Anyone know anything about the Kodak Retina?

Whoa... the boards have changed a lot since my last post!

Anyway, I was searching for a scarf in the closet about a week or so ago since it was freezing and I have to take public trasit to my university. Didn't find a scarf, but buried in the closet I found this very old looking camera. It's a folding Kodak retina, and guessing by pictures I found online, I think it's a Retina I type 149. I'm guessing that it was likely my great aunts (we inherited our house from her along with much of what was in it).

It's in really good condition, although there is a screw missing that holds the top part of the door-- it doesn't seem to effect function much although it makes the shutter release button stick sometimes (not the shutter itself, just the body release button). The aperture works and the shutter fires smoothly. It's very odd seeing a shutter mechanism in the lense rather than the camera!

I'm just really curious now about this camera. I may put a roll in and see what I can get from it.

I don't think you can get film to fit it. If I remember right, those cameras use 126 film, or something like that. Anyway, no one currently makes roll film to fit them. They are neat cameras, though. The reason I know about the film problem is that I once had the same idea you do.

John

Kodak made a series of Retina's and Retinettes starting in the early 1930's. Type 149 was manufactured for only one year (1939) and only about 10,000 were made.. Schneider Xenar f3.5 50mm lens? This should take 35mm film. Give it a try.

-Dave-

http://www.frugalphotographer.com/cat04.htm

I bought it once for a friend's camera.

Danielle