Retina Automatic III (Type 039)

Format

135

Shutter

Compur-Automat, 1/30-1/500 + B

Metering

coupled selenium (Gossen cell), automatic

Spec Notes

THE ONLY ROW IN THIS SLICE WITH A KODAK PRIMARY DOCUMENT BEHIND ITS SPECS: Kodak's own Customer Service Series sheet gives the shutter as 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 and B, and describes the Retina-Xenar as FOUR coated, colour-corrected elements. Schneider-Kreuznach Retina-Xenar 45mm f/2.8. Coupled selenium meter with a Gossen cell, automatic exposure, no battery. Coincident-image coupled rangefinder with 45mm projected framelines - the feature that separates it from the Automatic II. Launch price $129.95, April 1961. TWO CORRECTIONS MADE HERE: a widely-cited spec table calls this lens six elements; Kodak's own document says four, and a Xenar is a Tessar type. And a collector table gives the shutter as 'B, 30-200', which Kodak's document refutes - that table is not relied on anywhere in this slice. NO PRODUCTION RANGE ROW: the start is disputed, 1960 vs 1961, and production Start cannot hold a guess. The claim that this camera had a 1960-65 MARKET range distinct from its production dates could not be corroborated in any source - no source gives any end later than 1963.

Rangefinder

Yes

Alternate Names

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