How to use Kodak Retinette IIB please?

[cony_dowen]

Dear Friends, I do not have the user manual for my Retinette IIB and

can't seem to find one to consult on the Web either. I know I have to

transfer the EV-value given by the camera's exposure meter to the EV

ring around the lens base, say EV10. Turning the coupled EV and

shutter speed rings to align EV10 in front of the index I get for

example 1/500sec at F2.8 Since both rings can be mechanically

uncoupled by pulling the EV ring towards the body, I can then turn

the shutter speed ring to any other speed, while maintaining EV10 in

front of the index (and F2.8 in front of the aperture index), giving

EV10 = F2.8 at 1/60sec or any other speed for that matter ! So if the

exposure meter reads EV10, how do I know what shutter speed value

should be in front of EV10 mark? Perhaps I do not have a clear day

today, but I can't seem to figure out what I'm missing here... Thank

you so much for your replies. CONNY.

[connealy]

There is a Retinette Guide at <a href="http://www.toptown.com/nowhere/kypfer/RetinetteGuide/retinetteGuide1.htm">http://www.toptown.com/nowhere/kypfer/RetinetteGuide/retinetteGuide1.htm</a>. I don't think I've ever read a good explanation of the EV system, and the Retinette Guide is no exception. On my IIc, I would first set a shutter speed by moving the ring to the desired setting. Then, I would take the EV number from the meter and transfer it to the camera by depressing the the little lever at the bottom of the lens an moving the indicator to the setting indicated on the meter. Note that the shutter speed is not being changed. The aperture setting and the shutter speed are now coupled to produce a correct exposure for the light condition which you metered.

<br>   

As an example using the IIc, let's say you are taking a portrait in bright sun with 100 speed film. You set the shutter to 125 and move the EV setting lever while depressing it to 15. Letting up on the lever locks the shutter speed and aperture together for the given light condition. Now, you want to take a second picture of the same person running by, so you set the shutter by turning the ring to 1/500. The shutter and aperture combination now reads f8 and 500, which is still correct for the given lighting condition. The details of setting and locking the combination on the Retinette may be a little different, but the principle is the same.

<br>   

In the real world, it never seemed to me that the EV system was practical as light conditions seldom seem the same from shot to shot. I do my best to ignore the EV system as a result.

<br>   

I'd really like to try one of the non-rangefinder Retinas, so will look forward to your impressions and pictures.

[gib]

strangely, I kind of like the EV system, as in the Bessamatic....once you take a light meter reading you can change aperture to what you want and the shutter speed changes atuomatically to keep the exposure accurate... so you can go from f4 to f8 quickly, well, relatively quickly, the change in f-stop and aperture are kept in the right relationship and for me at least that is one less thing for the old noggin to do. At least I think I got that right.

[richard_oleson]

Conny, something doesn't sound right there: is the ASA setting changing when you turn the EV ring? The EV number should change as you change the shutter speed or aperture independently.

 

rick :)=

[cony_dowen]

Thank you for your replies. I checked the link you kindly provided, but it is not clear yet as I don't have the camera at hand right now. The ASA value stays the same when I turn either ring. The rings stay coupled when I turn them together and t-1 yields f+1 and vice versa (like it is supposed to be), but why does the camera allow me to let EVx be any shutter speed at any f-number? I'll check it further against the info from the link tonight and come back then. Conny.

[chris_eve]

An "EV" is effectively a "quantity of light". So EV13 is 1/125 @ f/8, 1/60 @ f/11 or 1/250 @ f/5.6 etc. EV14 is one stop faster (brighter light), EV12 one stop slower (a bit duller). For cameras so calibrated it's a really easy system to use, having taken the exposure reading and set the camera, you can adjust for faster shutter (with less depth of field) or vice versa with a single quick twist of the ring.

 

I'm using my Retina IIIC quite a lot at the moment, mostly for infra-red work, and find the EV system to be really useful when changing filters as I only have to move one setting to compensate for the different filter factors. I then have the correct combination of apertures and shutter speeds to choose from with little chance of mistake.

 

BTW, if you take the "root" of the url previously posted, http://www.toptown.com/nowhere/kypfer/RetinetteGuide/ , you'll get a framed web-site which is easier to navigate. (I know, I posted it :-)

[cony_dowen]

Chris, of course I already knew your great Kodak website -as

every Retina owner should- but only read the 'instructions' on the

Retinette IIB now. My problem was that until now I aligned the EV

value to the black line, which of course is for a) distance ref. and

b) shutter speed. It now dawned upon me that the little red 'half

moon' next to 1/60sec. (of which the meaning escaped me) is in

fact the red arrow head you refer to, but its point is masked by the

EV ring on my particular camera, making it appear as a half dot.

Everything falls into place now... thanks to all of you for the help.

Let me just say that the Retinette IIB is a fine little camera with a

rather big and clear viewfinder. And well built too : even the film

rewind fork inside the camera is made of metal as opposed to

plastic in the Retina Automatic III. Mine has only two problems :

the 1sec and 1/2sec shutter speeds hang (unless you turn thre

camera upside down!), and a tiny spot on the inside of the rear

lens element (probably fungus - it's a hazy spot with a black

pinhead in the middle). I can't wait to put some film in it...

The only thing that is still beyond me is the ASA/DIN scale on the

top : the yellow meter marker does not move when you change

the film speed and appears not to be connected to anything. Is it

a reminder only (like the film type indicator on the film rewind

knob)?

Thanks and good light to you all! Conny.

[chris_eve]

Conny,

I've now got my IIB in front of me, never actually having used it (too many to choose from ;-) and yes, the settings required aren't the most intuitive.

 

The red mark next to the "60" on the shutter speed dial is the EV index. You set your required EV to align with this mark. The shutter speed index is the black line between "Compur" and "Rapid" on the top of the shutter housing. To set the EV, hold the black plastic control on the EV ring back against the body of the camera, then rotate the shutter speed dial until the red mark aligns with the required EV. Release the black control. Now rotate the shutter speed dial until the required speed (or aperture) aligns with its index.

 

To set the meter, the little "bump" opposite the trangle on the inner dial of the meter knob allows you to rotate the inner dial, so changing the film speed. You then rotate the outer dial, with the EV numbers on, to align the yellow needle with the meter needle itself. The EV is read off the outer dial, adjacent to the triangle pointer mentioned earlier.

 

It's all a lot easier to do than read about, as often is the case.

 

Enjoy your Retinette, the Reomar lens really is quite good, especially once stopped down to f/5.6 or smaller.

[cony_dowen]

Thank you Chris, I've got the camera all figured out now. Forgot

to mention that the meter is still spot on after all those years - I

checked it against my little Gossen Sixtino 2 and my Nikon FM2n

with 50mm lens.

Last question now (I promise) : Do you think I can unscrew the

rear lens from inside the camera with one of those 'Retina

lens/shutter wrenches' I saw offered on *Bay? I want to try to

remove the mold or fungus spot, but I don't feel up to the task to

disassemble the camera too far.

[chris_eve]

Conny,

I'm not familiar with the lens wrench you refer to ... personally I'd be inclined to run at least one roll of film through the camera before venturing into "surgery". My feelings are that the lack of a lens-hood is likely to cause more image-degrading flare than a small spot and a trace of fungus. If you do remove the rear element, which shouldn't be a problem, remember to re-black any exposed metalwork. Again, the flare from this would likely to be as bad or worse than that caused by the symptoms you're trying to clear.

 

My experience with the Gossen meters as used by Kodak in the Retinas and Retinettes is that they (mostly) just continue to work accurately. Those that don't are completely dead, I don't think I've got one that "kinda" works.

[cony_dowen]

Thanks Chris. I think I will follow that good advice.

All the best, Conny.