A Season of Photos on Retina Reflex
- jackdeso96
- Jan 19, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 26, 2022
For Christmas 2020, my grandpa passed down his set of Kodak Retina Reflex cameras and lenses to me. At first I found them too frustrating to use, but grew to appreciate them over time. When life got busy, my grandpa's Retina Reflex S proved to be the perfect every-day-carry. Their quirks and drawbacks forced me to slow down and focus on what I was shooting, which resulted in some fantastic pictures.
AN ABRIDGED HISTORY OF THE KODAK RETINA SERIES
In 1934, Kodak released the Retina (Type 117): a fixed-lens, viewfinder-style* folding camera. Designed by Dr. August Nagel, the compact camera was built to use his enormous contribution to photography, the preloaded 35mm film cassette. Before this pair, photographers would load their own rolls in a darkroom. Competing camera companies quickly adopted Dr. Nagel's cassette, which has remained the standard for the 35mm format since.
Over the next two decades, the Retina line evolved with the times, adding features like coupled-focus rangefinders, built-in exposure meters, and an interchangeable lens system for select models. The final folding rangefinder of the line—the Retina IIIC (Type 028)—was produced between 1957 and 1960.
By the late-1950s, the single-lens reflex style posed to gain a foothold on the market. Rather than build a new camera from scratch, Kodak engineers essentially took the innards of their rangefinders and stuffed them inside an SLR body. This was released as the Retina Reflex I (Type 025) in 1957. Succeeding Reflex models II-IV and the S were released through 1967.
While most of Kodak's cameras were made for the masses, the Retinas were luxurious samples of fine German engineering. Though largely forgotten by today's film photographers, the Retina enthusiasts out there swear by these cameras. Sometimes they'll debate if they could match—or best— the quality of the ever popular Leica cameras.
INITIAL ISSUES
I was gifted a Retina Reflex III and Retina Reflex S. Most film cameras are intuitive enough to pick up and start shooting, but I had no success getting either to work Christmas morning. A copy of a manual was essential during test runs. While I enjoy these cameras now, three main quirks put me off from using them:
A Retina Reflex will not operate until the frame counter is manually set using a clutch and slider (also, unlike most cameras, the frame counter counts down from 36)
Retinas do not have an instant-return mirror, meaning nothing is seen in the viewfinder until the shutter is cocked, which also drops the mirror down
The film advance lever is on the underside of these cameras, while the shutter release is on the top or front
At first the RRIII functioned, though it had the occasional problem with the shutter mechanism. A few rolls in and the advance lever stopped pulling film through the camera. The RRS didn't work at all. Being as vintage and mechanically complex as they are, I figured it would take a specialist to get them up and running. Fortunately, former Kodak technician and Retina enthusiast, Chris Sherlock, offers repair services via his website, Retina Rescue. In summer 2021, I mailed Chris the cameras from New York to New Zealand and in six or so weeks he returned them fully restored.
GAINING APPRECIATION
With the cameras in working order, I was ready to give them a second chance. First off, these cameras just look and feel good. They are almost entirely metal and built like tanks. They are much heavier than you'd think, given their size. Retina Reflexes have leaf shutters. Though not significantly quieter than my focal plane shutter SLRs, they make a satisfying click when taking a photo.
I don't quite trust these cameras' 60-year-old light meters, so I more or less eyeball my exposures. A small feature that helps me adjust quickly is that the aperture and shutter speed dials are linked. Per the instructions, you set shutter speed first and adjust aperature as needed. If you try to go past the aperature's largest or smallest setting, the shutter dial will automatically speed or slow. It's minor, but I really like it.
I love the set of Schneider-Kreuznach lenses Grandpa passed down. They are some of the sharpest lenses I own and create a pleasing, vintage-style image. My favorite setup has to be the Retina Reflex S and the Schneider-Kreuznach Retina-Xenar 50mm f/2.8. The pancake lens on the slim camera fits unobtrusively under a jacket. The camera has qualities that makes it excellent for street work, but its drawbacks often led me to slower, more considerate photography. When I found myself in between a move across boroughs and a new position at work, the system forced me to take scenes in and really focus on the pictures I was making.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It should go without saying the Retina Reflex line is not for everyone. Friends I've shown them to have been perplexed by the design choices and admit they could never shoot them themselves. My interest in them started out of sentimentality, but I've grown to really appreciate Retina Reflex. It took a tune up, time, and learning their history, but I'm happy to have these in my collection.
Thank you, Grandpa for passing these on and to Chris for giving these machines another life.
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Black and white photos featured were hand-processed using PMK Pyro. Color film photo(s) were developed by a local lab.
*Viewfinder-style camera: viewfinder is a simple glass window - no coupled focus
Chris Sherlock - Retina Reflex Repair and Info:
Kodak Retina:
Kodak Retina Reflex:
Kodak Retina Reflex III:
Retina Reflex S instruction manual:
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