Kodak Retina

Series of 35mm cameras

Retina was the brand name of a long running series of German built Kodak 35mm cameras, produced from 1934 until 1969. Kodak Retina cameras were manufactured in Stuttgart Wangen by the Kodak AG Dr. Nagel Werk which Kodak had acquired in December 1931. The Retina line included a variety of folding and non folding models, including the Retina Reflex single lens reflex camera. Retina cameras were noted for their compact size, high quality, and low cost compared to competitors. These cameras retain a strong following today, of both photographers and collectors. Kodak AG also offered a companion line of less expensive Retinette cameras, with similar looks and function.

August Nagel was a prolific camera designer and entrepreneur who was one of the founders of Zeiss Ikon, when he merged his company, Contessa Nettel AG, with Zeiss and others to form that group in 1919. As well as being an owner he was an active designer of fine Zeiss cameras including miniatures. He left Zeiss in 1928 to form his own firm Nagel Camera Werks AG, and produced the Nagel line of cameras, including glass plate, sheet film, and roll film cameras. Some of his notable designs are the: Vollenda, Duo 620, Pupille, Ranca, and Recomar cameras. After selling Dr. August Nagel – Fabrik fuer Feinmechanik Werk in Stuttgart Wangen to Kodak AG in December 1931, the new firm was designated "Kodak AG – Dr. Nagel Werk". Nagel continued to innovate including developing the Retina folding cameras around the new Kodak 135 preloaded 35mm film cartridge. Prior to this, most 35mm film was loaded by the user into proprietary cartridges in a darkroom or light tight bag.

In the early 1930s August Nagel was developing a 35mm camera and a preloaded disposable 35mm film cartridge, which would also fit in Leica and Contax cameras. Nagel was an expert in miniature cameras; his Vollenda miniature folder, along with the Ranca and Pupille collapsible cameras were smaller than the Leica and Contax cameras, but could use 50mm f:3.5 Elmar and other similar Tessar formula lenses in Compur shutters to create a larger 30mm x 40mm image on 127 rollfilm. The advantage of 35mm would be the elimination of the paper backer allowing more images per roll of film. All of the Kodak Retina cameras from the mid 1930s to the late 1950s were folding cameras with a short self erecting bellows, lens board, and folding metal door/cover. These folding Kodak Retina cameras are listed below with their respective years of manufacture. While the previous photohistorical literature gave both a pre war 3 digit "Type" code for each Retina and Retinette model and a post war 3 digit "Type" code for each Retina or Retinette model, recent research indicates that the term "Type" can only be found for the post war Retina and Retinette cameras in the contemporary Kodak AG documents. In the pre war times, a number ( nummer, Nr.) code was used for all Kodak AG cameras, not just the Retina and Retinette models. So, in the interest of historical accuracy, pre war Retina and Retinette cameras have a "Nr." code and post war Retina and Retinette cameras have a "Type" code. +Folding Kodak Retina cameras by model Class 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Retina I(viewfinder only) RetinaNr. 117 Retina (I)Nr. 119 Retina INr. 148 & 149   Retina IType 010 (early)   Retina IType 013 Retina IaType 015   Retina IBType 019 Ausf. I     RetinaNr. 118 Retina INr. 141   Retina INr. 167   Retina IType 010   Retina IbType 018 Retina IBType 019 Aust. II   Retina (I)Nr. 126 Retina INr. 143   Retina II(rangefinder)   Retina IINr. 122   Retina IIaNr. 150   Retina IIType 011   Retina IIaType 016   Retina IICType 029     Retina IINr. 142   Retina IIType 014   Retina IIcType 020   Retina III(rangefinder & exposure meter)   Retina IIIcType 021 Ausf. I     Retina IIIcType 021 Ausf. II     Retina IIICType 028

The first Retina, Nr. 117, was introduced in late July 1934. The successive model: Nr 118 Retina followed in 1935 with minor modifications to the Nr. 117. The Nr. 119 Retina (I) and the more expensive Nr. 126 Retina (I) follow in 1936. Nr. 117, Nr. 118 and Nr. 119 Retina cameras all had black lacquered top housings, black lacquered body edges and nickel plated control surfaces. Nr. 126 Retina (I) was the first with a chrome plated finish to the top housing, chrome plated top deck below the rewind knob and chrome plated control surfaces with the body edges being polished aluminum alloy with a clear lacquer coat. Nr. 122 Retina II was introduced in 1936 with a separate coupled rangefinder and viewfinder and at this point, Nr. 119 and Nr. 126 Retina cameras were designated as "Retina I" cameras. The Nr. 122 Retina II had a problematic film advance lever and was replaced in June 1937 by the Nr. 142 Retina II with a return to the knob advance. Nr. 141 Retina I is a chrome finished model with a shutter release on the top body which was introduced in late 1937. Nr. 143 Retina I was the black lacquer/nickel plated version of the Nr. 141 Retina I introduced in early 1938. The identification of Retina I cameras is based on the finish and configuration of the top housings of each camera and should NOT be based on lens/shutter or serial number, as lenses, shutters and back doors can be easily interchanged by repairman. In 1939 a Nr. 150 Retina IIa was introduced to replace the Nr. 142 Retina II, but it was unrelated to the flash capable Type 016 Retina IIa series of the early 1950s. Also in 1939, the Nr. 148 Retina I and the Nr. 149 Retina I with double exposure prevention are introduced. Late versions of the Type 148 Retina I have a black lacquer finish to the body edges. The last pre war Retina I is the Nr. 167 Retina I which was manufactured in July 1941 and was for export only.

In January 1951 the Type 015 Retina Ia and Type 016 Retina IIa Type 016 are introduced with COMPUR RAPID flash synch. shutters. Synchro Compur shutters with MX flash synch shutters are introduced on the Type 016 Retina IIa in early spring of 1951 and on the Type 015 Retina Ia in June 1951. Production of these two camera continues until spring of 1954. The Type 018 Retina Ib, Type 020 Retina IIc and Type 021 Ausf I. Retina IIIc are introduced in the spring of 1954 at Photokina in Cologne, Germany. Both the Retina IIc and Retina IIIc were equipped with convertible lenses; the front lens elements were interchangeable to create f:5,6 35mm and f:4 80mm lenses; however, the cameras could not be folded closed with the accessory lenses. Both Retina Xenon C or Retina Heligon C lenses were offered on the Type 020 and Type 021 Ausf I. Type 021 Ausf II Retina IIIc was introduced in summer of 1957 with a single range exposure meter. Type 019 Ausf. I Retina IB was also introduced at this time. The fifth and final generation of folding Retina cameras (with capital letter B or C suffix) was introduced in 1957, the same year as the Type 025 Retina Reflex system. These last Retina folders included the Type 019 Ausf II Retina IB, Type 029 Retina IIC, and Type 028 Retina IIIC. This group had slightly taller top housings, with upgraded single range exposure meters and the addition of a larger, bright line viewfinder. The fixed lens Type 019 Ausf I / Ausf II Retina IB featured an exposure meter, which was not included on the Type 018 Retina Ib. The Type 029 Retina IIC had a rangefinder but no meter though it was also taller housing than the Retina IIc; it was of limited production from 1957 to 1958 and not imported to the United States by Eastman Kodak Co.

Kodak also manufactured the Retinette series of lesser featured cameras from 1939 to 1960 in a variety of folding and rigid models.