Added a new camera to my collection :)

[AaronLLockhart]

1959 Kodak Retinette IA

Although she's very clean and pretty, she certainly didn't start out this way. This camera is truly a survivor. This camera belonged to the grandfather of my girlfriend. Last year, our hometown area suffered from an F4 tornado and it wiped out his house completely. This camera was among a few other things in a box that survived the tornado. The viewfinder glass was knocked in, and it looked like it had been thrown into a mud pit, inside and out. The focus was locked, the shutter and aperture would not work. After completely disassembling this unit, cleaning it thoroughly and putting it back together, she seems to work perfectly now.

I'm actually very proud of myself, because this was the very first camera that I have ever disassembled and reassembled. I'm glad I could get it working. Can't wait to send some film through it, and I'll be sure to post the scans when finished

 

[dxqcanada]

Great restoration job.

Now, this will not be the last ... since you know what to do ... hmm smell some G.A.S.

 

[MLeeK]

Ohhh! It's a pretty one too!

 

[SamSpade1941]

Amazing job. Kudos !

 

[DScience]

So amazing, great job! I have been curious about this, as I am unfamiliar with vintage cameras. What powers these old things???

 

[AaronLLockhart]

What powers these old things???

a ton of little gears, springs and levers.

I definitely have a new found respect for camera manufacturers. I had no idea there were so many moving parts until i started on this.

 

[The Barbarian]

Powers them? Unless they happen to have a CdS meter, (which is powered by the light it measures), they are powered by levers, gears, and springs.

A few years ago, I took a Contax IIa on a flight and asked to have it inspected instead of X-rayed. The officer looked it over a bit, and asked how to turn it on. He was skeptical when I told him there was nothing to turn on.

 

[DScience]

So there are no batteries??!?!

 

[AaronLLockhart]

So there are no batteries??!?!

None what so ever. Everything is mechanical

 

[PhotoWrangler]

After completely disassembling this unit, cleaning it thoroughly and putting it back together, she seems to work perfectly now.
....Can't wait to send some film through it, and I'll be sure to post the scans when finished

I was just about to say.... "seems to work" and actually "working" are two completely different things, and you wont know until you run film through it. You could have more light leaks than a slice of swiss cheese.

 

[PhotoWrangler]

So there are no batteries??!?!

Can you believe it! There's no LCD panel either...

 

[AaronLLockhart]

I was just about to say.... "seems to work" and actually "working" are two completely different things, and you wont know until you run film through it. You could have more light leaks than a slice of swiss cheese.

Already done! She works perfectly

Now im afraid I will start pawning myself into other peoples junk cameras to fix. Hahaha

 

[gsgary]

Powers them? Unless they happen to have a CdS meter, (which is powered by the light it measures), they are powered by levers, gears, and springs.

A few years ago, I took a Contax IIa on a flight and asked to have it inspected instead of X-rayed. The officer looked it over a bit, and asked how to turn it on. He was skeptical when I told him there was nothing to turn on.

I would love a Contax II, i think it is what Capa used on D-Day, just check on ebayi'm so tempted *EX+* Zeiss Ikon Contax IIa Rangefinder + Sonnar 50mm f/1.5 red T 50/F1.5 | eBay

 

[Ysarex]

Congrats on the restoration job. Kodak's Retina line of cameras holds a special place in the history of photography. Kodak introduced the 35mm film cassette to the world with the first model Retinas. Every time any photographer picks up a roll of 35mm film to put in any camera there's a little bit of Retina there in the background. I still shoot a Retina lens on my Canon dSLR via an adapter.

Joe

 

[timor]

Looking forward to a slew of pictures !