Retina II, recovered

[julio1fer]

My first serious camera, shared with my brother, was a Retina II. We used it to document trips and friends in high school, then it was sold.

I got another one lately, more than 40 years later (do we all seek the cameras of our youth?). It is a special feeling to shoot again with a camera that I met as a young teenager.

IMHO the Retina II has one of the best combinations of portability, lens quality, rangefinder and easy handling in the Retina series - at least for the subjects I like to shoot.

It took a lot of work to find and patch a bellows leak, but it was done. Some from the first successful test roll (TMX, Beutler):

 

[colyn]

All of the Retina II versions are outstanding cameras. I have the type 122, 142, 011, and 014 and all are fine cameras..

 

[leica M2 fan]

They are outstanding! I have the IIc and the IIa and love the rendition of the Schneider lenses.