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luisalegria
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 6627
Location: San Francisco, USA
Expire: 2018-01-18
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 Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 2:54 am Post subject: Kodak Retina Ia |
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luisalegria wrote:
I picked up this little lovely cheaply (as usual), because there were a lot of cosmetic problems,
There was tape and labels all over it, and someone scratched a serial number on the back. But it cleaned up quite well. It was (fortunately) fully functional in every way, so beyond cleanup it was good to go.
The Retina Ia is of course the early 1950's cheaper version (no rangefinder) of the 35mm folders made by the Kodak-owned Nagel works. I have its upscale version of the same age, a sweet-looking IIa (rangefinder, f/2 Xenon) that has a stuck shutter; maybe thats a project for my old age !
Kodak Retinas are of course very well known, so I won't get into the long and glorious history, except to note that this is a fine piece of German machinery, slick, precise and lovely, a pleasure to use. The 2.8/50 Schneider Xenar is a Tessar-variant with a fine reputation (I used one for many years on my dads Retina Reflex), the shutter is a Synchro-Compur; it just doesn't get any better. And it is very compact, a truly pocketable camera.
The problems come with the inevitable compromises of a folder - it is not practical to use a hood if you are going to carry this around in your pocket; you have to be pretty good at guessing ranges with this version, and there seems to be a degree or flare (which is why I want a hood) - or possibly a slight light leak ?
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I like Pentax DSLR's, Exaktas, M42 bodies of all kinds, strange and cheap Japanese lenses, and am dabbling in medium format/Speed Graphic work. |
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rbelyell
Joined: 13 Oct 2009
Posts: 4269
Location: somewhere in the mountains of central NY
Expire: 2014-01-31
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| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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rbelyell wrote:
these are lovely cameras, and your shots are very nice and atmospheric. i have a retina iii w the full complement of s-k retina lenses and just started again shooting film/slides--only one roll of slide film so far, but i really do enjoy it and the pictures came out just grand. i also use the lenses on my ep1 (which yield stunning results) and my 5d (less stunning, but very nice results).
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Epson RD1 + Elmarit 21/2.8; Summarit 50/1.5; Summarit 75/2.5; Elmar-c 90/4; Sankyo Komura 135/2.8, Hektor 135/4.5; Braun Paxina 29 6x6; Photax Boyer Paris; Holga 120 Pano
GREAT STUFF FOR SALE:
Contax T
Hasselblad XPan + 45/4, 90/4
Kodak Retina Reflex IV + full set of Schneider Krueznach lenses
Mercury 2 half frame 35mm
Kodak Pro slr/n
Fuji GM670+100/3.5+65/8!
Praktisix 6x6 medium format + ZeissBiometar 120/2.8
Bessa T 101 Anniversary Edition in Navy Blue
Mamiya Six Folder with Zuiko 75/3.5
Adaptall: Tamron SP 28-85 macro
Cameras: Canon IX
PM for more complete descriptions/pix. All in great shape!
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'buy me a drink, sing me a song,
take me as i come 'cause i can't stay long' |
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Attila
Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 57849
Location: Hungary
Expire: 2025-11-18
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| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 4:30 pm Post subject: |
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Attila wrote:
Great job, well done! I love samples too!
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Items on sale on Ebay
Sony NEX-7 Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f1.4, Minolta MD 35mm f1.8, Konica 135mm f2.5, Minolta MD 50mm f1.2, Minolta MD 250mm f5.6, Carl Zeiss Sonnar 180mm f2.8
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Nesster
Joined: 24 Apr 2008
Posts: 5883
Location: NJ, USA
Expire: 2014-02-20
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| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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Nesster wrote:
Very nice presentation, as usual. The Retinas really have beautiful engineering, and an overall deco look to them. Heavy chunks though, make pockets sag 
The lens shade thing is a pain - they are easy enough to pop on and off though, and I find them easy to carry around open, with a wrist strap, when around shooting. Also, Kodak (and some others) sold thin filters you don't have to remove when closing up the camera.
BTW, the push on shad for the II series won't work with the c/C interchangeable lens models, as these have a metal tab that interferes.
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djmike
Joined: 01 Apr 2009
Posts: 930
Location: Taiwan
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| Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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djmike wrote:
Lovely series. What B/W film you used? Mike
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DSLR: Canon 400D
SLR: Nikon FM2 + Canon A-1 + Canon AE1-P + Praktica MTL-5B + Pentax Spotmatic F + Fujica ST801 + Voigtlander Bassematic + Voigtlander Vito + Rollei 35S + Rolleiflex SL35 ME + Canon QL17 GIII + Olympus Pen EE-3
Lenses
M42: CZJ Flektogon 35/2.4 + CZJ Flektogon Zebra 35/2.8 + CZJ Pancolar 50/1.8 + CZJ Sonnar 135/3.5 + CZJ Tessar 50/2.8 Chrome + Pentacon 135/2.8 + Pentacon 50/1.8 + SMC Takumar 50/1.4 + SMC Takumar 55/2 + SMC Takumar 135/3.5 + Fujinon 55/1.8 + Jupiter-9 85/2 + Jupiter-37A 135/3.5 + Helios 44-6 58/2
Nikor: Nikkor 50/1.4 + Nikkor 28/3.5 + Nikkor 35-105 Zoom + 36-72 Series E Zoom
Canon: Canon FD + 28/2.8 + 50/1.8 + Canon 35-105 Macro Zoom
Other: Rollei Planar HFT 50/1.8
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luisalegria
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 6627
Location: San Francisco, USA
Expire: 2018-01-18
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| Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 1:01 am Post subject: |
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luisalegria wrote:
Arista Premium 100 from Freestyle Photo. I think its actually Fomapan.
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I like Pentax DSLR's, Exaktas, M42 bodies of all kinds, strange and cheap Japanese lenses, and am dabbling in medium format/Speed Graphic work. |
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Banjo
Joined: 25 Jun 2009
Posts: 75
Location: Oz (Near Adelaide)
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| Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 1:46 am Post subject: Re: Kodak Retina Ia |
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Banjo wrote:
| luisalegria wrote: |
| I picked up this little lovely cheaply (as usual), because there were a lot of cosmetic problems, ... |
I found one of these in similar condition at an annual photo mart.
Unfortunately, for me, the wind-on mechanism had an issue (including that the film counter wouldn't operate), apparently a common problem.
After having my local guy look at it, I decided to donate it to him (for parts), as it appeared unlikely that it could be fixed. 
However, I now have a Retina 1 -in better condition- which works OK (but could stand a bit more use). It does produce that fascinating "retro" look.
(It, also, created quite a sensation, when I took it into a "modern", mainly digital photographic store, where it was older than many of the parents of the counter staff.) 
Interestingly, for the times, these cameras had the relatively high shutter speed of 1/500th sec combined with the small minimum apertures of f22, permitting the use of modern "high speed" colour emulsions of 400ISO: a "supersonic" and almost unbelievable speed for the time of manufacture, thus ensuring their continuing useability in these days, some 60 years later. |
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luisalegria
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 6627
Location: San Francisco, USA
Expire: 2018-01-18
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| Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:29 am Post subject: |
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luisalegria wrote:
Also interesting, the shutter syncs flash at 1/500 !
Our friends with the DSLR's can't do that !
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I like Pentax DSLR's, Exaktas, M42 bodies of all kinds, strange and cheap Japanese lenses, and am dabbling in medium format/Speed Graphic work. |
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