KODAK RETINA IIF

THE CAMERA:

I hadn't really planed on collecting any Kodak's, mainly because I grew up thinking, like most people, that Kodak built cheap, instamatic, plastic cameras. Or the older brownie and box cameras. Not until recently when I started collecting did I realize there were quite a few very high quality Kodak 35mm cameras that were made in Germany from the 1930's through the mid 60's.

I found my camera at an antique store several months ago but resisted mainly because of the $65 price tag, also because I hadn't any knowledge of the Retina line. Most Retinas are "folders" much like my Voigtlander Vito II but there are a few rangefinders too. The Retina naming and numbering system is difficult to figure out to say the least. Mine is a IIF, a rangefinder from 1963-1964. But a IIc is a folder. Also upper case and lower case is used, a IIc is a folder from 1954-1957 and a IIC is a folder from 1957-1958.

Any hoo, I have never seen another IIF offered on eBay (until I got mine home) or any where else for that matter and it is a beauty in near mint condition. The store knocked 10% off and looking at others similar, it was a good buy. The shutter works on all settings as well as the meter. Even the all leather case is very cool, with chrome trim all around the edges, it reminds me of the interior of a 1960 corvette or something.

FIXES:

You gotta love German cameras, no foam light seals! This has no light seals what-so-ever other than the double door and hinge grooves built into the door itself. Film ready after 50 years.

I removed the top plate and cleaned the rangefinder optics and window glass and I figured how to adjust the infinity setting on the rangefinder. No documentation anywhere so I tried what I thought was the correct screw and got lucky.

I polished up the chrome and gave the leatherette a bubble bath of Meguiar's Leather Foam.

Here is a photo from this camera

MANUAL: Kodak Retina IIF owners manual

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