Kodak Retina Automatic I

Kodak Retina Automatic I image by David Broglin (Image rights)

Retina Automatic I is a 35mm film viewfinder camera made by Kodak AG and produced between 1960-63.

Kodak's three Retina Automatic models were the first Retinas to have automatic exposure control.

Built on the same common chassis, they differed purely in regard to lens & shutter configuration. They are clear developments of the earlier IIS and have a very similar top molding including the counter release button that gives so many problems to the unitiated! (The camera locks at 36 exposures and this needs to be reset to get things functioning again)

The meters of the Automatic II & III give indication of the correct aperture for manual speed selection if the camera is not set to automatic.

A note for collectors. Most of the Automatics suffer from one fault - the demise of the meter. This renders the automatic setting inoperative, though the camera can still function on the manually set shutter speeds

Retina Automatic models,

• Kodak Retina Automatic I Type 038
• Kodak Retina Automatic II Type 032
• Kodak Retina Automatic III Type 039

Specifications

• Early version/small exposure meter - Serial range: 50079 to 96740
• Late version/larger exposure meter - Serial range: 150724 to 163954
• Lens: Schneider Kreuznach Retina-Reomar 1:2,8/45mm ( 3 element )
• Shutter: Prontormat-S
• Exposure: Shutter Priority Fully Automatic - Sets both Aperture & Speed - No Manual Settings
• No rangefinder - clicked stop settings at 35' 10' & 6.5'
• Viewfinder: Bright Line + parallax correction marks + zone focus indication
• Dimensions Width -125mm Height - 95mm Depth - 62mm

Links

• Kodak Retina automatic I (type 038), Kodak Retina automatic II (type 032), Kodak Retina Automatic III, Kodak Retina Automatic III (type 039) on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand
• Retina Automatic I, Retina Automatic II, Retina Automatic III user manuals at www.collection-appareils.fr