Last Updated on 11/09/2019 by Mark Beckenbach
If you’re looking for another rare camera to add to your collection of vintage goodies, we’re sure this gorgeous Cosina 107-SW fits the bill.
If unique cameras are your cup of tea, our latest vintage find is worth checking out. A rare collectible item in every way, this gorgeous Cosina 107-SW is one of the most interesting cameras that can be added to any collection. And now is your chance to grab one… or two.
We spotted a Cosina 107-SW with a Cosina L 15mm f4.5 aspherical lens on Etsy. While incorrectly tagged as “Vintage from the 1960s,” it looks like it’s in excellent condition. According to the listing, it only has some minor care marks but all the mechanisms are working smoothly. All shutter speeds and the light meter are working accurately as well. The lens is clean and doesn’t have any scratches, fungus, or haze. The camera has also been tested and found to be ready to shoot. Apart from the body cap and a loose-fitting rear lens cap, it also includes an L39-M4/3 adapter.
This camera is essentially the same as the Bessa L. Introduced in 1999, it was the first model in the Bessa series of 35mm cameras that Cosina manufactured in Japan to revive the Voigtländer brand name. According to CameraQuest and also mentioned in the listing, the Bessa L was initially produced and marketed in some areas as the “Cosina SW-107.” However, it was made in fewer numbers compared to the Voigtländer Bessa L version, making the Cosina SW-107 a rare version now sought after by camera collectors.
The Cosina SW-107/Bessa L is also unique because it’s a finderless, scale focus body with TTL metering, designed to be used with wide-angle lenses. Super wide-angle lenses work great with scale focusing because of the adequate depth of field, so a focusing device like a rangefinder or viewfinder wasn’t necessary. Cosina included viewfinders for the Voigtländer 12mm f5.6, 15mm f4.5, 21mm f4, and 25mm f4 lenses, but the viewfinders for the 28mm f3.5 and 35mm f2.5 were sold separately. If you’re used to zone focusing when shooting street photography, this would be a great camera for you.
While this Etsy unit comes with a Cosina L 15mm f4.5 lens, Camerapedia says the Cosina 107-SW typically came with a Skopar 25mm f4 lens: “a very convenient super-wide lens” that gave it the SW in its name.
The camera with lens package is priced at $539.98. If you’d like to have a black body and prefer looking for a lens yourself (or simply a spare), you can grab this one in good cosmetic and functional condition from a Bogota-based eBay seller for $120.