Kodak Retina

Kodak Retina cameras were designed and built in Germany (Stuttgart) by the Nagel Camerawerks. Kodak bought the Nagel company in 1931. The German government seized it during the War, but Kodak regained control in 1945 and manufactured cameras until 1969. The Nagel-era Retinas ooze German quality. Kodak Retinas were noted for their compact size, quality, and low cost compared to their competitors and retain a strong following today. The original Retina, introduced in 1934, was notable for being the first camera to use the modern 135 film cartridge. The Retina line continued through the 1960s with a variety of folding and nonfolding models, including the Retina Reflex SLR.

The first Kodak Retina, which was a compact folding camera that pioneered the 135 format, was followed by two new models in 1936. The Retina I was the more popular of the two and was essentially the same as the previous model. The Retina I was most commonly equipped with a 50 mm f/3.5 Schneider Kreuznach Retina-Xenar lens and Compur or Compur-Rapid shutter, though other lenses and shutters were available. The Retina II was a more expensive model which included a rangefinder.

The Retina Ia and Retina IIa of 1951 were similar to their respective predecessors but with the addition of flash synchronization and wind levers rather than knobs. The sleeker Retina Ib and Retina IIc came out in 1954 along with the Retina IIIc, which was basically a Retina IIc with a selenium light meter. The fifth and final generation of folding Retinas, which included the Retina IIC, Retina IIIC, and meter-equipped Retina IB, was introduced in 1957.

Kodak sold a number of larger, non-folding cameras under the Retina label between 1958 and 1966. There was also a series of Retina Reflex SLRs produced between 1957 and 1966. The last cameras labeled as Retinas were the plastic-bodied Retina S1 and Retina S2, produced from 1966 to 1969. Kodak also manufactured the Retinette model series around the same time.

Kodak Retina I, 1939