Interesting Retina lens situation

[colyn]

Up front I don't believe the person's story.

I pulled the front and rear lens groups with matching serial number from a Retina Reflex original. The trim has the same number so everything matches. I put the lens set on eBay as working both for the Reflex and the Retina IIIC/c models since they all use the same lens. The trim piece with serial number is not interchangible with the IIIC/c models though.

I have been getting emails from an individual who claims that this trim piece with the same serial number does exists for the IIIC/c models and I should find it (?????) before selling this set. In other words he is saying Kodak made this lens as well as others for these 3 models with the same serial numbers...and he is a Retina expert..... 🙄 🙄 🙄

Chris if you read this please weigh in on this claim..

 

[nparsons13]

You mean he claims Kodak duplicated lens serial numbers between models? Sounds like BS to me, too.

 

[mdarnton]

As they say on the internet: pictures, or it didn't happen. If he claims he has seen it, let him prove it. I'd accept an in print reference from a third party, if he has that. There should be a polite way to request proof of his claim.

 

[colyn]

His claim is that when Kodak started making the Reflex they re-used the same serial numbers from the IIIc-series cameras. I don't buy it...

 

[Chris Sherlock]

G'day Colyn,

That person with the funny story is miles off the mark, and the story doesn't ring true. The numbers on the lenses were Schneider's , or Rodenstock's serial numbers, not Kodak's and were meant to identify the particular lens. The little 'number plate' on the front of the Retina IIIc types and the original Retina Reflex was simply to to help an owner, assuming they had more than one Retina perhaps, to be sure that they placed the correct standard lens back on the body.

In practice it is likely that any noticeable difference between using the correct front unit and any other, would be some possible shift in focus. This would be something important with a standard lens because of the reduced depth-of-field at its maximum aperture, but obviously much less of a potential problem with the 35mm lens, especially with its smaller maximum aperture.

No such advantage with the 80mm lens however!

Regards, Chris

 

[Chris Sherlock]

G'day again Colyn,

Just an aside regarding the 'number plate' on the lens mount for the Retina IIIc and the Reflex. Although you can't swap the lens mount from one to the other, the little number plate itself is removable and it will fit either shutter.

Another thing to know, the rear lens group in the Reflex models in a slightly different setting. The outer rear edges are cut closer to the glass so the reflex mirror clears the lens. This makes it easy to swap a lens set from a Reflex into a IIIc, but not so great swapping in the other direction.

Regards, Chris