Retina IIS?

[mablo]

Someone shooting with Kodak Retina IIS?

At a local swap meet I found a nice boxed set of two Kodak close range lenses and an auxiliary close range viewfinder (parallax correction and everything). I thought the set could be used with a Retina IIc which I've been thinking of buying some day. However, I googled a bit and discovered that my set is actually for Kodak Retina IIS, which has a 45mm lens. More common, older Retinas have 50mm lens and need another close range set.

My question is that is the Retina IIS worth having or should I simply sell my close range set?

 

[elekm]

The Retina IIS is built on the same body shell as the final folding Retinas (IB, IIC and IIIC). It's a rigid-front camera with a coupled selenium meter and a Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar (Tessar-type) lens.

The IIS has a coupled rangefinder and a Synchro-Compur shutter with a full range of speeds. It's an excellent little camera, but like all cameras from that era will almost certainly need to be serviced. It's underrated and often overlooked in favor of those with the Xenon lens.

You might want to see if that close-up set will work with a folding Retina. Zeiss Ikon, for example, offered a close-up set that would work with 45mm and 50mm lenses. Perhaps, this will also work with a Retina IIc.

 

[Ralph Javins]

Good morning;

Mike is probably the most knowledgeable person we have on this forum for the Kodak Retina series of cameras. I have used the information on his web site to help me with my Kodak Retina IIIc (please note the lower case "c" here, there is also the Retina IIIC which is slightly different).

Shooting with one of these old folding cameras may get you a few curious looks, and perhaps an inquiry if you are old enough to be using that camera. They do go back to a quieter time and a period when the camera manufacturers expected the camera owner to be more of a participant in the photograph taking process. The Kodak Brownie and the Retina IIIc (or very similar) along with the argus C3 were the earliest camera memories I have of those being aimed at me during my young and formative years.

Finding accessories such as those close-up lenses AND the viewfinder is a real coup. We can find lots of Kodak Retina cameras. The accessories that make the camera really useful and versatile are a real bear to locate.

 

[mablo]

I finally found a Retina IIS which hopefully works (waiting for the mail). This is the first time I buy close range set before the camera

 

[elekm]

Good going. It's a nice camera. Large, bright viewfinder. Sharp Xenar lens with a coupled selenium meter. Easy to use.

 

[mr rusty]

I shoot with a IIIS which is similar (v slightly larger) except it takes interchangeable lenses. The weakest link is the cord that couples the meter - it breaks and is a SOB to replace apparently. However, not everything is lost if the cord breaks, as mine has. It decouples the shutter and aperture rings, which I always found a PITA anyway, and the meter still works, albeit without a scale. However a little sticker marked up using another meter to show sunny 16 and stops under keeps it useable. Its a really good quality camera - The lenses are terrific in my opinion. I often see the IIS going really cheaply and resisting, but GAS is going to get me soon!