Voigtlander Bessa II User manual

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   eb" arcdt hrtporiirnt poirut                                                                      - ' - ' t
                                                                                         E / '
                                                                       . . . - : : - J                                                                                                                                                       *
       of the Inslruilion Book will be found on lhis po9e,  it is lo osk you lo re<rd
--l.;     lhe insfruclions corefully, lo moke yourself conversonf wilh the monipulo-
       lion before storting to loke phologrophs  or invesfigoting lhe mechonism.
    Do nol overlook lhe focl thol lhe BESSA ll is q fine mechonicol precision
      inslrumenl. ll should be hondled wilh o genlle louch ond understonding.
          It will re-poy you the good  treolment by giving you on endless series of
     wonderfullyshorp piclures.                                         t                                                                                                                                                      tII
        W                        VOIGTTANDERA.G. BRAUNSCHWEIG

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      BESSA  ll  3lltx2tlq
       Synchro-Compur
                                        I   Film winder (lurn only in lhe direclion of orrow)
                   2   Cqtchesfor closing lhe cqmero bock
                  3   Aperture lever lo sel lhe iris diophrogm
                 4  Speed ring lo sel lhe slrullerspeeds
                5   Deloyed qcfion selting knob
               6   Shulter lever lo lension lhe shulfer
              7   Ftqsh sockel lo connect up flosh unils
             8   Synchronisinglever lo sel lhe synchronisolion
            9   Depth of lield indicqlor on lhe rongelinderknob
               l0  Focusingknob
                      ll  Coble releqse sockel
         12 Body releose
         13 Key fo close bqseboqrd
       14 Cqmerqsupport (pulled oul)              .Key to illuslrotion opposite
                                                              - 2 I
                                                                                                                      :jt                     '-'".''''                                                                                                                 ^;gJ

Mike Butkus                               Digitally                                                                    DN:email=mike@butkus.org,Date:cn=Mike2024.04.13signedButkus,by17:28:48Mikeo=ButkusButkusc=US-04'00'camera manuals, ou=butkus.org,

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Opening qnd Closing              Press lhe smoll bufion underneorh rhe
                  lhe Bqseboqrd  comero lo open  it.  pull down lhe bose_
                                     boord by  its lwo corners until lhe slruls
                                             click inlo posilion.  rt is rhen reody  f or
                                       use.

                                   To close lhe comero, pr€ss down  lhe
                                      key   | 3 ond push lhe boseboord bock
                                             into  f he body.

                                       Nole: Alwoys close lhe comerq  in lhis
                                    woy; never press on lhe slruls or lhe lens
                           m o u n l .
                                        _  4 _

The operlure  (ot stop) of  lhe  iris dio-              Selting lhe Aperlure
phrogm  controls lhe omounl  of  lighl
folling on  lhe  film, ond  lhus lhe  ex-
posure.   lt  olso  conlrols lhe  deplh  of
f ield.
The operlure decreoses the  lorger  lhe
operlure number or f-number, ond vice
verso. Every operture number requires
twice or  holf the exposure of lhe Pre-
ceding or following number resPeclively.
Fol exsmple,  if the correct exposure ol
f15.6 is  llao second, we  would  need
tlzs second ol  Il8. See p. 25 for Aper-
lure ond Depth of Field.
To sel the operlure, move fhe lever 3,
unlil fhe poinfer is opposile lhe required
f -n u mber.
                               5

The SYNCHRO-COMPUR shuller hos o                 The Self-Timel
built-in self-fimer (deloyed  oclion  re-
leose).
To sel  il, fension lhe shuller in lhe nor-
mol wo/, ond lhen push bqck lhe smoll
 selling knob 5 os for os  it will go (see
orrows  in  illuslrolion). Now  pull  the
 lensioning lever furlher still lo ils second
 sfop, qnd lhe self-limer is reody.
 Afler  pressing lhe  shuller releose you
 hove oboul 10 seconds lo gel  lo your
 ploce in fronl of lhe comero before fhe
 shuller goes off by ilself. Note: The self-
 timer connol be used with the shuller sel
 lo B or lo 1l;oosecond.
                                                - 7

C o n d i d s n o p s h o l s ( e . g . o f  c h i l d r e n o l              Snqpshol Focusing
ploy) oflen give surprisingly oflrocfive
piclures. You do wilhoul the rongefinder
                                                                     'llond set lhe dislonce to lhe neor-poinf
(1I feel) lo gel everything shorp from B
lo 15 feel; or lo lhe for-poinl O (33 feel)
for subjecls from 16 feel lo  inf inify (*).
Stop down  lo qt leosf  f/l I  lo mqke sule
ol suflicient depth of field.
In good  lighl lhese sellings qre very
useful  f or sports pholog rophy where lhe
subjecl  dislonce  moy  chonge  very
q u i c k l y .

                                   9

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Exposing                         Look lhrough  the finder, with  fhe eye
                                        close lo lhe eyepiece, so thot you see
                                          lhe whole imoge  right  lo  the corners.
                                     During lhe moment  o{ exposure hold
                                      your  breoth ond  depress lhe  shuller
                                      refeose quile soflly os lor os  it will go.
                                 You con moke inslonloneous exposures
                                                     (rlz; second or foster) wilh  the comero
                                        held in lhe hond. For slower exposures
                                                  (tlro lo 1 second) f he comero should be
                                      supporled; of leosl prop up your orms
                                            or body ogoinsl somelhing  f irm.
                                      For long lime exposures (shutler sel fo
                                        B) o  solid supporf  for  lhe comero  is
                                        obsolulely  essenliol. Mounl    it  on  o
                                           lripod with the tripod bush underneqlh
                                          lhe  cqmero.  Preferobly use o  coble
                                       releose with locking device for long ex-
                                    posure  f imes; lhis screws inlo lhe cqble
                                                refeqse sockel  ll.
                                                                    -       l 0

The BESSA ll hos been purposeley desi- Loqding qnd Unloqding
gned lo loke only roll film spools hoving                        lhe Cqmerq
o  lhick core  of  melol  or wood, ond
morked on lhe pocking with B  lllS or
 120. You oblq in 8 exposu res of 3t I a x 2rI +
 i n c h e s e o c h w i t h  l h e s e f i l m s .

lmportont: Do  nol  ollow  ony  strong
 l i g h f  l o  f o l l o n  f h e  f i l m , o n c e y o u h o v e
removed   f he  proleclive wropping.  Al-
w o y s   l o q d o n d  u n l o o d  t h e  f i l m   i n   t h e
shode, fhe shodow  of your own body
w i l l d o .

Firsf, press the lwo  colches ond  pull
owoy the bock (see  f ig ure).
                              1 l

N o w  f u r n t h e f i l m w i n d e r  i n  l h e d i r e c l i o n Preporingfor the Firsl Exposure
of lhe orrow unlil fhe lwo morks
ihe thick block line o'ppeor on lhe poper.
T h e b o c k i n g p o p e r m u s l r u n s l r q i g h f ; i f
it does  nol, push  it sidewoys on  the
toke-up spool wilh cr moistened finger.
Close fhe Cqmerq Bqck, moking  sure
fhot bolh  spring colches engoge  pro-
pe rly.

O p e n   l h e  { i l m w i n d o w    i n  t h e b o c k b y
l u r n i n g t h e m i l l e d k n o b n e x t  l o   i f . T u r n
t h e w i n d i n g k n o b  i n  l h e d i r e c t i o n o f  t h e
                                            'torrow unf il lhe   f igure   1't  (f irst expo-
sure) oppeors in lhe window. Close fhe
w i n d o w ; o p e n   i t o n l y w h e n w i n d i n g o n
l o   l h e n e x t n u m b e r .
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                                                            t 3

Wif h  lhe SYNCHRO-COMPUR  shuller  Speed-SynchronisedFlqsh Shots
    you moy loke oclion pictures with flosh
     ol ony shuller speed up lo 1/roosecond.
   The flosh con be used eilher by ilself, or
    combined wilh  doylight  or ony  olher
I     lighl.  lt is porliculorly useful for lighling
    up shodow  oreos  in  ogoinsl-lhe-lighl
    shols.
   A l l m q k e s o f  f l o s h u n i l s -     f l o s h g r n s  f o r
    bulbs os well os eleclronic flosh equip-
    menl -  con be used wilh lhe Synchro-
   Compur shufler.
   The following poges give  o  brief oc-
    counl of how  lo connecl ond use such
   equipmenl ior flosh exposures.

                                         E         l 5

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Connecling the Flqsh Unit            First fix the comero  lo  lhe connecling
lo lhe Comerq:                      brqckel of the  f losh unil by meons of o
                                  comero f ixing screw, wilh lhe  f losh lo lhe
                                         righl-hond side of lhe comero (see p. 15),
                                       so thol  is does nol  inlerfere wilh  lhe
                                        operolion  of  lhe  releose. Some  light-
                                       weighl flosh guns con even be mounled
                                             direclly on  lhe  delochoble  occessory
                                      shoe (see poge  25).
                                      T h e n  c o n n e c l    l h e    f l o s h  u n i l     l o    t h e
                                   comero by pushing lhe plug ol lhe end
                                                of the flosh leod over lhe conlocl on
                                           lhe shuller (see illustrolions on lhe lefl).
                                             1 6

Settingthe SYNCHRO-COMPURShulfer:
The flosh should reoch ils peok brighlness jusl when lhe shuller is fully open.
The synchronising lever -  ond olso lhe shuller speed ond operlure -  musl
therefore be sel to suil lhe lype of flosh in use.
Flosh bulbs ond eleclronic {losh lubes vory  in lhe lime they loke  lo  reoclr
lheir peok, ond ore clossified in fhe toble on p. 19. Sel lhe synchronisinglever
                      'M',                      occording lo the flosh used (see illustrotion on p. 18).eilher lo "X", or lo
Then sel lhe shuller speed occording fo lhe volues shown in lhe loble, lension
 the shuller, ond  lhe comero  is reody  {or lhe flqsh exposure. Look uP lhe
 correcl operlures in lhe inslruclion teoflet enclosed with lhe flosh bulbs or
 eleclronic flosh equipmenl.
The buill-in self-limer cqn be used for flqsh shots only wilh shuller speeds
given for lhe "X" selling of lhe synchro-lever (see loble). The ocluol posilion                                               nMo of lhe synchronising lever is immoleriol in thol cose, os lhe       selling is
 oufomolicolly put oul of oction when you use lhe self-fimer.
                                                        - 1 7

Lenses:                   Fosqr                with
F  Working                                until                                           its imoge in lhe finder is lhe size you wont. Then                the subjecf    Approoch
     push on F  I  or F 2 Focor lens -  whichever covers lhot subjecl dislqnce  -
     over the co,mero lens mounl.
     Meosure lhe dislonce occurolely from lhe fronl surfoce of the Focor lo lhe
     cenlre ol lhe subjecl, ond sef lhe dislonce on lhe focusing knob of lhe cqmero
     occording  to lhe loble opposile.
      Al  full operlure'The     (t/3.5) lhe imoge  is slightly unshorp, porliculorly lowords lhe
      corners.       deiinilion  improves, however,  ol  f/5.6 ond reoches  ils normol
     slondord ol  tlll.F
     The Focor lenses hove no effecl on lhe exposure lime. Longer exposures ore,
      of course, required when stopping down.
     Owing  lo porollox, lhe imoge on lhe negolive  is no longer exoclly_.lhe.some
     os the-view in lhe finder. fhe displocement o,mounls lo oboui 1/s ol the imoge
     oreo wilh the Focor 1, or obout  l/a with the Focor 2.
                                              - 2 1   -



                                                                                                           l;-.:,              -.-;.:-..-.,,-...*-..-:';idei;g;--k  ,

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Using Fillers
Your Voigtlonder lens will sotisfy your mosl exocling demonds os for os
definilion is concerned,bul you con greolly enhqnce lhe mood of your
piclures or obloin speciol elfecls with Voigtlonder fillers. Wilh o few ex-
cepfions,fherefore,use o filler for oll ouldoor exposureswhenever possible.
The sky in porficulor, wilh or wilhoul clouds, will show up much more
 effeclivelywilh fillers
D o w i f h o u t    f  i l t e r s  o n l y  w h e n  y o u  n e e d  v e r y  s h o r t  e x -
p o s u r e     t i m e s      i n  p o o r      l i g h t ,   s u c h  o s  s p o r l s   s h o t s      i n
d u l l  w e q l h e r ,   o r    f o g  o r m i s l     i u b f  e c l s ,  o n d     l h e     l i k e .
 Voigllonder fillers ore mode ol speclroscopicollylested gloss, dyed in the         +l   .
 moss,wilh oll surfocespolishedobsolulelyporollel. They lhus fully preserve                                                                                                                                                 I lhe oulslondingdefinifionof lhe Voigtlonderonosligmollenses.Thesemoss-
 dyed filler glossesore guoronleed fost lo light ond heol. All fillers qre
 suppliedin o push-onmounl ,(37mm. diomeler for lhe BESSAll) ond con be      'F
 used logelher wilh o Voigllonder Focor lens, or lhe lens hood, or bolh.                               l.
                                                       - 2 2 -
                                     &I

W           Yettow Filter Gl
     A light yellow filler recommended when only slighf correclion is desired, or where lhe increose
        in exposure fime required wifh Fiher G 2 (medium yellow) connol be given.
        Filler  focfor  (exposure  increose):  1.5-2  times.
   W          Yettow Fitter G2
      This is on qll-round filler for ouldoor shofs. lt strongly shows up while clouds ogoinsl o blue
      sky, qnd increcses the luminosity of foir hoir, ripening wheot, or spring or qutumn folioge.
           lf is indispenscblefor snow scenes.Focfor:  2-3  limes.
   W           oronge Fitter or
     A filler for speciol effecls.Rendersthe blue of the sky rqfher dqrker lhon nqlurql, moke.syellow
     ond reddish'coloursstand out clecrly. In dislqnt views if rgducesotmospheric misf,_lhusbringing
      out defcil. ln oufdoor porlroils  if iuppresses certain skin blemishes. Foclor:5-6    limes.
   W          Green Filter Gr
       for  befler reproduclion of green in londscopes. When  using cerloin. ponc.hromcfic films,
      highly sensitive to  pgcl,the oltion of green is promoted by subdueing fhe_red. Consequ.enlly
      too p'ole lips ond loo dork eyes ore ovoided on porlroifs in ortificiol light. Foclor:3-4times.
   @         U V F i t t e r
     Suppressesullro-violel roys in high oltitudes,which moy couse unshorpness.In blcck and white
      photogrophy  it preservei the noturcl delicole oeriol perspeclive; in colour photogrophy  il
      counfer-ocls lhe much disliked "blue finge", securing wormer lones in generol.
      F ocf o r: No inc r e o s e f o r b l o c k o n d wh ite ;1 1 /r lime s fo r co lo u r film.
b                                         - r ? -

'KONTUR"The Voigtlonder 311+x 2rlE" view   f inder  The Yiew Finder
" KONTUR"  is ideol   f or   f ollowing   f osl





the eye looking through lhe finder sees
o while  f rome oullining lhe lield of view.
The dol  in lhe cenlre of the viewfinder
indicoles the cenlre of lhe  f ield of view,
while the dolled line shows the porollox
correclion for neor subjecfs from 3.3 to
6.5 feel.
                                      the                                 while                         shoe                 the occessory              into             fitsThe finder                                                                 *4 .#                                                                                   ""                             pushed                    porollox is                                        flrst                 the         shows       linedotted                                                                "#over the fosteningpegs on the top of the co-
mero (right picture).Note! Do not ollow qly    www.buktus.usdirect sunlightto reach the eyepieceof the
KONTURfinder.
                               _  Zs

F                                               www.butkus.us
 Apedure ond Deplh of Field

  The deplh of field of o piclure is lhe porl of lhe view which is slill reproduced
  shorply in fronl of, ond behind, lhe focused dislonce.
  This depfh of field  is, however, nol fixed.   ll becomes greoler fhe more you
  slop down  lhe  lens; ond decreoses, lhe  lorger lhe lens operlure used. So
  remember:
            Lorge operlures  le.g.  f/3.5f give  little depth  of  lield,
            Smoll operlures  [e. g.  f/l5f  give  greot depth  ol  field.
  You con reod  off lhe deplh  of  field  ol ony fime from fhe deplh  indicolor.
  Afler focusing, lhe  I  mork of lhe lop  of lhe indicolor poinls exoclly lo lhe
  focused dislonce. Below lhe A  mork you  will  find o  series of operlure
  numbers, with o  poir of lines from eoch leoding  lo lhe rololing ouler ring
  wilh lhe ciislonce scole. The depth of field ol ony o'perfure olwoys exlends
  from fhe dislonce obove lhe leff-hond line lo lhe dislonce obove lhe right-
  hond  line corresponding  fo the some o'perlure (see exomple on  p. 9 under
  "Snopshot focusing').
                                                   - 2 6 -                                                                                                     .r&iII:I

Cqre of Cqmerq qnd Lens
Successful resulls ond  long  life of  the comero  lorgely depend  on  correcl
hondling ond proper core. So:
   Pleose lreol lhe comerq genlly.  Never use forcel  if onylhing seems lo
   jom, better re-reod the relevonl secfions of fhis booklel.
   Before looding o film, olwoys remove ony dusl inside lhe comero.
   Avoid leoving lhe shutler lensioned for doys on end, porliculorly when
    sel lo lhe top speed.
    Al lhe seoside corry the comero in its closed ever-reody cose lo prolecl  il
   ogoinsl wind-blown  sond. Open  the cose only when  ocluolly  loking
    piclures.
   Never louch lhe lens surfoce wilh your fingers; finger morks will spoil fhe
    def inilion.
    All surfoces, including lhe ouler ones, of lhe lens corry on onli-refleclion
    cooling. To cleon lhe tens use o sofi soble brush or o piece of cleon sofl
    linen. Greose spols moy be removed by coreful dobbing  wilh o piece of
    collon wool moislened wilh olcohol.
                                           - t 7    -


                                                                                                                             iL&eid&i!&,..

The smorl

     Ever-Reqdy Cose
for the BESSA ll is mode of besl-quolily
hide, lined inside, ond  is filted wilh o
corrying ond neck slrop.
This cose will  hold  lhe cqmero while
toking  picfures, wilhout  reducing   ils
speed of oclion in ony woy, ond prolecl
lhe BESSA ogqinsl domoge.