Voigtlander Bessa-L
Which came first, the camera or the lens? In reality, we know that the camera obscura predates the glass lenses that helped focus images onto a film plane, but looking at the design of some of modern cameras, it might be hard to discern. The Voigtlander Bessa-L most definitely looks like a camera body that was designed to fit specific lenses. If, in fact it does look like that, it's because the Bessa-L is intended for use with wide-angle lenses such as the Voigtlander 12mm and 15mm. With these lenses, Voigtlander provides separate viewfinders that attach to the top of the camera via the accessory shoe.
As the camera was designed with wide focal-length lenses where focus is less critical, Voigtlander did away with not only a rangefinder, but a viewfinder as well. This helps make the Bessa-L smaller and lighter. Without the benefit of a focusing rangefinder, users are left to "zone" focus with the aid of the depth of field scale on their lenses. While some users might find this troublesome, experienced photographers can very easily pre-focus by setting their lens's aperture and shoot more freely. The lack of long focus throw on wide angle lenses makes this style of photography very credible.
Perhaps in lieu of other features, Voigtlander gave the photographer a very good metering system. Instead of having the meter outside of the camera body, the Bessa-L meters directly off the film plane using its 18% gray shutter blades. This allows the photographer to get very precise in selecting the correct aperture and shutter speed.
On the surface, the Bessa-L may appear to be a rather bare-bones camera, but as with many cameras, the magic lies within the body. The lack of a focus system means fewer things to think about in the course of shooting. Just attach your favorite M39 screw-mount lens and go.
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