Kodak Retina IIC with F2 front element

Sonnar Brian

Sonnar Brian

Product of the Fifties
Staff member
Local time
9:55 AM
Joined
Jan 12, 2004
Messages
19,778
View My Gallery
This camera was given to me as a gift, needed the shutter to be flood cleaned. An easy job after taking out the glass. Opped the top and cleaned the finder. Odd on this camera, the aperture opened up to an unmarked F2 position. The IIC and IIc normally stop at F2.8, same as the supplied lens. This one went to an unmarked f2 position, and the aperture mechanism was actually at F2.

So I put the front element from my IIIc on it, left the back module in place.

Wide-Open at F2:
picture.php

Tight Crop:
picture.php


Wide-Open at F2
picture.php


With the standard F2.8 front component back on this camera, at F2.8.

picture.php


And one with the 35/5.6 wide-angle lens on the camera. Wide-Open:
picture.php
 
Brian,
Is the camera "special" or is the unmarked f 2.0 position maybe a standard on all such cameras?

Cool.
 
I know that other Retina IIC and IIc cameras do NOT open up to F2. This one is very late, probably toward the end of the run. I suspect they just drew from the same parts as the IIIC and did not mark the F2 position. I have a Retina IIIS that will work perfectly with my 50mm F1.9 Xenon, opens up to F1.9, but is only marked at F2.8.
 
Iic, Iiis

Iic, Iiis

Very interesting Brian. My IIC will not open beyond f2.8, it is S/N 766423. My IIIS opens to f1.9 and is marked as such. I thought all IIIS cameras were capable of using the f1.9 lens, I'm suprised! My IIIS is EK804556. Bob

Correction to post:

Brian, I just re-read your post and realize I misread it the first time. I thought you had said you had a IIIS that would not open to f1.9 istead of it not being marked as f1.9. Now I'm wondering if the IIIS cameras sold with f2.8 lenses omitted the f1.9 marking. I have an original IIIS brochure and they do not make any distinction of any differences other than the camera was offered either with a f2.8 or f1.9. Bob
 
Last edited:
I need a clean IIIS at a reasonable cost. Is ebay my only source? I have several lenses and two broken III reflex.

This may be a naiive question, but what makes the IIC so costly? Is it greatly superior to the IIc?
 
Last edited:
The viewfinder of the IIC and IIIC is like that in the Retina IIIS and later fixed-lens, higher end Retinas. It is a better viewfinder, has framelines for the 35-50-80. But with that stated, I had the IIIc out this weekend and it is easy to focus.
 
I have two more questions on the Retina:

Is the 50/2 a "better" lens than the 50/2.8?

Is the Kodak Ektar inferior to the Schneider?

There is also a Heligon lens.
 
This thread "made me" just buy a Retina IIa with the 50mm/2.0 lens.

I just took a look at my other Retina cameras, and I found a IIa with a 50/2.0. This is a IIa that is pre-war model. Hopefully, the newly bought Retina is a post-war model.

I seem to have the pre-WWII Type 150 Retina IIa. It has a combined rangefinder/viewfinder. I found online the fact that the Type 150 Retina IIa was manufactured from 1939 to 1941.

edited;

A second and third look at the only photo of the newly bought camera shows it to be a pre-war model! It comes with the hard to find case. There were about 5000 such cameras made, and they came with the 50mm 3.5/2.8/2.0 lenses. My cameras both have the 2.0 lenses.
 
Last edited:
I think there was a Monty Python Episode after the question on the Swallow that required answering questions on Retina Model Numbers to cross a bridge.

Which came first the Retina IIa or the Retina II?

Yes, they did...
 
Pre-war IIa

Pre-war IIa

Congratulations Raid! That pre-war IIa is indeed a rare piece, I envy you. Do let us know how well you like it once it is in your capable hands. I have a mint 1952 IIa with an f2 Xenon in the original box with hang tags and manual. I love it, but the IIC and IIIC fit my hands better. The IIIS is a real gem in that is uses all the interchangable Reflex S, III, IV lenses from 28 to 200mm. The viewfinder automatically shows the 35/50/85 and 135 frame lines once the lens is installed. Bob
 
rpjasin said:
Congratulations Raid! That pre-war IIa is indeed a rare piece, I envy you. Do let us know how well you like it once it is in your capable hands. I have a mint 1952 IIa with an f2 Xenon in the original box with hang tags and manual. I love it, but the IIC and IIIC fit my hands better. The IIIS is a real gem in that is uses all the interchangable Reflex S, III, IV lenses from 28 to 200mm. The viewfinder automatically shows the 35/50/85 and 135 frame lines once the lens is installed. Bob
Click to expand...

Hi Bob,
I will make sure to show results from the IIa on RFF. I have never used my first IIa camera for some unknown reason, and I will do so next. Having two pre-war IIa cameras is really a treat for me.
 
My "new" IIa arrived! It is a post-war model after all. So I have one pre-war model and one post-war model IIa. Both have a 50/2.0.
 
Last edited:
Raid- is it a lever wind, or a Knob wind? The Postwar IIa is a lever advance, the postwar II is a knob wind but unified VF/RF.
 
Hey Raid,
No, Brian wasn't mistaken, just referring to a different camera. Kodak still made the knob-wind Retina II camera after WWII, which was later replaced by the Kodak Retina IIa.

So, in effect, Kodak introduced the first Retina II with separate RF/VF windows in the mid 1930s, then introduced the pre-war Retina IIa with combined RF/VF windows. However, they then altered this camera's design yet again and went back to the "Retina II" name. Then they went back to the "Retina IIa" title when they modified that design around 1950 with an advance lever and self-cocking shutter. So, the timeline goes like this: II, IIa, II, IIa...

Yeah, it's kinda confusing!

Raid, you are correct in that they only made a few over 5,000 of the pre-war IIa. It's a very rare camera.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom