Voigtlander Bessa RF review by Richard de Bulat
This is a classic camera that many photographers who enjoy using folding cameras would love to shoot; much less fussy or fiddly than some of the more budget folders and with generally better performance. The camera was manufactured with one of three different lenses, but it doesn’t matter much which you get since they are all good – bearing in mind that the camera and lenses are around 70 years old. Images from the camera show its age, but in a positive way and you get a definite vintage look; additionally, the 6x9 format is ideal for landscapes, but you can use it for practically any photography genre except close-up work.
I took the camera out in the early morning to avoid harsh sunlight and chose the area around Plymbridge to test it out. Using f8 or f11 and slow shutter speeds, I took my time and used a tripod, or part of my tripod because I forgot the 3/8th of an inch converter for the tripod head and had to use the base alone.
I used Delta 100, shot at box speed and developed in ID11. The viewfinder is but a guide to the scene you wish to capture, but having said that, I had little need to crop. The coupled rangefinder made focussing straightforward, but as with any camera, for landscape, finding the hyperfocal distance is the main challenge and I was a bit out on occasion. Considering the age of the camera, images were sharp enough with good contrast.
Had I waited until later in the day, when the sun was fully up, I could easily have shot the camera hand-held; it is not heavy and balances well in the hand – definitely a pro camera of its day. Again, later in the day, I might have used the yellow filter that is hinged to the front of the lens, to use or not as needed: I had no use for it on this occasion, but it would be handy in different circumstances.
The Voigtlander Bessa RF has lasted so well and for so long, because it is well made and has a quality feel about it. The 6x9 negative is huge with lots of detail. Having said that, working close, a metre or so from the closest point in the frame, the 105mm lens does not provide a great deal of DOF even at f11 and I think f16 is its smallest aperture. However, fall-off is not terrible with this lens and the results are generally pleasing and rewarded by careful light metering. I make this point because I was inadvertently out by over a stop in a backlit shot, requiring additional work in Lightroom to get something acceptable.
If you love vintage cameras, this should certainly be on your list. In terms of format, there is some competition from Fuji or Mamiya, but the Voigtlander stands above most of its contempories in this format and could arguably be used instead of more expensive and more modern film cameras.
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