Kodak Retina IIIS
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Retina IIIS interchangeable-lens rangefinder image by paulfromukcamera (Image rights) |
The first nonfolding Retina from Kodak AG, the Retina IIIS, factory type 027, was made from 1958 to 1961. It is an interchangeable-lens rangefinder, with behind-the-lens Synchro-Compur leaf shutter. It has a coupled selenium meter and automatic framelines and parallax control. A wide range of high-quality Schneider and Rodenstock lenses, from 28mm to 200mm, is available for it; uniquely, those lenses may be shared with the contemporary Kodak SLRs Retina Reflex S, Reflex III, Reflex IV, and Instamatic Reflex. The camera and lenses employ a variation of the Deckel (DKL) mount also used by Voigtländer for its Vitessa-T and Bessamatic series.
The Retina IIIS is commonly found fitted with the 50mm f/2.8 Retina-Xenar, the f/1.9 50mm Retina-Xenon, or one of their Rodenstock equivalents, the Retina-Ysarex or Retina-Heligon, as a standard lens. The lenses made specifically for use with the Retina IIIS have a built-in rangefinder cam. The 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, and 135mm lenses also cause the combined rangefinder/viewfinder to automatically select the correct frame lines for each, with parallax correction. Kodak sold an accessory finder to suit the 28mm lens.
Known Lenses [1]
LENS | Focal Length | Formula | Filter Size | Close Focus |
Schneider Retina-Curtagon | 28/4 | 7/6 | A60 push on, 58 mm screw | 3 feet or .9 m |
Rodenstock Retina-Eurygon | 30/2.8 | 7/6 | A60 push on, 58 mm screw | 3 feet or .9 m |
Rodenstock Retina-Eurygon | 35/4 | 6/6 | A32 | 3 feet or .9 m |
Schneider Retina-Curtagon | 35/2.8 | 6/6 | A32 | 3 feet or .9 m |
Rodenstock Retina-Ysarex | 50/2.8 | 4/3 | A32 | Each Retina 50 available in 2 feet or 3 feet close focus versions (.6 m or .9 m) |
Schneider Retina-Xenar | 50/2.8 | 4/3 | A32 | |
Rodenstock Retina-Heligon | 50/1.9 | 6/4 | A60 push on, 58 mm screw | |
Schneider Retina-Xenon | 50/1.9 | 6/4 | A60 push on, 58 mm screw | |
Rodenstock Retina-Rotelar | 85/4 | 5/4 | A32 | 5.9 feet or 1.8 m |
Schneider Retina Tele-Arton | 85/4 | 5/4 | A32 | 5.9 feet or 1.8 m |
Rodenstock Retina-Rotelar | 135/4 | 5/4 | A60 push on, 58 mm screw | 13 feet or 4 m |
Schneider Retina-Tele-Xenar | 135/4 | 5/4 | A60 push on, 58 mm screw | 13 feet or 4 m |
Schneider Retina-Tele-Xenar | 200/4.8 | 7/4 | A74 push on, 72mm screw | 27.8 feet or 8.5 m, has no RF cam, but very usable at infinity, has rotating tripod mount |
Links
In English:
In French:
- Retina IIIs on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand