This version of the folding Bessa appeared in 1938. It’s a fun design, with a cover for the sport viewfinder that pops open when you open the camera. The Voigtar was the basic and least expensive lens fitted to the Bessa cameras of this era. It is a three element, Cooke triplet type lens that is capable of sharp and beautiful photos. These lenses are serial numbered. The online lists I can find do not break these numbers down by year for the 1937-1942 period, the period in which this lens was made.

This camera has a depth of field chart with two hyperfocal distances indicated. The triangle setting yields sharp photos at 2.5 to 5 meters, at f/8 and above. The circle is for subjects at 6 meters to infinity.

These symbols are engraved on the focus scale on the lens.

I think the photos from this camera are beautiful.








