Kodak Retina II

The Retina II is a series of four folding 35 mm rangefinder cameras made in Germany by Kodak AG during the periods 1936-1939 and 1946-1950. Unlike some of the Retina III cameras, none of the Retina II models has a lightmeter.

Retina II Type 122

Retina II, type 122, Compur-Rapid, Schneider Xenon 5cm f/2.8. images by eBayer Yalluflex (Image rights)

• Produced from 1936-1937
• Ektar f/3.5 50mm or Schneider Xenon f/2.0 or f/2.8 50mm
• Compur-Rapid shutter 1-500 sec. plus 'B'
• Separate rangefinder and viewfinder
• Top-mounted lever film wind

Retina II Type 142

with Ektar f:3.5 F=5cm image by Dornenwolf (Image rights)

• Produced from 1937-1939
• Kodak Ektar f/3.5 50mm or Schneider Xenon f/2.0 or f/2.8 50mm
• Compur-Rapid shutter 1-500 sec. plus bulb
• Separate rangefinder and viewfinder
• Knob film wind

Retina II Type 011

Retina II with Schneider Xenon lens image by Jack Hufnagel (Image rights)

with Ektar f/2 47mm image by Casual Camera Collector (Image rights)

• Produced from 1946-1949
• Ektar f/2 47mm or Xenon f/2.0 5cm or Rodenstock Heligon f/2 50mm
• Compur-Rapid shutter 1-500 sec. plus 'B'
• Combined rangefinder and viewfinder
• Knob film wind
• Developed from the pre-war Retina IIa Type 150

Retina II Type 014

with Rodenstock Retina-Heligon f:2/50mm image by Gerard Vogels (Image rights)

• Produced from 1949-1950
• Xenon f/2.0 50mm or Heligon f/2 50mm
• Compur-Rapid shutter 1-500 sec. plus bulb
• Combined rangefinder and viewfinder
• Knob film wind
• Standard PC socket for flash synchronization
• Some collectors consider that this model is more reliable than the later lever-wind Retina IIa, which utilized a cocking rack that is prone to breakage.

Bibliography

• Brian Coe, Kodak Cameras — The First Hundred Years, Hove Foto Books, 1988

Links

• Retina II manual at Butkus.org
• Retina II at Collection Appareils by Sylvain Halgand (in French)