Kodak Retina 1b

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

I had this for a few weeks, then sold it, which I rather regret, more so than anything else I have sold this year. I shot just one roll, and I have rarely had as much fun doing it.

This was the low-end camera in the Kodak Retina line (made by Kodak Germany, the old Nagel works) this one from about the mid-1950's. The more expensive versions had a rangefinder of course, the "1" just a viewfinder and one has to estimate distance and scale-focus.

This lack of a rangefinder is not really a hardship for the sort of picture-taking this is really good at, the old Cartier-Bresson search for "the moment". At such times its too often a waste of the opportunity to be trying to focus anyway, its a distraction. And it is a truly compact pocket-camera that can easily be around for that moment.

It beats the heck out of any small digital cam in getting that moment indeed. Those things are just too slow in operation. These are fine for "the sunset from my hotel room" or "Hey Tony, move left a bit and say cheese" sorts of pictures, but ?

The folding aspect, along with the nice leather half-case, which effectively protects the lens/shutter and controls from pens and keys, also makes it more pocketable than many equally small 35mm rangefinders. On the other hand, the controls are large and useful, easier to use quickly than say the Rollei 35 - and you really don't want a naked Rollei 35 in among the car keys.

What can be said about this ? This is just a plain lovely thing, quality is apparent in every detail. It works with wonderful smoothness and precision in every respect. I have used Zeiss cameras of the same period (Contaflex, etc.) and this thing beats them in build quality. It lacks the full set of Retina interlocks (the big problem of the Retinas was over-complication), so I expect these can more likely be found in working order.

The shutter is a Compur leaf-shutter, the lens is a Schneider Xenar, what more can be said ?

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

Beautiful results from a beautiful camera!

I really like the Retinas, they are so nicely designed and built. I only have a IIa and IIc, at some point I intend to go for more.

The 2.8 Xenar is one hell of a lens too.

Katastrofo · Expire: 2013-11-19

Wow, excellent results, Luis!

scsambrook · Expire: 2011-11-18

Nice pics and a great little camera. I have a IIc with the 2.8 Xenon and love it. Retinas must be the last great bargain in CRF cameras - you still see IIc/IIIc models on eBay round the £50 mark, the IIC/IIIC versions fetch more but won't do any better job. I still fancy a late model II with the f2 Xenon, but you don't see them often and, sadly, they do tend to fetch higher prices. I think Stephen Gandy's to blame for that: on his CameraQuest site, he enthuses greatly about the model II.

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

FWIW - the IIa has the f/2 and the IIc the f/2.8. Honestly, the 2.8 seems like the better lens, more contrasty. The IIa on the other hand has the advance lever in the normal top position...

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

"Low end" but so much fun to shoot with!

scsambrook · Expire: 2011-11-18