Voigtländer Bessa-L

The Bessa-L in its raw state

Cameras do not get much more basic than the Voigtländer Bessa-L. It's a 35mm body with a built-in meter and focal plane shutter, with shutter speeds that range from one second to1/2,000sec. There's no reflex viewing, no rangefinder, no viewfinder, and not even a lens. So why would you want to invest in such a beast? I'll give you three reasons: it provides a plain body on to which you can build various camera combinations; it offers the opportunity to get back to basics and learn – or relearn – what simple, manual film photography is all about; and finally, it bears a name that has always guaranteed quality.

Voigtländer was once one of the most prestigious names in German camera manufacture. Founded as an optical company in 1776, it began producing cameras in 1840, during the daguerreotype era. Among its many accomplishments, the company produced the Zoomar