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T h e R e t i n a R e f l e x G u i d e
These web-pages have been scanned and converted from a photocopy
of the "Focal Press" publication "Retina Reflex Guide", 1970 edition.
There may be reference to "current" and "discontinued" models.
Obviously all Retina cameras are now long discontinued, but For ease of
editing if nothing else, all the original text has been retained.
The original book was divided into two sections, effectively an overview
and a "green pages" section covering specific models in more detail.
I've not bothered with a green background to these pages, but
hopefully I will have included links where appropriate to the relevant
text. Similarly, page-number references; as I've included each sub-
section of the book on one web-page, original page number references
have been linked to the new layout.
Table of Contents
The Retina Reflex
Using an Exposure Meter
The Retina Reflex III
The Retina Reflex
Retina Reflex Lenses
Accessories
Facts, Figures and Tables
The Retina Reflex
The Retina Reflex is an eye-level 35 mm. reflex camera with interchangeable lenses for all general photography
as well as technical work, copying, photomicrography, stereo photography, etc. In many of these fields the
ground-glass screen is a distinct advantage. The camera takes normal 35 mm. perforated film and produces a
negative size 24x36 mm.(1 x 1½ in.).
The viewing system consists of a 45-degree mirror which throws the image formed by the lens on to a ground
glass screen on top of the camera. A pentaprism permits observation of this image -- which appears upright and
the right way round -- at eye-level.
The centre of the focusing screen is taken up by a pair of crossed wedges which are set in the screen and act as
a split image rangefinder.
For the exposure the mirror swings out of the way together with a light-tight capping plate in front of the film
aperture, thus leaving the way free for the lens to form its image on the film. This image exactly corresponds in
sharpness and field to the screen image which is absolutely free from parallax irrespective of the lens used.
In order to permit observation of the image, the shutter is open while the mirror is in the viewing position. On
pressing the release the shutter closes while the mirror and capping plate fold away, and then opens and closes
again to take the picture.
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Table of Contents
Related Manuals for Kodak Retina Reflex
Summary of Contents for Kodak Retina Reflex
- Page 1 Facts, Figures and Tables The Retina Reflex The Retina Reflex is an eye-level 35 mm. reflex camera with interchangeable lenses for all general photography as well as technical work, copying, photomicrography, stereo photography, etc. In many of these fields the ground-glass screen is a distinct advantage.
- Page 2 The Retina Reflex will accept most of the accessories made for the Retina IIS to IIIC cameras. The lenses of the Retina Reflex III, IV and S are interchangeable with the Retina III S lenses; those of the earlier Reflex are interchangeable with Retina IIC to IIIC lens units.
- Page 3 The Retina Reflex IV of 1964 has, in addition to the exposure meter indicator in the reflex finder of the Model III, aperture and shutter speed values shown in a window in the finder, a red warning signal when taking pictures in extreme lighting conditions and a fresnel screen for greater brightness.
- Page 4 Lifting it up to the eye is then a matter of a split second. For convenience and protection the Retina Reflex should always be carried in its ever-ready case. This case is designed to hold the camera ready for use. A camera retaining screw fixed to the case screws into the tripod bush to hold the camera securely in the case even when open.
- Page 5 See also quick shooting with zone focusing (p.41). FOCUSING AND VIEWING The Retina Reflex is a single lens reflex camera with (on the current model) fully interchangeable lenses. The section through the camera (above) shows the main components of the optical system. The heavy arrowed line...
- Page 6 LOADING AND UNLOADING The Retina Reflex uses standard perforated cine film, 35 mm. wide, as used in the majority of other 35 mm. miniature cameras. It is available in various packings (see also p. 18), the most convenient being standard daylight cassettes.
- Page 7 hook of the slot. Turn the take-up spool to take up the film slack. It should lie flat across the film aperture, and the "teeth" of the sprocket wheel engage the lower row of perforations. Not less than two of the upper perforations should overlap the film track.
- Page 8 The rest of the film can now be exposed in the usual way. The Film Release of the Retina Reflex The film release (not on Model IV) helps in rectifying any jamming which may lock the mechanism of the rapid winder.
- Page 9 Should the winding lever stick in an in-between position, work the film release to make it spring back. Double Exposures The double-exposure lock of the Retina Reflex prevents accidental double exposures. To make a deliberate double exposure for special purposes, press the reversing button after the first exposure, and keep it depressed while tensioning the shutter with the rapid winding lever.
- Page 10 4: The film cassette, its outer shell, centre spool and separate top. 5: How to fix the film to the centre spool of the cassette with a piece of adhesive tape. 6: Winding the film with the mechanical film winder to the centre spool. 7.
- Page 11 FILMS AND FILTERS There are two kinds of films available for the Retina Reflex : black-and-white and colour. Black-and-White Film This produces a negative in which the colours and brightness range of the subject are translated into black and white.
- Page 12 FILM SPEED, CONTRAST, GRAIN, RESOLVING POWER. Generally speaking, low speed goes with greatest contrast, finest grain and highest resolving power and vice versa. The film speed in the top row points to the corresponding contrast, grain and resolving power. The contrast row shows (from left to right) how high contrast becomes medium and low as speed shows.
- Page 13 (c) a colour negative for making colour prints and enlargements, as from colour negative film (described below), (d) direct colour enlargements on colour reversal paper. Colour prints on paper invariably show a loss of colour quality as compared with the original positive transparency.
- Page 14 35°. The filter must be rotated to find out its best position on the lens. The Retina Reflex camera is ideal for this observation. The filter is simply held in front of the lens, and then slowly rotated to find the best or desired result on the reflex-focusing screen.
- Page 15 Once your choice of film is settled, the basic condition of exposure is settled with it. You are now left with the problem of scaling the light you find in front of your camera to the amount your film needs. Your job is to judge the light reflected from the subject you are about to photograph.
- Page 16 The Self-timer The Retina Reflex models carry a delayed action release or self-timer. This is usually controlled by the same lever as the flash synchronization (p.42). When you press the release button with the self-timer in operation, the shutter only goes off after a delay of 8-10 seconds and you have time to take your place in your own picture.
- Page 17 Subjects of great contrast with very bright as well as very dark areas call for separate close-up readings. Here you measure the light first of the bright and then of the dark parts independently, noting the apertures obtained in each case, and finally set the aperture scale (with the exposure wheel) to an in-between value.
- Page 18 Aperture and Depth of Field When you focus the Retina Reflex on a given object, the image of that object will be really sharp on the film. Things nearer or farther away will be gradually less and less sharp, until they are noticeably blurred. The range of distances over which objects are still acceptably sharp, before you do notice the loss of definition, is known as the depth of field.
- Page 19 First, the depth obtained depends also on the focal length of the lens. Short focus lenses yield more depth and tele lenses less depth. That is why the alternative lens units of the Retina Reflex have their own depth of field indicator.
- Page 20 Left: The Kodablitz flash gun for the Retina Reflex uses a capacitor unit and a 22.5-volt miniature battery. The gun will fit either into the accessory shoe on the camera, or on to a bracket which is screwed into the tripod bush.
- Page 21 The Retina Reflex shutter is internally synchronized for use with flash bulbs and electronic flash. The cable from the flash gun is plugged into the flash socket of the camera. On releasing the shutter, an electric circuit is automatically closed through the flash socket, setting off the flash at this moment.
- Page 22 Focusing and Viewing Using a wide-angle or telephoto lens focusing is not different from that of the standard lens. The Retina Reflex screen enables the image to be focused accurately by means of the split image rangefinder or on the ground area.
- Page 23 Shooting with the Retina Reflex IV. From left to right: work the winding lever; turn the exposure wheel to centre the meter needle between the two fixed prongs in the finder field; select the most suitable aperture-speed combination;...
- Page 24 THE RETINA REFLEX III THE RETINA REFLEX III is fitted with a 2-in. (50 mm.) Retina Xenar or Retina-Ysarex f2.8 or a 2 in. (50 mm.) Retina-Xenon or Retina-Heligon f1.9. The f2.8 lenses are four-element triplets, the f1.9 lenses have six elements of symmetrical four-component design.
- Page 25 Shooting with the Retina Reflex III. From left to right: Work the rapid winding lever; turn the exposure wheel to centre the meter needle between the two fixed prongs in the finder field; select the most suitable aperture- speed combination;...
- Page 26 THE RETINA REFLEX AND RETINA REFLEX S THE RETINA REFLEX S is fitted with a 2 in. (50 mm.) Retina Xenar or Retina-Ysarex f2.8 or the 2 in. (50 mm.) Retina-Xenon or Retina-Heligon f1.9. The f2.8 lenses are four-element triplets, the f1.9 lenses have six elements of symmetrical four-component design.
- Page 27 Shooting with the Retina Reflex S. From left to right: Advance the film and tension the shutter with the rapid winding lever; turn the exposure wheel to line up the setting marker with the meter needle; select a suitable aperture-speed combination;...
- Page 28 8. Set the film indicator. 9. Set the film speed on the exposure meter. On the Retina Reflex S depress the button in the centre of the meter dial and turn the exposure setting wheel below the lens barrel to bring the required ASA or DIN figure into the appropriate cut-out of the meter dial.
- Page 29 Unloading 1. Depress the reversing button. 2. Rewind the film. On the early Retina Reflex pull up the rewind knob to its first stop for rewinding. 3. Open the camera back. 4. Remove the cassette. 5. Close the camera back or reload with a new film.
- Page 30 THE RETINA REFLEX IV, III AND S LENSES The Retina Reflex IV, III and S lenses are interchangeable, being held in place by quick-change bayonet fitting. The shutter is situated behind the lens, and any lens inserted can be accurately focused by both the split-image rangefinder and the ground glass focusing screen.
- Page 31 There is no parallax error nor are any supplementary viewfinders required. The tele and wide-angle lenses for the Retina Reflex IV, III and S have their own depth of field indicator pointers which show directly the extent of the sharp zone at all settings.
- Page 32 The Wide-Angle Units If the Retina Reflex is equipped with the standard Xenon C lens, only the 1 3/8 in. (35 mm.) Curtar-Xenon f4 or f5.6 can be used as wide-angle unit. If the camera has a standard Heligon C lens, only the 1 3/8 in. (35 mm.) Heligon C f4 or f5.6 can be fitted.
- Page 33 To ascertain the depth of field obtained with either telephoto or wide-angle lens, focus the Retina Reflex with the rangefinder or reflex screen. Read off the distance setting on the distance scale opposite the elongated diamond mark.
- Page 34 11 and 6 in. The R lenses are only available for use with f2.8 lens of the Retina Reflex III and S. They also fit the f2 lens of earlier Retina Reflex models.
- Page 35 The NI supplementary lens allows focusing between 38¼ in. and 17¾ in. and at these distances the field covered is 26 3/8 x 17 1/2 in. and 11¼ x 7½ in. respectively. The N2 lens allows focusing between 20 in and 13 3/8 in.
- Page 36 (left) the stand in use with R lenses and a frame holder taking close-up field frames. Right: The stereo attachment for the original Retina Reflex only. An optical system produces two upright pictures side by side with the correct stereo separation.
- Page 37 The 1:1 Close-up Stand This permits same-size reproductions with the Retina Reflex III and S with f2.8 lens. It is used in conjunction with the R1:2 close-up lens. This stand permits easy reproduction of things like postage stamps, jewellery, small mechanical parts, etc., of little thickness.
- Page 38 RIGHT-ANGLE FINDER. To tackle low angle views, subjects near the ground and copying, a right-angle viewfinder has been designed for the Retina Reflex (not for III). It fits over the viewfinder eyepiece and is held in position by a bayonet lock.
- Page 39 3 ft. 91.4 cm. 40 cm. 15 3/4 in. 4 ft. 1.22 m. 50 cm. 19 3/4 in. 5 ft. 1.52 m. 60 cm. 23 5/8 in. 6 ft. 1.83 m. 80 cm. 31 1/2 in. 7 ft. 2.13 m. 100 cm.
- Page 40 22 ft. 10 ft. - inf *50 ft. 25 ft. - inf *The original Retina reflex has a black circle near these distances to indicate useful focusing zones. APERTURES WITH CLEAR FLASH BULBS (80-100 ASA FILMS (For 100 ASA Film) Mazda, G.E.,...
- Page 41 CLOSE-UP FOCUSING FOR RETINA REFLEX SUPPLEMENTARY LENSES (INCHES) Camera RETINA REFLEX LENS NI RETINA REFLEX LENS NII RETINA REFLEX LENSES NI + NII Lens Supplementary Supplementary Supplementary Focusing Approximate Approximate Approximate Lens to Lens to Lens to Scale Field size...
- Page 42 Isopan IFF 13 Pan F Isopan IF 17 F.P.3 Isopan ISS 21 H.P.3 Isopan Record 1250 H.P.S Agfa Wolfen (ORWO)-- Kodak--- Isopan IFF 10 Panatomic X Isochrome IF 17 Plus X Isopan IF 17 Tri-X Isopan ISS 21 Microfile Pan Isopan Ultra...
- Page 43 Such republication includes inclusion of this work in other Web sites, Web pages, FTP archives, books, magazines or other periodicals, CD-ROM and DVD-ROM compilations or any other form of publication or distribution. kodak.3106.net copyright © mischa koning 2006 30. April 2006 - 20:21...