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Kodak Retina IIa
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:55 pm    Post subject: Kodak Retina IIa Reply with quote

I really enjoy using this camera, it is a true pocketable folder... the lens is a good one but will bloom (which I use to advantage) and glare. Fitting a shade helps but then there's an extra step for folding it. I use it as a street shooter mainly, with a wrist strap, and the folding bit gives a good finger hold for carrying it around all ready to go.

First the camera itself, I think beautifully designed:


Some B&W work:








It does color too:







More photos, and full size scans at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nesster/sets/72157602047066794/


Last edited by Nesster on Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:34 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, film at its best! Well, what did I expect... look at the lens: a fast Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon! This, in the hand of a talented photographer... no wonder.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nice & various samples, the portrait is the strongest of all


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Beautiful work Nester! Very inspiring, makes me want to shoot more film again. I love the street shot of the curvy woman. But of course the color Portrait is just simply stunning Very Happy


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agree with Andy, excellent work, Nesster! Hope to see more! Smile

Bill


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm curious what kind of film did you use for that portarait. It seems cross processed to me or maybe just expired for long time.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like them all, Nesster. Very good compositions and captures, they set a mood and communicate a feeling.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks all... that portrait is of our youngest, at my mother in law's New York apartment. The light there is fantastic, though colorful. She has an entire wall length of big windows, but with thermal film on them, and a 'designer' paint job. I don't recall the film, it would be likely Fuji Pro 400H, or else one of Fuji's consumer ASA400s. The scan is yellowish, yes.

Last night I felt like playing around with an extension tube and a Super-Takumar 50/1.4...



For those not familiar with the Retina, the threaded button is the shutter release, and the second one is to 'unjam' the mechanism. It comes in handy when starting a roll, for example. Kodak moved the wind lever to the bottom in their next models, mine works beautifully but apparently this is a weak spot on the IIa. The film counter works by counting down - when you reach 1 the camera locks down! Some say Kodak did this so you wouldn't be able to squeeze in the extra 1-2 frames on each roll Razz


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nesster wrote:
Thanks all... that portrait is of our youngest, at my mother in law's New York apartment. The light there is fantastic, though colorful. She has an entire wall length of big windows, but with thermal film on them, and a 'designer' paint job. I don't recall the film, it would be likely Fuji Pro 400H, or else one of Fuji's consumer ASA400s. The scan is yellowish, yes.


It wasn't a critic! Actually I love that colors and I'd like to being able to replicate them on film without using Photoshop.

They'r also very "trendy", just open a woman fashion magazine and you'll see.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alessandro, I wasn't taking your comments as critical, just trying to remember what it was... I'm pretty sure I was shooting 400H, it's a really good film to try. There's a solidity to the color and the grain is better than with the consumer films. Plus it's not much more, at least at B&H prices.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I believe your words but then the lab should have something wrong (that turn right) because it still seems like a cross processed shot with those colors.

Just look at this cross processed example:



About cross processing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_processing


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah yes... I bought 25 rolls of expired Fuji 160S in 120 size, it tends towards the blue (I end up taking down the blue channel curve to compensate) but does something like the color effects of cross processing:


PostPosted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice shots, and the colour shift just works well!


PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not sure how this ended up in the digital gallery after the re-org... Please someone put this in film rf ... probably the best place... thank you