Kodak Retina Ia-Seen at Buenos Aires Antique Fair

[ornate_wrasse]

Hi all,

This is my very first post on this forum. I joined because I plan to buy my first rangefinder very soon.

However, the reason I am writing this is because of a camera I saw at San Telmo Antiques Market in Buenos Aires, Argentina last Sunday while on vacation.

The seller had two old rangefinder cameras. The one that interested me the most was a Kodak Retina Ia. He was selling it for 200 pesos. That's about $52 at today's exchange rate. I really didn't know anything about the camera other than the fact that it was an older rangefinder. I figured that if I could acquire it for about $25, even if it didn't work and/or needed repair, I could afford it, so I offered him 100 pesos ($25). He wouldn't accept what I offered. So I passed on the opportunity to acquire the camera. Now I'm wondering if I made the right decision. I'd be curious as to the thoughts of others who are much more experienced than myself in using rangefinder camera. What would you have done if you had seen this camera at the Antique Market in Buenos Aires?

Thanks.

Ellen

 

[Ken Ford]

Hi, Ellen - welcome to RFF!

The Retina Ia is a great little camera. Be aware it's a viewfinder camera without a rangefinder, not really a big issue in everyday use. I kept one of these in my briefcase and used it for lunchtime shooting for almost ten years, they're capable of great results.

I'm not sure of current pricing, but they are a little tricky to get repaired competently since the main repair person (George Mrus) passed away a few years ago.

If you'd like to try an inexpensive RF, you may want to do some reading both in the Fixed Lens RF forum here and at the siteowner's CameraQuest website - he has several pages devoted to fixed lens RF cameras. Many people start their RF addiction with an inexpensive Yashica or Canon fixed lens RF.

Again, welcome!

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Ellen,

No loss even at 100 pesos. It's a pretty little camera but scale focus, no meter and a relatively slow lens means it's probably not an ideal first choice. Personally I'd look out for a Konica.

You might care to look at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps rf.html for a general introduction to RF photography.

And, indeed, welcome.

Cheers,

R.

 

[former member]

I would have passed it over for $50, taken it as $20. Mine was $15 at an antique store. The finder is very "squinty".

The Retina IIa with a rangefinder and F2 lens would have been worth $50 even if a cleaning was required. Mine was $20 in the same shop that had the 1a.

 

[ornate_wrasse]

Roger,

Thanks very much for the link to the article on rangefinders. It was very informative.

A friend has a Voigtlander R3A which he likes very much. So far I'm leaning towards getting a Voigtlander, although I haven't made any final decisions on what will be my first rangefinder.

Ellen

 

[ornate_wrasse]

Brian,

Sounds like I made the right decision by passing on purchasing it.

It's too bad the seller wasn't willing to take a lower price. It would have been a nice find if I could have gotten him to accept less.

Thanks.

Ellen

 

[ornate_wrasse]

Ken,

Thanks for the warm welcome to the Rangefinder forum. I will take your advice and check in the fixed lens RF forum, although I think I would like to buy a camera with changeable lenses. it doesn't hurt to be aware of all the possibilities, especially the less expensive ones.

I did look at the CameraQuest site. I was intrigued by the Bessa T, which seems to be a low cost option, but a friend who owns the Voigtlander R3A advised against it.

It looks like I'll be doing more research before I commit to the RF I want to buy.

Thanks.

Ellen

 

[capitalK]

Not sure which one I passed on recently at a thrift store, but it definitely had a rangefinder. I didn't know the value of them so at $20 I left it behind, and then kicked myself when I looked them up. Not a big loss, but it would have been nice for the shelf, at the very least.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Ellen,

My wife Frances Schultz loves the T, so don't necessarily dismiss it. Then again, she also loves a ZI SW (scale focus) with 18/4 Zeiss...

Cheers,

R.

 

[ZeissFan]

$25 would have been a good price, but I think $50 was too much.

There are a lot of Retina models and also many rangefinder cameras. Keep in mind that nearly all of them should be serviced before you use them.

Are you hoping to get a camera with a meter?

 

[ornate_wrasse]

$25 would have been a good price, but I think $50 was too much.

There are a lot of Retina models and also many rangefinder cameras. Keep in mind that nearly all of them should be serviced before you use them.

Are you hoping to get a camera with a meter?

Yes, I'm hoping to get a camera with a meter.

I'd like to clarify, though, that the Kodak Retina I saw in Buenos Aires was NOT what I had in mind for my first RF camera. I saw it more as an opportunity to pick up a camera at a bargain price and try to sell it for more $$$ when I got back home. For my first RF, I'd like a camera with more capability than the Retina.

Ellen

 

[Ken Ford]

Ah, that makes sense.

Ellen, I had a Bessa T for a few years, it was a very nice body but I tired of always having to use a separate viewfinder.

 

[ornate_wrasse]

My wife Frances Schultz loves the T, so don't necessarily dismiss it.

Does your wife have any problem with the construction of the Bessa T?
The reason I ask is because my friend used to have the T and shared this with me: The camera was stolen from his vehicle and when it came time to replace it, he decided against buying another T . Reason: The back of his original T was so soft that he could feel it "bend" under pressure. Is this a feature of the T that I should be aware of, or was this something that was a problem on the particular Bessa T that he had?

I shoot underwater and used to use the Nikonos V (now I use digital to shoot underwater). Some of the lenses for the Nikonos V had their own optical finder, so I am comfortable with using a separate finder.

Ellen

 

[ornate_wrasse]

Ah, that makes sense.

Ellen, I had a Bessa T for a few years, it was a very nice body but I tired of always having to use a separate viewfinder.

Ken,

So what did you replace it with?

If you still have it, is it for sale?

Thanks.

Ellen

 

[Ken Ford]

Ellen, long gone I'm afraid. I decided I would be happier with another Leica (I used to shoot with a M4-P 25 years ago), so I bought a nice used M6 Classic.

Regarding the Bessa T, I did notice a little back flex but nothing overly concerning. It was a good body, but I did find it a little loud.

Bessas in general are very decent cameras!

 

[ZeissFan]

The nice thing about the older cameras is that many of them are inexpensive, so there's no need to limit yourself to just one. Of course, that quickly becomes a curse.

Here's what happens. You buy a classic camera, and you have a lot of fun with it. So then you see that people are writing about a different camera. Heck, that first was fun, so you might as well try this one. You can see where this is going, right?

And the great thing is that you end up with a few (or more than a few), and then you start deciding which camera goes best with what you'll be shooting that day. Almost like accessorizing, although I hate to think of it that way.

Regarding a first rangefinder, it depend on how much you want to spend. The Cosina Voigtlander Bessa cameras are very good value for the money.

There is a lot of other gear out there. Myself, I'm a Zeiss Ikon Contax user, but I've also used the Retina IIIS (great camera, somewhat heavy); Leica IIIf (nice little camera, quirky loading, two viewfinders); Leica M6 (very nice, very sturdy, wasn't for me so I sold it); Voigtlander Vitessa L and T (unconventional but with good lenses); Voigtlander Prominent (big, heavy, hate the ergonomics, great Ultron lens); Foca IIb (French camera with good build quality but lacks slow speeds); Zeiss Ikon Nettax (heavy, excellent camera); Tenax II (great Sonnar lens, square photos); Rollei 35 RF (Bessa-R2 clone with an excellent Sonnar lens); the new Zeiss Ikon (excellent value at a higher cost); and many, many fixed-lens cameras.

If you wander around my site, I've done short write-ups on all of these above and some extended write-ups on several of them. I have a couple of new ones in the works now -- they run the range from the Box Tengor line to the Contaflex twin-lens reflex. Plus, I want to modify my thoughts on the Contax I. ... etc.

 

[ornate_wrasse]

Regarding the Bessa T, I did notice a little back flex but nothing overly concerning. It was a good body, but I did find it a little loud.

The fact that you say it's nothing overly concerning is reassuring. I'll think I'll throw it back in the mix of the rangefinders I'm considering.

Ellen

 

[ZeissFan]

If I were to buy again, I would look for either a used Bessa-R2 or the Rollei 35 RF (its clone). They share the same excellent viewfinder, and the Rollei should come with the Sonnar. Both will accept either M-mount lenses or LTM with an LTM=>M adapter.

The R2 probably doesn't have a lens, so it's your choice.

One thing to note: With each model, Cosina used a bit more metal and a bit less plastic.

I haven't touched the T, but I don't find it appealing to have to use a separate viewfinder for every lens. Even with a Leica LTM camera, it becomes tiresome to constantly shift your eye from one viewfinder to the other.

 

[Ken Ford]

Ellen, can I ask if you've determined a budget for your first RF and lens, and what focal length lens you want? Also, what kind of shooting to you see yourself doing?

 

[ornate_wrasse]

Ellen, can I ask if you've determined a budget for your first RF and lens, and what focal length lens you want? Also, what kind of shooting to you see yourself doing?

I was planning on spending around $700 for the camera. This covers the price of the R4A, which is one of the cameras I'm looking at. My friend who owns the R3A seems to think it's worthwhile to have all of the framelines for the different lenses. But I'm not locked into that camera as far as deciding which one I'm going to purchase. The focal length I'd initially want to purchase would probably be a wide angle lens like the 35 or 40, although I'd consider going wider.

As far as type of shooting, probably landscape. In the past, my main interest has been shooting underwater and I have a lot of specialized equipment for that type of shooting but I want to get a good camera for shooting "topside" as we underwater photographers call it. I own a D300 and I recently bought an FM2, but my friend has told me about the benefits of shooting with a rangefinder and I'd like to get started.

Thanks.

Ellen