Cleaned, Lubricated & Adjusted. Ready for immediate use!

This is a Voigtlander Bergheil 9x12cm camera in excellent condition. It was built in Germany as a top quality, double extension camera. The double extension feature is a valuable feature since not only does it allow the camera to focus at very close distances with the standard lens, but it also meant that longer lenses could be used as well. 

An interesting historical fact is that the Voigtlander Bergheil was Brassai’s favorite camera. This photographer used a Bergheil extensively to record images of Paris in the 1920’s and ‘30’s. If you’re not familiar with Brassai’s work, I recommend looking him up on the internet.

This is the rare luxury version carefully constructed of metal and it is distinguished by its green leather covering which features a unique cross hatch embossing and of course the lovely green bellows. It’s equipped with a quality rim-set Compur shutter. This shutter has been carefully cleaned, lubricated and adjusted. All shutter speeds (T, B, 1 sec – 1/200th) are appropriate. The slow speeds buzz along smoothly and the faster speeds are clean and snappy

The lens on this camera is the top-of-the-line Voigtlander Heliar 4.5/13.5cm (135mm). (A superb design with five elements in three groups.) The Heliar lens is well known, well loved and is recognized as a masterpiece of design. It was an absolute top-quality lens. For decades it was a benchmark of sharpness, but its greatness is not simply defined by high resolution. What photographers and artists love about this lens is the beautiful rendition in the fore and back-ground. It’s something the Japanese refer to as bokeh. Simply said, this lens has a gorgeous bokeh. Open up the lens or narrow the depth of field by getting closer and the focus rolls on and off silky smooth as cream… Soft out of focus foreground moves lovingly into sharp focus on your subject matter and then off again into gently blurred background. There are few lenses that do it as nicely as this. If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, then you’re in for a treat….

The superb Heliar lens is exceptionally clean. It’s clean and clear. There are no scratches, no cleaning marks and it’s capable of producing beautiful photos with modern color & B&W film. 

The camera comes complete with its original green ground glass back with features a beautiful green leather shade which folds up within it. All in all, a fine classic camera with an exceptionally lovely Heliar lens.

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It comes complete with a ‘Rollex-Patent’ roll-film back which will enable you to shoot 6x9 exposures on 120 film.  

BTW - This camera was designed to use vintage Voigtlander 9x12 plate holders / sheet film holders. (Which are not the same as modern 4x5 holders.) Also good to know is that the lens & shutter features a quick release system which makes removal quick and easy. This is convenient if you’d like to use this Heliar lens a 4x5 Graflex or modern field camera.