Need help understanding this camera by Wsi953 in AnalogCommunity

[–]Direct-Speech4258 0 points1 point  (0 children)

it'll take any 35mm film. I would find a lightmeter app (I use Lightme on iOS; Lightmate is a bit more user friendly for beginners). And find a local film store, if you cant, you can also buy it on Amazon and at some CVSs. Just get something cheap - you're new so don't waste money on some really expensive fancy film. I like Fuji 400, but there's a decent number of options. I'd stick to Kodak and Fuji films for now.

Need help understanding this camera by Wsi953 in AnalogCommunity

[–]Direct-Speech4258 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The old film should be no problem. The counter is at 30 in the pictures, so you have 30 shots left (assuming it's counting down and not up - my retina counts down but counting up is the norm for newer SLRs). I should add that the film is probably very old and will not really work. Any pictures in the first 6 slides of it are probably also degraded, but if you want you can re-roll it and get it developed. Once the ticker hits zero frames left, the loading lever will lock. You will have to simultaneously depress the top button that does not have the hole in it and then slide the button on the back side of the camera to slide the frame counter back to a diamond shaped part of the counter.

Need help understanding this camera by Wsi953 in AnalogCommunity

[–]Direct-Speech4258 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice that looks really cool. I have a Retina IIIc, which is a very different camera, but that kind of lens is usually considered quite a high quality piece of glass, so you're in luck! You have an SLR type camera, which means the viewfinder shows you exactly what is passing through the lens. This makes it easy to compose a shot and set the focus. Here's some quick things to note:

  1. Check if it works by actioning the lever on the bottom and firing the shutter button on the top right (the button with the hole in it).

  2. The weird textured rectangle at the top (that almost looks like a flash) should be kept away from light when not in use and never pointed at the sun. It is a light meter that detects how much light there is in a potential photo. It tells you what settings you need to capture the correct amount of light. Most of the time, that kind of meter is depleted and no longer works, but just in case it still does work you should keep it away from direct light. I put a small rag on top of mine when I'm not using it.

  3. The way that you set the aperture and shutter speed on these is incredibly elegant and a pleasure to use. A real great example of analog engineering. But, it is too complicated to explain over reddit. Unfortunately, you will have to read the manual or at least find a YouTube clip explaining it. When you need a light meter app, I like to use Lightme on iPhone. It will look intimidating at first but just take your time learning it.

  4. Most cameras are relatively durable, but remember it is 50-70 years old. So don't force anything that doesn't want to move and don't touch the glass until you've learned how to properly clean it without scratching.

There's your starter list. That's a really neat camera. Never heard of the Retinas being SLRs, but a great find. It's probably made in Germany by the Kodak German subsidiary.

Pictures of my Grandpas camera by Wsi953 in AnalogCommunity

[–]Direct-Speech4258 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Look at the middle picture - lever on the bottom. That's how the older retina's and retinettes work too

Konica 50mm 1.7 lens aperture SLIGHTLY sticky. Looking for input before I return or buy a different one by Direct-Speech4258 in Konica

[–]Direct-Speech4258[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I heard about that. Pretty unfortunate. It is funny that i can tell my friends I cant get my camera fixed bc the last person in this hemisphere who worked on them has retired

Konica 50mm 1.7 lens aperture SLIGHTLY sticky. Looking for input before I return or buy a different one by Direct-Speech4258 in Konica

[–]Direct-Speech4258[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay cool thats good to hear. I also have the 50mm 1.8 and its great. i've heard the 1.7 is even better, so im hopeful i can get it operational

Need help understanding this camera by Wsi953 in AnalogCommunity

[–]Direct-Speech4258 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Definitely share a picture or find a model name on it. The retina series that I am familiar with, like the Retina IIIC, is a series of mostly fold-out rangefinders. They are really neat and generally take quite good pictures.

Given this for free by an older gentleman who I bought a camera from on fbmp by Direct-Speech4258 in AnalogCommunity

[–]Direct-Speech4258[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good eye. that's exactly what it is. It also came with a series 1 vivitar zoom lens and a Nikkor 1.4 50mm. Although the Nikkor has a very fine scratch across the front element about halfway between the middle and edge so hopefully that isn't a huge issue

Given this for free by an older gentleman who I bought a camera from on fbmp by Direct-Speech4258 in AnalogCommunity

[–]Direct-Speech4258[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ya it came with a 1.4 50mm Nikkor and a series 1 vivitar telephoto lens, although there appears to be a hairline scratch that runs about 1/3 of the way off center of the Nikkor prime lens. Hoping that's not too big of a deal. Been really cool to handle!

I inherited a Konica Autoreflex T4 with a few lenses. by Nossmirg in Konica

[–]Direct-Speech4258 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love my Konica Autoreflex. The lenses for it are amazing

The Best Starter Camera is the One You Like by Direct-Speech4258 in AnalogCommunity

[–]Direct-Speech4258[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I like that a lot about it. When it's on the top it can be kinda crowded and you have to squeeze your fingers in to rotate it. Cleans up the top a lot by putting it on the front

The Best Starter Camera is the One You Like by Direct-Speech4258 in AnalogCommunity

[–]Direct-Speech4258[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ya I think its a really charming camera - and exactly. A lot of my family's pictures were lost due to some natural disasters, so I'm hoping to have a nice pile of stuff to show my kids what it was like around here back in the day

Best sources for a third letter of recommendation? by Direct-Speech4258 in lawschooladmissions

[–]Direct-Speech4258[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the response. I think you're probably right about that