Chris's camera pages

Kodak Retina IIS (type 024)

Kodak Retina IIS 35mm rangefinder camera

Manufactured in 1959 and 1960, this uncommon model was the little brother to the Retina IIIS.

The camera looks very much like the Retina IIIS, and shares the same coupled exposure meter, but is slightly smaller as it is built on the same basic chassis as the Retinettes, and the Retina IIS lacks the interchangable lens facility.

The camera was fitted with a Retina-Xenar 45mm f/2.8 lens in a Synchro-Compur shutter

This is a nice Retina to use, the viewfinder is bright and clear, and the camera handles well, but they are hard to find, and possibly even more difficult to repair than the Retina IIIS, though that might be just because I don't get as much practice.

As with the Retina IIIS, a problem you sometimes see with this model is that the string connecting the shutter controls with the meter movement on the top of the camera body breaks, and this will then often tangle and jam the mechanism. The whole front has to come off the body for access for this, or to do a CLA on the shutter for that matter, not a job for the faint-hearted certainly, but a little easier than working on the Reflex models.

Get your Retina repaired

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