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Voigtlander& Sohn Bessamatic

The Voigtländer Bessamatic is a 35mm leaf-shutter SLR introduced in 1959. It used the DKL bayonet mount, shared with certain Kodak Retina Reflex bodies, and featured a coupled selenium light meter. When new it was positioned as a mid-tier West German SLR competing with Zeiss Ikon's Contaflex.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the Bessamatic have typically fallen in the £15–£140 range, with a median around £60 across the last two years of saleroom results. As of 2026, a clean working body paired with a standard 50mm lens is what a buyer should expect to pay toward the top of that band, while meterless or cosmetically tired examples sell for under £40. Condition and the presence of an accurate selenium meter are the dominant value drivers — outliers such as an exceptional 2018 result of £300 show what a complete, well-kept kit is worth to the right collector.

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Sales History

Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.

Prices updated: March 2026

Date Price Source
Mar 2026 £69 Flints Auctions
Feb 2026 £19 Flints Auctions
Jan 2026 £30 Special Auction Services
Jan 2026 £15 Special Auction Services
Jan 2026 £60 Special Auction Services
May 2025 £31 Flints Auctions
May 2025 £140 Special Auction Services
Mar 2025 £88 Chiswick Auctions
Mar 2025 £25 Special Auction Services
Jan 2025 £101 Chiswick Auctions
Aug 2024 £70 Special Auction Services
Feb 2024 £40 Special Auction Services
Aug 2023 £438 Flints Auctions
Aug 2023 £475 Flints Auctions
Mar 2023 £88 Flints Auctions
Oct 2022 £69 Flints Auctions
Nov 2018 £300 Flints Auctions
Nov 2018 £96 Flints Auctions
Jun 2008 EUR 400 Leitz Auction
Mar 2007 £132 Christie's
Sep 2005 £168 Christie's
Jun 2005 £96 Christie's
Nov 2002 £176 Christie's
Oct 1999 £172 Christie's
Mar 1998 £195 Christie's

Frequently asked questions

What is a Voigtländer Bessamatic worth today?

Most Bessamatic bodies sell for between £25 and £100 at UK auction, with a median around £60; clean, fully working kits with a good standard lens can reach £140.

How much does a Bessamatic sell for at auction?

Recent UK hammer prices have ranged from about £15 for rough or incomplete examples to £140 for clean working bodies, with occasional outliers for exceptional condition.

Does the selenium meter affect the value of a Bessamatic?

Yes — a responsive, reasonably accurate selenium meter pushes the price toward the upper end of the range, while a dead meter typically drops value below £40.

Are Bessamatic lenses interchangeable?

Yes, the Bessamatic uses the DKL bayonet mount, so standard, wide, and telephoto lenses made for the system can be swapped, though availability on the used market is now limited.

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