Chris's camera pages
Kodak Retina Ia (type 015)
![Kodak Retina 1a (type 015)](images/retina1a.jpg)
Manufactured from 1951 to 1954, the Retina Ia was introduced at the same time as the Retina IIa rangefinder model. The Retina Ia was the first of the Retina I models to be equipped with a lever to simultaneously advance the film and cock the shutter. All the previous Retinas used a knob to advance the film, and the shutter had to be cocked manually for each exposure instead. Just like the earlier Retina I (type 013), this model was fitted with either an f/3.5 Xenar lens like the one pictured, an f/2.8 Xenar, or a Kodak Ektar. The shutter used for the very earliest examples was a flash-synchronised Compur Rapid, but the bulk of the production were fitted with a Synchro-Compur shutter instead. The Synchro-Compur gave correct flash synch for both electronic flash and flash bulbs, while the Compur-Rapid shutter had only a single flash synch, which is effectively an 'X' synch. This is a very popular model with users as the camera is very compact, and the top-mounted film advance is convenient in use.
Kodak Retina Ia users guide.(pdf file)