Retina IIa (016) pics

Starburst · 04-28-2009

After a lot of research I fished a Retina IIa out of the (e)bay. I paid 50 € and was delighted to discover that it works just fine, it is in great condition as well.
I have to say, I really started to love the camera, it is just beautiful and loads of fun to use.
The first picture shows the camera, the other four pictures were taken with the Retina.

My SLR is starting to feel lonely and abandoned.

jbrubaker · 04-28-2009

Hi - I like your photos - the Retinas are very capable cameras, and I'm glad you're enjoying yours! I have a model IIIc that I've never even put film into, but now you've inspired me to give it a try. Thanks for posting ---john.

ludoo · 04-28-2009

Wonderful camera and nice shots, I especially like the second one. I've been idly looking for one too for some time, but there's always something else to buy first. After seeing yours the Retina is back on top of my "to get" list again.

leica M2 fan · 04-28-2009

1,2 and 4 are super in my book! I have the lla and the llc and love them both. The lla will be wonderful in pretty low light situations. I think I prefer the rendition of the Schneider lens in the llc but it is 2.8.

Starburst · 04-28-2009

Thanks a lot for the comments.

The lens is indeed quite fast. With a 400 ISO film I can still do a lot even in low light conditions. It is thus a very versatile camera. And it teaches you to be very exact with focusing, simply because you have to at f2.

For me, this camera though is the perfect street shooter. It is very small and fits into every pocket. The shutter is incredibly silent, just a whisper so usually people don't even notice you are taking their picture. And if they do, the old design usually charms people.

Brian Sweeney · 04-28-2009

Your model is the less common IIa with the Heligon lens. It and the Xenon are equivalent lenses, both fantastic.

I have a very late model IIC which is unusual in that it has an unmarked F2 setting. Other IIC's that I've seen will not open up past F2.8. The F2.8 front module comes off, and the F2 module from my IIIc works well in its place.

Starburst · 04-29-2009

I think I read somewhere that basically two versions of the IIa were produced. One with the Xenon lens which was shipped to America and the other one with the Heligon lens which was sold in Europe/Germany. Since I am currently living in Germany and also bought the camera here, this would explain why I got the version with the Heligon lens.

sanmich · 04-29-2009

would someone know a good place for retina CLAin the US?

malkmata · 04-29-2009

Beautiful Retina you got there! Great shots too.

My Retina IIA replaced my Leica IIf as my carry around/everywhere camera
because the folding design makes it pocketable. It is also has a reasonably
fast Xenon f2 lens that I find sharp enough to compete with my other LTM lenses.
It is also has a complete slower shutter speed that the Leica IIF doesn't have.
To make my IIF compact I have to use a Fed50 ( Elmar copy) lens with it, but
the lens is much slower at f3.5

dazedgonebye · 04-29-2009

That's a mighty pretty camera for the money. I think you did very well.
My IIa is in line for the next roll of 35mm film I run.

Brian Sweeney · 04-29-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanmich

would someone know a good place for retina CLAin the US?

Which model do you have, and what is wrong with it. The Retina "GURU" in the US passed away several years ago. George Mrus. Depending on the model, you might be best to ship it to New Zealand for repair. If the finder is hazy, it is easy to pop the top and clean it. Same with flood cleaning the shutter, remove the optics and flood clean it. Retina SLR's are beyond most most technicians. Off to New Zealand for them.

sanmich · 04-29-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Sweeney

Which model do you have, and what is wrong with it. The Retina "GURU" in the US passed away several years ago. George Mrus. Depending on the model, you might be best to ship it to New Zealand for repair. If the finder is hazy, it is easy to pop the top and clean it. Same with flood cleaning the shutter, remove the optics and flood clean it. Retina SLR's are beyond most most technicians. Off to New Zealand for them.

I have a II, with a Xenon.
I think all is needed is a VF cleaning and a lens relube.
I didn't find any dismantle instructions online and there are quite a few screws there to try to open all of them and see what happens...

Gumby · 04-29-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanmich

I think all is needed is a VF cleaning and a lens relube.

It probably needs more than that.

I've read (on some forum) that someone had good experience after sending a Retina to Essex Camera repair.

Whatever you do, don't squirt lighter fluid and hope... things will likely get worse before they get better. And you're right, there are lots of little screws and springs in the shutter. Doing it yourself is possible but the SychroCompur is complex and finicky if not CLEANED and lubricated properly.

sanmich · 04-29-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby

It probably needs more than that.

I've read (on some forum) that someone had good experience after sending a Retina to Essex Camera repair.

Whatever you do, don't squirt lighter fluid and hope... things will likely get worse before they get better. And you're right, there are lots of little screws and springs in the shutter. Doing it yourself is possible but the SychroCompur is complex and finicky if not CLEANED and lubricated properly.

Ed, no offense, but really, I think there are good chances that it's all what is needed.
The shutter sounds good to me.
I was actually referring to the screws on the body, to reach the finder guts.
The finder looks like the annual fair for dust and dirt, and the focus feels like there are preset focus settings, but the rest seems decent, at least fo ra camera which is not, and won't be my "mainstream" camera.

Gumby · 04-29-2009

OK. No offense taken. Generally the shutter needs an overhaul too. I was more reacting to the "lube" without the mention of "clean".

If you decide to clean the rangefinder yourself, consider clean/lube of the cocking rack while you have the top off. Also watch out for the part of the rangefinder with the framelines... it is easily rubbed off.

Gumby · 04-29-2009

To get the top off you need to (first) remove the rewind knob. Use a screwdriver shank (or the like) and put between the two lugs of the film winding fork... then turn the rewind knob backward. Then remove the screw and the top should come right off. You'll likely want (need) to do a bit of disassembly of the rangefinder mechanism to get out the dirty glass. Be careful -- those are fragile pieces to work with and you take a chance on causing the rangefinder to become misadjusted. But that isn't too difficult to correct... it's just frustrating and time consuming. Good luck!

sanmich · 04-29-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby

To get the top off you need to (first) remove the rewind knob. Use a screwdriver shank (or the like) and put between the two lugs of the film winding fork... then turn the rewind knob backward. Then remove the screw and the top should come right off. You'll likely want (need) to do a bit of disassembly of the rangefinder mechanism to get out the dirty glass. Be careful -- those are fragile pieces to work with and you take a chance on causing the rangefinder to become misadjusted. But that isn't too difficult to correct... it's just frustrating and time consuming. Good luck!

Thanks!
Would you know how to reach the helicoid?

ZeissFan · 04-29-2009

Be very careful when disassembling and reassembling the frame counter. There is a small leaf spring assembly in there, and if you break it, the frame counter won't work.

And you must remove this part in order to remove the top deck.

Gumby · 04-29-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanmich

Thanks!
Would you know how to reach the helicoid?

It is "easily" accessed by removing the shutter/lens unit.

kitaanat · 05-03-2009

Your camera is in a nice condition.
I also love the Retina cameras because of their small size and they give a very high quality pictures.

dcampbell · 05-07-2009

I love your photos!! They are incredible and so is your camera. I think that the Retinas are so beautiful! Collecting could be come addictive but I have so many cameras already, another rangefinder one the way and a digital Rebel due to arrive tomorrow.

Starburst · 05-08-2009

Thank you very much dcampbell, you made my day

Here is another thread in the rff forum were I posted pics, all taken with the Retina.

dcampbell · 05-09-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starburst

Thank you very much dcampbell, you made my day

Here is another thread in the rff forum were I posted pics, all taken with the Retina.

Thank YOU! I looked at the photos in the other thread and am very impressed. BTW, in my comment on that thread, I did not mean to imply that the camera did all of the great work. (When I said that it's great to see what the Retinas can do)

I am even more motivated to start my second roll of film.