Kodak Retinette 1a Serial Numbers

0 views

Skip to first unread message

Valorie Carlee

unread,

Aug 4, 2024, 9:05:21 PM8/4/24

to fiecedisge

Ive just made the move from digital to manual and got a Retinette IB last week with a number of filters and original case. The camera is in working order but I've just had the first film developed and something seems to have gone wrong.

I've got about 6 photos from a 24 roll, none of which are in focus and most are over exposed. The rest are over exposed to the point that there is no image whatsoever. None of the photos I took outside have worked.

Could anyone give me some pointers on the uses of the 3 dials of the pronto lk lens? Where do I put batterys for the light meter? Any tips whatsoever would be greatly appreciated! Please let me know what I am doing wrong! Thankyou :)

2:49PM, 12 April 2010 PDT(permalink)

Kelki, you have purchased a great little but old camera. Unfortunately, that means that you have to consider many more things than you might have been doing with your previous cameras.

First, I should ask, what speed film did you use? If you put in a 400ASA film then it might be a bit fast for outdoor shooting in bright sunlight. With a fastest shutter speed of 1/500s on this camera, 200ASA film might be best for shooting outdoors. Even then, in bright sunlight, you might need to begin by setting your shutter speed at 1/500s or 1/250s.

Next, the light meter on this camera is a selenium type, so it doesn't need a battery (if it is still working). After you set your shutter speed, all you have to do is adjust the aperture (by moving the black knob on the L/H side of the lens) and, while looking through the view finder, align the pointer so that it falls between the two lines in the bottom of the view finder. If that can't be done then adjust the shutter speed up or down until you can get the pointer in the center. Also, before you start, don't forget to adjust the camera setting for the speed of the film that you put in. You do this by pressing in the metal button on the lens assy (located next to the "500" speed setting number) and turning the outer ring so that the red dot lines up with the appropriate red number on the R/H side of the lens (800, 400, 200, etc),

Focusing on this camera is the most difficult problem (in my opinion). There is no rangefinder so you have to guess the distance and then adjust the focal length by turning the dial on the front of the lens. Focussing will not be so critical if you choose a slower shutter speed and a smaller aperture because you will achieve a greater depth of field.

Good luck. This is a great little camera and you will enjoy it once you get used to it.

Originally posted ages ago. (permalink)

grbrakeman edited this topic ages ago.

A couple of things: how are you setting the exposure? Set the shutter speed and then use the aperture to center the meter needle? Set the aperture and adjust the shutter speed? What shutter speed and aperture did you use?

So is the meter working? Does it change with different light? In sunlight, it should be recommending about f/16 and 1/ISO for shutter speed.

If you are setting the exposure according to the meter and the meter is in the ballpark, then you need to check to see if the aperture or shutter are sticking. Try different combinations with the back open while looking through the lens at a light. The aperture should open/close with the dial and the shutter speed should vary as well.

ages ago(permalink)

Thanks, I actually experimented with it last night in front of a lamp in doors to work it all out. The light meter seems to be working perfectly although we shall see once I get this film developed.

Turns out I had the film speed set to 800 for a 200 film so that might explain something. I also had the aperture set as far left as the knob would turn for all the photos so maybe thats why everything was so over exposed?

I'm keeping some notes with regard to what I have everything set on for each picture so I can work out what settings are going to work best for this camera! Hopefully I will have some 'ok' photos to put up soon (fingers crossed). Thanks for all the tips, you have been very helpful!

ages ago(permalink)

Good news Kelki.

I have quite a strong attachment to this camera as it was the one that my Dad used when I was growing up. He then allowed me to try it out in my teens and even allowed me to take it on a 2 month vacation to the USA (from the UK) when I was a student (age 21). Needless to say, it has pride of place in my small collection of old film cameras. It also still works very well when I think of trying it out. My first "good" camera was a Canonet QL17 and I bought it in 1977 after deciding that it was a kind of "modern" equivalent of my Dad's Retinette 1B. I have now switched mostly to digital, but I miss the feeling that film and the older lenses provide.

ages ago(permalink)

If you've not seen it, the manual for this camera is online here:

www.butkus.org/chinon/kodak/kodak_retinette_1b/kodak_reti...

On pages 6, 10 & 11, Kodak recommends you select your shutter speed and then use the aperture knob to center the viewfinder needle. You might also want to read this page for how to set exposure outdoors w/o a meter:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunny_16_rule

When testing a new camera, it's helpful to see if the exposure meter recommends something similar to the table on that page for outdoor exposures. If the meter says different, try both the meter recommendation and the rule setting to see what works better. If your meter is consistently off, then you can compensate by "faking" the ISO to get the meter reading to match the rule.

ages ago(permalink)

Thanks for that, I was really struggling to find a manual. I am going to try out everything you have both suggested.

Is the shutter speed automatically selected when i turn the dial for the correct film speed? When the ASA is set to 200 the black numbers automatically align to 250 so I am guessing this is the shutter speed so should be sufficient in outdoor shots? I'm not having any problems using the aperture knob to centre the needle currently, but i'll try the last shots using the table on wikipedia to make my adjustments and see which works best.

Hopefully this roll will be better than the last. Tomorrows job will be to read the manual before finishing the roll!

ages ago(permalink)

Kelki: No, there is nothing automatic here, even though the exposure meter is kind of "coupled". Once you have set the ASA then the button next to the "500" suttter speed number pops back up and locks the shutter speed ring. Now, when you rotate the ring then you are setting the shutter speed. Just align the speed number that you want/need (500, 250, 125, 60, 30, 15 and B) with the small black line on the top/center of the lens assy.

ages ago(permalink)

Fantastic. I have read through both links and all of your tips and it has been very helpful.

By chance, it seems that most of my shots should have worked. This was just down to the coincidence that I had left the speed set at 250 and have been in sunny condition shooting mostly on f16! I hadn't been using my lens hood although I will do in the future..

I'm going to have write everything down and keep it with the camera as my memory is atrocious and I won't be able to remember which aperture correspond to each shutter speed in each weather condition!

It was interesting to read about the Close up Parallex, although my common sense had hinted this might be the case so I had already tried to allow for this although perhaps not correctly!

Is it possible to take indoor shots without a flash or would you suggest I get one? I'm also going to start hunting for an 'optical close-up rangefinder', do you think it would be worth investing in these accessories?

ages ago(permalink)

Is it worth investing in accessories?...... Well, I think it really depends on your interests.

This is a great little camera and really nice to look at but it does have some technical limitations. The lens produces some very acceptable results but it is not amongst the best and the max aperture is limited. As I have said previously, I am very attached to this camera for sentimental reasons. However, if I want good results from film then I usually take out one of my other cameras.

Rather than invest in accessories for your Retinette, why not take a look at some up-market alternatives. The Konica Auto S2 and Canonet QL17 were from the next generation. They both have a built in rangefinder and a fully coupled exposure meter. They also have a much faster lens (f1.7) and you may not need a flash for some indoor shots. The Konica lens, in particular, is amazing for it's colour and sharpness, even better than the Canon (in my opinion). Alternatively, if small size is your priority, then the Olymus 35RC is another good alternative, but the lens is not as fast as the Konica and Canon, so a flash would be needed for most indoor work.

All of these options are now readily available for very good prices on eBay, etc. In fact, you may be able to pick one up for less than the accessories you are considering.