Kodak Retina Nr 126 (1936-1937)

Made by Kodak AG - Dr Nagel Werk in Stuttgart-Wangen, Germany, this camera is an improved model of the original scale-focusing Kodak Retina. In November 1937, when the range finder focusing Retina II came out, this model became known as the Retina I. The Kodak Anastigmat EKTAR lens was made by Jos. Schneider & Co. Optische Werke, Bad Kreuznach, Germany. The Compur-Rapid shutter was made by F. Deckel, Munich, Germany. The cameras Kodak sold in the USA have an accessory clip for the Kodak Pocket Range Finder. The list price in 1937 was $57.50, equivalent in buying power to about $1,000 depreciated 2020 dollars.

Open

Front

Rear

Top

Bottom

Interior

This Retina came with an uncoated, f/3.5-f/16, 50 mm Kodak Anastigmat EKTAR, which is a tessar type lens with four elements in three groups. "Ektar" was Kodak's trademark for their best corrected lenses, and did not necessarily designate a particular lens design. The distance scale is in feet, and the closest focusing distance is 3-1/2 feet.

The shutter has speeds of 1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/250 and 1/500 seconds, plus bulb and time settings, and is not synchronized for flash. The shutter release and the film advance are not interlocked, making it possible to unintentionally double expose or skip a picture.

The camera takes 35mm film in the daylight loading cassettes ("magazines" in Kodakese) that are still made today. The top of the camera has an accessory shoe for a Kodak Pocket Range Finder. You read the distance to the subject from the range finder, and then transfer the distance to the lens. Otherwise you can estimate the distance by eye and rely on depth of field for sharp focus.