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Kodak Super xx film?

Stephen Prunier

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 13, 2008
Messages
372
Location
North Shore, MA,
Format
Multi Format
I just inherited my late fathers Kodak Retina IIc Camera. As a young child I knew it was beautiful to hold and look at and we spent many hours looking at the K-25 & K-64 slides my dad took while he was stationed in Europe during the early 50's. I have been able to find the owners manual on line, but my question is what speed is the Kodak Super XX Film? 400? I take it that if I use 100 speed films set on the Plus X setting, then my ISO is 125?

My Father let me use it a few times when I was in my teens and I look forward to using it again, and again, and again
 
My box of 4x5 Super XX film says ISO 200. So a setting of 125 would probably be close enough if you don't have a 200 setting.
 
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I don't have any super xx film. What I am wondering is what ISO the camera will be when I set the dial on Super XX. The IIc has 2 B&W settings, 2 Kodachrome settings and 1 Infrared setting.
 
I hope you know that the "film settings" on the rewind knob are just reminders so you know what film you have in the camera. The Retina IIc doesn't have a lightmeter.
 
I know it doesn't have a light meter, I'm the light meter! LOL. Am I to believe then that the film setting dial has no effect on the outcome then? What if I want to use an ISO 400 film?

Thanks
 
Absolutely no effect on the outcome at all -- now that I am reminded by JPD!LOL! Must be too early in the morning!

For 400 speed film, write "400" on a sticky note and put it on your forehead.
 
Vaughn said:
Absolutely no effect on the outcome at all -- now that I am reminded by JPD!LOL! Must be too early in the morning!

For 400 speed film, write "400" on a sticky note and put it on your forehead.
Click to expand...

What color "sticky note paper"? Black or White? LOL
 
Stephen Prunier said:
What if I want to use an ISO 400 film?
Click to expand...

You can use any film of any speed. I use a hand held lightmeter and a small grey card when I'm shooting with my Retinas. Perfect exposures every time (almost).
 
Stephen Prunier said:
What color "sticky note paper"? Black or White? LOL
Click to expand...

Yellow, for darker skies.

Now you got me wondering what model Retina my Uncle gave me before he died years ago. I just rarely use such a small format...
 
I suggest an incident meter or learn the sunny 16 rule to estimate light levels. Google it.

I will further advise high shutter speeds and small stops are effectively longer speed so you need to compensate with closing down 1/2 stop or an even faster speed. 1/250 and 1/500 are considered fast. It has to do with the actual shutter time to fully open and close which it is calibrated for. At small stops, effectively it is open fully sooner than than physically. Kodak used to put this on the instruction sheet that came with the film. Then they printed it inside the box. Now you get nothing.

The old German lenses made wonderful pics, so enjoy.
 
Thanks, Patric -- I'll have to wait until I can get a hold of the camera (in a box somewhere).
 
My mistake, it was not a Retina. It is a Zeiss Ikon Contessa, with a Zeiss-Opton Tessar 45mm/2.8 (Compur Rapid shutter)...not that I am complaining. Looks like it was made between 1950 and 1953, which makes it one to four years older than me. The meter no longer works -- not at all surprising. But it is a sweet little machine. I really should use it, but I just rarely use 35mm film. My "have fun" camera is a Rolleiflex 2.8F...and a Diana camera.

I have an opening of a show I am in down in Hayward, CA this weekend -- maybe I'll load it up with a roll of B&W and take it down.

Vaughn
 
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