Voigtlaender's New Medium Format Camera Revisits The Past

The Voigtländer Bessa III (€ 2,000 / $ 2,700) is a traditionally styled medium format camera with folding bellows lens. It shoots 6x6 (nominally 56mm x 56mm) or 6x7 (56mm x 70mm) images that squeeze every last grain of detail from a roll of 120 or 220 film. Of course, you'll only get a dozen or so hand-wound shots before having to change the roll.

The Bessa III is equipped with a manually focused six element f/3.5/80mm lens. Mercifully, the shutter is electronically controlled with speeds ranging from 4 to 1/500 seconds. The device also offers electronic center weighted average metering with exposure compensation. In short, it's a curious mix of vintage and modern design. Available May 2009.

Follow the jump for detailed specs.

Type: 6 x 7 type rangefinder folding camera Film format 6 x 7 and 6 x 6 by selector switch 6 x 7 size: 56 x 69mm 6 x 6 size: 56 x 56mm Film 120 or 220 roll film Frames 6 x 7 size: 120 – 10 shots,                   220 – 20 shots 6 x 6 size: 120 – 12 shots                   220 – 24 shots Lens HELIAR 3,5/80mm 6 elements in 4 groups Angle of view: 6 x 7 size = 57° Angle of view: 6 x 6 size = 53° Focusing Manually controlled helicoid Focusing range 0,9 m – inf. Finder Coincidence type rangefinder with bright frame and automatic parallax correction. Macro ratio X 0,7 Diopter correction Eyepiece diopter (19mm tread) can be screwed on. Indicators in view finder LED - Aperture Priority Auto Mode and properly set shutter speed indicator lit. - Manual exposure mode - Battery consumptoin warning Shutter Electronically controlled lens shutter. Shutter speed 4s – 1/500 sec. Exposure control Center weighted average metering. Exposure compensation: +/- 2 by 1/3 steps Film speed Manually set. ISO25 – 3200 by 1/3 steps Film winding By film advance dial Film counter Additive type with auto reset, automatically switched to 120 or 220 type synchronized with film type selector switch on film pressure plate. Battery X1 CR2 Lithium battery Size 178mm x 109mm x 138 mm or 64mm (closed) Weight 1,000g