A Voigtlander Bessa RF Folding Rangefinder Camera£50
6 Jan 2026 · Flints Auctions · lot 265 · Cameras & Scientific Instrumentspremium removed
Voigtlander& Sohn Bessa Rangefinder (RF, E-Messer)
camera
The Voigtlander& Sohn Bessa Rangefinder (RF, E-Messer) typically sells for £150 (median of 16 recorded sales, 2001–2026; fair evidence).
Typical sale price
£150
median of 16 sales, 2001–2026
Fair
Middle half of sales: £80–£232
Hammer prices, buyer’s premium removed; eBay as soldHow ↗
Not in the typical price
Listed apart, never blended in.
Over time
Every sale since 2001; no trend line.
Latest sales All 17 →
A Voigtlander Bessa RF Folding Camera£50
24 Sep 2025 · Flints Auctions · lot 277 · Cameras & Scientific Instrumentspremium removed
◆ ? title doesn’t name the Rangefinder
A Voigtländer Bessa RF Folding Camera£60
20 Aug 2024 · Special Auction Services · lot 279 · TWO DAY: Photographica & Cameras Auctionhammer
◆ ? title doesn’t name the Rangefinder+ lens
A Voigtlander Bessa RF Medium Format Folding Rangefinder Camera£35
22 Aug 2023 · Flints Auctions · lot 264 · Cameras & Scientific Instrumentspremium removed
◆ ▼ far below the rest+ lens
Two Rangefinder Folding Cameras£220
13 Jun 2023 · Special Auction Services · lot 511 · Photographica & Cameras Auctionhammer
lot or parts · not in the price+ lens
What it is
{"overview":"The Voigtländer Bessa RF (E-Messer) is a folding medium-format rangefinder camera produced in Germany in the 1930s. Hold the bellows against a bright light to check for pinholes at the folds, verify rangefinder coincidence at both close range and infinity, and fire every speed to listen for sticking.
Generated summary, 20 Apr 2026 — not checked by hand; prices on this page come from the sales, not from this text.
Other Bessas
Bessa II
61 sales£320SolidBessa T (black)
16 sales£498FairBessa II Apo-Lanthar
8 salesabout £3,600IndicativeBessa L (black)
8 salesabout £186IndicativeBessa R
7 salesabout £289IndicativeBessa I
4 salesabout £29IndicativeBessa R2
3 salesabout £270IndicativeBessa R3 A
2 salesSales only
61 sales£320SolidBessa T (black)
16 sales£498FairBessa II Apo-Lanthar
8 salesabout £3,600IndicativeBessa L (black)
8 salesabout £186IndicativeBessa R
7 salesabout £289IndicativeBessa I
4 salesabout £29IndicativeBessa R2
3 salesabout £270IndicativeBessa R3 A
2 salesSales only
Questions
What is the difference between the Bessa and the Bessa RF?
The RF (E-Messer) designation indicates the coupled-rangefinder version of the folding Bessa, distinct from the simpler viewfinder-only Bessa variants.
Facts
- Maker
- Voigtlander& Sohn
- Type
- camera
- Sales in the typical price
- 16
- First sale
- 11 May 2001
- Latest sale
- 6 Jan 2026
- Median
- £150
- Middle half
- £80–£232
- Evidence
- Fair
- Method
- v1
Cite this page
“Voigtlander& Sohn Bessa Rangefinder (RF, E-Messer): typical sale price £150, the median of 16 recorded sales, 2001–2026, middle half £80–£232 (Fair, method v1).” cameraworth.com, retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.cameraworth.com/v/voigtlander-sohn/bessa-rangefinder-rf-e-messer/