connealy Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 <i>A question about the Retinas, though. One of the IV's has a very dirty viewfinder, so dirty that it's difficult to see through in anything other than good lighting. Is there a way to clean this without paying a fortune, or am I doomed to shooting only on sunny days with this particular camera?</i><br><br> I think the problem with the RR view is not usually dirt, but desilvering of the mirror surface on the prism. It is actually not hard to replace the prism if you can find a good one. I'm told that you can use a prism from a Minolta X series SLR which can often be found at low prices in unworkable condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gib Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 found a photo taken with the Bessamatic and the 35mm Skoparex lens http://www.photo.net/photo/5979168 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin h. y. lui. Posted May 18, 2007 Author Share Posted May 18, 2007 Arh... I failed to bid my retina reflex IV. I asked one of the famous camera collector in Hong Kong. He let me to try RetinaReflex and Bessamatic. And Finally, my heart change to Bessamatic because of these reason : 1. the operation is much smoother, when compared with retina reflex. 2. more variation and try of lens 3. the shutter sounds much better than retina refelx. Now, my focus is bessamatic. I have searched some information about this camera, I found that there is a version called Bessamatic CS and De Lux. What are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Collins Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Mike--that's very encouraging info! This particular RRIV has a meter that works perfectly and helps to expose images beautifully, so I'd like to get a lot more use out of it. This is definitely something to look into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connealy Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 <i>Mike--that's very encouraging info! This particular RRIV has a meter that works perfectly and helps to expose images beautifully, so I'd like to get a lot more use out of it. This is definitely something to look into.</i><br><br> You have to be a little careful taking off the lid of the Retina Reflex as there are several components that just sit there with nothing to hold them down. The prism is held in place by just couple screws, and there is some tape that serves as a light baffle. I haven't had the chance yet to try the replacement, but I'm looking forward to it. The Retina Reflex has a remarkably smooth action, and the lens is terrific. If you are not real confident about doing this sort of thing, it would be worth emailing Dean Williams about undertaking it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Collins Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Is Dean a member of this site? How do I get in touch with him, because I'd like to pursue this project. I'd hate to make a mistake that would damage an otherwise very nice camera aside from its prism issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connealy Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Dean can be contacted through his web site, <a href="http://www.deansphotographica.com/"><b>Dean's Photographica</b></a>. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_lockerbie Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 Kevin, the CS stands for the CDS metered Bessamatic. This was the last version of the Bessamatic and as the name suggests, the selenium meter was replaced by a battery operated meter. There doesn't seem to be many of them around, but they are a good thing if you find one. The deluxe has a small T shaped mirror below the meter cell. This reflected the F stop and shutter speed into the viewfinder, and that's the only difference from the older Bessamatic. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_withers Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Hi Kevin, I have a pretty good experience with the Kodak Retina Reflex III model. I think that any camera that is 30-40 years old should have a CLA performed. It will benefit the camera in the long run and will likely operate more smoothly. I would agree that the Retina Reflex III and IV can be difficult to work on, but the lenses are superb and really can perform alongside the Bessamatic, if not better than, especially the 50mm f1.9 lens. I don't think that a CLA of $125.00 is all that much, considering what went into those cameras in the 1960's (They were $125 retail then!) Yeah, they are complex and do require care when using. They are relatively cheap on places like e-bay. The Reflex III and IV really are great cameras! Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin h. y. lui. Posted May 27, 2007 Author Share Posted May 27, 2007 I have purchase a Bessamatic from ebay, which come with 3 lens! That is perfect!! I will upload photos when I tested the camera. By the way, about retina reflex , I still want to get one, in a lower price. However, which lens performs better , Xenon or Xenar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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