Retina IIIc just broke.

[BrianShaw]

Aaaargh... I should have known that I might be jinxing myself. I just returned from Freestyle after buying lots of film (HP5+) with the intention of getting serious about a photo project I recently started. I'm documenting the old (1920's -- not very old to some of you) farm houses that are rapidly disappearing from my neighborhood.

Back in the 1920's a chap from the MidWest came to the San Fernando Valley (northern Los Angeles) and established a utopian community. He sold 1 acre lots with a "scientific" plan for how to raise chickens and eventually make lots of money. The plan was ingenious - build a small, simple house and a chicken coop. Grow the crops he recommends. Eat some of the crops and feed the stems (I presume) to the chickens. Gather and sell eggs. Eat some of the chickens. Let some of the eggs live to become additional chickens. When you get too many chickens for the coop, build another. Do this two or three times and then the acre lot will be transformed into a self-sustaining farm that will make money. When enough money has been made, build a bigger house. The community thrived for a few years but the guy went bankrupt in 1929 and went back to the midwest.

The little chicken farms survived but redevelopment started in the late 1960's and now that all of the original inhabitants (and their kin/survivors) are gone, the rest of the lots are being re-developed. Replacing these small homes (some dumpy shacks, others really cute farm houses) are big, new houses on postage-stamp sized lots. It's called "fill-in development" around here.

So my rangefinder project was to photograph these in B&W. I've been doing this as a joint project with my 3-year old son. Most weekends we walk the neighborhood and I take pictures.

But today my beloved Kodak Retina IIIc failed me. It has been extremely reliable for me, but I guess after 50 years something is bound to go wrong. It seems like the mainspring may have broken. The winder pulls film and pushes the shutter cocking mechanism, but it feels "lighter" than before and the shutter won't release.

DRAT!

[Fedzilla_Bob]

There must be a thread here at rff that gives the name for a repair person who handles the Retinas.

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Hi Brian maybe your project will only be delayed-

Look here-
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...ina+iic+repair


Good luck-
Bob H

[Stu W]

I remember something about the cocking piece being a common failure on the retina, but I believe that the part is still readily available. I had a similar problem with a retina and all it took was some lighter fluid to clean the shutter blades.

[BrianShaw]

Thanks for the link Bob... I remember that thread and was going to look it up if the shutter was beyond my abilities to repair. I overhauled it myself about a year ago. I have experience with clock and watch repair, but this was my first sincere attempt at shutter overhaul.

I just had a chance to open it up and give it a look over. The mainspring is intact, but somehow "jumped out" of it's anchor hole. Very odd. There doesn't look like enough space for that to happen. But, whatever... Thank goodnes I have the Compur repair manual -- it makes it much easier to figure out what's going on!

It's now working again, and I'm happy. (But I'll certainly be a bit leery as I run the next roll of film through the camera!) Maybe I should consider sending it out for a professional overhaul, eh?

[BrianShaw]

Originally Posted by Stu W

I remember something about the cocking piece being a common failure on the retina, but I believe that the part is still readily available.

Yes, Stu, the cocking rack is a high failure item on the Retina. That wasn't the problem (this time) since the camera continued to wind film and cock the shutter at the same time. I ought to buy one and keep it in my repair kit because now that you mentioned it I suspect that will decide to break next!

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Well that's good news.

I'm waiting on the arrival of a IIa from FrankS in Canada. I'm looking forward to another Oldie in my stable of rangefinders.

[BrianShaw]

I haven't used a IIa, but I'm sure you'll it. I often wonder why it is treated like the "******* child" of rangefinders. Perhaps the Kodak name "taints" it.? Retina really is quite a decent camera in my opinion.