessa 66 folds to about the size of a 35 mm camera.  The Bessa 66 and Bessa 46 (4.5cm wide x 6cm tall pictures) were known as "Baby Bessas" because they were so compact.  The camera is entirely manual.  Scale focusing takes a little getting used to.  A hand held range finder helps with focusing.  An exposure meter helps with setting the aperture and shutter.  When the camera was new, 100 speed film was "fast."  The camera settings have enough range to use current 400 speed film on a sunny day.  The frame counter on this camera is a little cranky after 80-plus years and takes gentle handling.

Voigtlander started making scientific instruments in 1756 and made its first camera in 1840.  The camera factory closed in 1971.  After 1999 Cosina Co., Ltd., Japan, made products with the Voigtlander name. 

This picture was taken several years ago on ISO 100 Arista.edu Ultra film.  The Bessa 66 makes nice pictures.