Amateur Photographer - UK (2019-08-23)

subscribe 0330 333 1113I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI 17 August 2019 55

JohnWadediscoversastrangely

designed35mm landmark SLR

Voigtländer

Bessamatic and

Zoomar

AlthoughtheBessamaticwassold
witha standard50mmf/2.8lens
interchangeablewitha rangefrom
35mmSkoparexwideangle
to350mmSuperDynarex
telephoto,it is bestknownfor
oneotherlenswithwhichit has
becomeinextricablylinked.It’s
calledtheZoomar,andit wasthe
firstcommerciallysuccessful
zoomlens.
Thecamerais a 35mmsingle
lensreflex(SLR),withmatch-
needlemeteringin theviewfinder
courtesyof a seleniumcellabove
the lens. A split-image rangefi nder

BLAST FROM THE PAST

LAUNCHED 1959

PRICEATLAUNCH
Camera,£80;lens,£100

GUIDEPRICENOW
Camera, £40-50; lens, £150-200

Tech Talk

aidsfocusing.Thereflexmirror

is loweredasthefilmis

advanced,butdoesnotreturn

afterexposure.

TheBessamaticusesa

Synchro-Compurleafshutter

behindthelenswithspeedsof

1-1/500sec.Tosettheexposure,

theshutterspeeddialis first

turnedtotherequiredsetting.

Then,whilewatchingtheneedle

in theviewfinderthatmoves

accordingtothelight,a knob

is turnedonthetopplate.This

activatestheaperturecontrol

whilemovinga secondindicator

to meetthemeterneedle.

Whenthetwoare

aligned,thecorrect

exposurehasbeen

set.Shutterspeed

andaperture

ringsarelinked

sothatchanging

oneautomatically

readjuststheotherto

maintain the same

exposure.Thecamera’sprime

lensesalsoincorporatean

ingenioussystemoftwinpointers

whichmovetowardsandaway

fromeachothertoindicatedepth

offieldonthefocusingscaleas

theapertureis set.

TheZoomarlenshasa

maximumapertureof f/2.8,

stoppingdowntof/22.It offers

a respectable36-82mmzoom

range,whichcoverscontingencies

fromwideangleforlandscapesto

mediumtelephotoforportraits.

Thezoomis activatedbya

push-pulldevice around

thebarrel.

What’sgoodReputable

manufacturerknownforquality

camerasandlenses,flash

synchronisationat allspeeds,

semi-autoexposuresetting.

What’sbadNoinstantreturn

mirror,shutter/aperture controls

can become stiff.

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Passionateaboutphotographysince 188

Saturday 6 January 2018

Theperfectsmallcamerabag LovelynewBillingham ticks the boxes

LeicaWhythisgorgeousCLrangefinderstyle

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BUYI NG12-page

vsulicexGUIDEE&cameras (^597) lenses
moneysavingffo
PORTRAIT SPECIAL rse
Camerawiththelensremoved,showingtheleaf
shutter before the reflex mirror is lowered
TheVoigtländerBessamatic
withitsrevolutionary
36-82mm f/2.8 Zoomar lens
View from the top with standard lens fitted