Wanna watch? Bessa L repair?

[Paul Goutiere]

I have a Bessa L that I bought used a year ago. The take up clutch needs tensioning. Already I have removed the bottom. To remove the top one must pull off the plastic covers from the front of the camera and remove two screw that hold the top on, and I've done this.

I am amazed at the extremely poor quality of this camera and since I'm definitely not gonna send a piece of junk like this to be repaired by someone else for $$ I'll try it myself.

If a few of you want to see my progress and wish to offer suggestions (other than dump the crap in the garbage) I'll be glad to take pics and post it. If not I'll just proceed and if I fix it great.. if not....garbage can.

[David Grenet]

I'd love to see the progress. Not sure what suggestions I'll be able to offer though...

[ntenny]

I'm surprised at your summary of the camera's quality. I've never been inside a Bessa, but in using them I haven't had a "piece of junk" feeling about the workings---can you elaborate a little on what you're finding that's so bad?

Thanks

-NT

[Paul Goutiere]

I'm surprised at your summary of the camera's quality. I've never been inside a Bessa, but in using them I haven't had a "piece of junk" feeling about the workings---can you elaborate a little on what you're finding that's so bad?

Thanks

-NT
This is a Bessa L
So far:
-Plastic gears in shutter timer.
-thin plastic base plate.
-plastic top cover.
-to remove top one must remove plastic covers from front of camera on each side of lens. Two screws then remove plastic top cover. Plastic covers held on with double backed tape.
-film advance lever cheap tinny thing with ( guess what?) a plastic cover.
-Camera Back cover, plastic.

Did I mention the camera has a lot of plastic? Think of a LOMO.
Pictures to come.

[Paul Goutiere]

Remove plastic front covers by gingerly lifting away from double sided tape.

16991
16992

[Ektagraphic]

Is it just this Bessa that is of this low quality?

[Paul Goutiere]

Screws on top both sides remove.

16997

Remove screws on front bezel
16998

[Paul Goutiere]

Innards for meter and flash. Lotsa plastic and tin.

17001

Plastic top and really wretched flash connections.
17002

[Paul Goutiere]

From the top the winder looks great.
17003

To remove winder remove two screws underneath to reveal a rather tinny cheap mechanism.
17004

[Paul Goutiere]

Bottom protective plate.

17005

Plastic gears in shutter mechanism.
17006

[Paul Goutiere]

Metal pressure plate attached to plastic back.
17007

[Paul Goutiere]

I'm not going to compare this camera to a Leica or a Nikon. Used it was not too expensive, but I think it could have been made a little better.

The main housing is made of cast metal and seems somewhat robust but when I see all the other shortcuts, plastic and tin in the construction of this thing I can't help but place the whole camera under suspicion.

[Paul Goutiere]

Is it just this Bessa that is of this low quality?
I have no idea, I've heard nothing. It ain't a Leica that's for sure!

[Paul Goutiere]

Camera is in garbage along with potato peels. Not worth the effort.

Have ordered a 60 year old Leica iiif, in reasonable nick to replace it.

[goodfood]

I bought one band new with 12mm lens and finder five to six years ago. I never use the body . Just use the lens with adapter on Leica M.

[clayne]

Ever since they figured out how to pump out mass plastic in the 80s and really took off with injection molding in the 80s-90s, everything has gone to shit. I'm not even an old curmudgeon and I notice the distinct shift. Modern consumer-level manufacturing for the most part, sucks!

[goodfood]

I think they are the the same stuff for the camera body with a 'BLUE' label print 'ZIESS'.

[DaveOttawa]

Yeah, if it says "ZIESS" you may be right, "ZEISS" might be another story...

[Mark Fisher]

Thanks for the tear down photos. I love to take cameras apart. Take apart a modern Canon (like an Elan) and you'll see that the Bessa construction isn't all that different. Speaking as an engineer, there is nothing mechanically wrong with stampings and injection molded plastic. In fact, plastic gears, properly designed, can last longer than metal gears and a polycarbonate housing will take a lot of abuse. The problem with a lot of the low end products is that they are not designed properly and every last dime is designed out of it. That said, I use all older, mechanical cameras because they just 'feel' nicer and look better with age. Plastic will never feel better than metal and will never gain a patina of age!

[ic-racer]

Interesting thread. I now have a new appreciation of my [working] all-metal Zorki.