Steve M.
Veteran
I recently bought a couple of Retina Ia cameras with Ektar 50 3.5 lenses, but at wildly different prices. Looking at ebay's completed listings for Retinas with Ektar lenses, I see the same thing, and it makes no sense at all.
Several of the cameras that brought the high prices had what I believe were fake Ektars, which I understand were rebadged Xenars for the US market. All of the Retinas with "Ektar" in their title that are currently on sale now are these types, and they indeed have a Schneider type serial number. The numbers on my Ektar lenses start with E, which I'm sure must mean Ektar. The lens itself also looks very different, with my lenses encircled by a silver nose, while the rebadged Xenars are black. Only the Ektar 47mm 2.0 had a black nose (I think).
You'd think anyone buying one of these cameras would be aware of this issue, especially collectors, but the prices make no sense. A camera that was in excellent condition and described as working and with a case brought $39 (fake Ektar on this one), while an earlier model Retina with another fake Ektar sold for $175! Just to confuse things even more, another earlier Retina w/ a real Ektar sold for $150, about what I paid for one of mine, while my other Retina w/ Ektar lens cost me just $29.
So, anyone here a Retina expert? By the way, if the dubious lenses really are Xenars, they are a far, far cry from what an Ektar lens is capable of in terms of photo quality. This little Ia makes pictures that are as good as any Summicron/Planar/Heliar I've ever used. The 50 3.5 Ektar is a stellar lens.
Several of the cameras that brought the high prices had what I believe were fake Ektars, which I understand were rebadged Xenars for the US market. All of the Retinas with "Ektar" in their title that are currently on sale now are these types, and they indeed have a Schneider type serial number. The numbers on my Ektar lenses start with E, which I'm sure must mean Ektar. The lens itself also looks very different, with my lenses encircled by a silver nose, while the rebadged Xenars are black. Only the Ektar 47mm 2.0 had a black nose (I think).
You'd think anyone buying one of these cameras would be aware of this issue, especially collectors, but the prices make no sense. A camera that was in excellent condition and described as working and with a case brought $39 (fake Ektar on this one), while an earlier model Retina with another fake Ektar sold for $175! Just to confuse things even more, another earlier Retina w/ a real Ektar sold for $150, about what I paid for one of mine, while my other Retina w/ Ektar lens cost me just $29.
So, anyone here a Retina expert? By the way, if the dubious lenses really are Xenars, they are a far, far cry from what an Ektar lens is capable of in terms of photo quality. This little Ia makes pictures that are as good as any Summicron/Planar/Heliar I've ever used. The 50 3.5 Ektar is a stellar lens.
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The Ektar lenses use CAMERAOSITY(1234567890) style serial numbers, "E" is a 4. The first two letters denote year of manufacture. My Ektar on the Retina II is from 1947, and has EO.
Steve M.
Veteran
Ah, thanks for the clarification Brian. Both mine are ES. That CAMEROSITY test should show whether a lens was a "genuine" Ektar or not I'd think. I'm still wondering about the wide price differences, but maybe that's just the oddness of ebay auctions. Here's a few from one from one of my Ektar lensed Retinas w/ C41 B&W film.
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Ektar lenses on Retina cameras are rare. I have the 47/2. I believe that once German production caught up after the War, that it was no longer necessary for Kodak to supply the lenses. So they were on the Retina cameras for a short period after the war.
My Retina II with the Ektar 47/2, wide-open:
(Last picture on roll, cropped)
Tight Cop of above:
My Retina II with the Ektar 47/2, wide-open:
(Last picture on roll, cropped)
Tight Cop of above:
Steve M.
Veteran
Ah, that's the real advantage of the 47mm lens vs the 50mm. Wide open it's softish w/ lots of resolution. My 50 3.5 is sharp as heck even wide open, as your 47mm probably is by f3.5.