Retina I

1934

First version (Type 117)

Kodak A.G.

Stuttgart

Germany

Image of Retina I First version (Type 117)

Lens:

f3.5, 5 cm Schneider Xenar, iris diaphragm to f16. Serial no. 705762 (1934).

Shutter:

Rim-set Compur, speeds 1 - 1/300, B, T. Serial no. 2934102.

Construction:

Leather covered metal body, leather bellows.

Format:

36, 24 x 36 mm exposures on 35 mm film held in standard cassettes.

Focusing:

Helical to 3 feet.

Attributes:

Direct-vision (lens/lens) view-finder.
Film advance by rotation of take-up spindle, single sprocket wheel to measure film and provide auto-stop on film advance. Not coupled to shutter. Automatic frame counter after initially setting to 1. Depth-of-field scale on base of camera.

Serial Number:

458730 .

This is the first version of the Retina I, later models had the film advance release wheel replaced by a lever on the back of the camera. On the third version the frame counter was next to the film advance wheel.

The Retina I was quite inexpensive at £10.10.0 (about 2/3 that of a Leica Standard). Some models were fitted with a Tessar lens. The Retina developed into an extremely popular range of 35 mm cameras.

With the camera, Kodak introduced its 35 mm film cassette, which was also compatible with Leica and Contax cameras.

References & Notes:

BJA 1935, pp. 24, 285. BJA 1936, p. 20.

Further Information:

Coe, Kodak Cameras, p.204.

Company Details:

Kodak

Early Photography