Chris's camera pages
Kodak Retina Ib(type 018)
Manufactured from 1954 to 1957. This viewfinder camera was Kodak's 'economy' alternative to the Retina IIc and IIIc rangefinder models. Unlike the six-glass xenon lenses used in the IIc and IIIc, the Retina Ib was fitted with a 4-glass Schneider Xenar, a non-interchangeable 50mm f/2.8 lens. Although the Retina Ib uses the same sort of shutter as the Retina IIc and IIIc, and the front lens component can be removed with only a little difficulty, you cannot use the wide-angle or telephoto lens front components intended for the IIc and IIIc. There is nothing wrong with the Xenar lens though, this camera will return nice sharp pictures. The example above is from the earlier production, and shows polished alloy body edges. It has the chrome 'dot' in the advance lever disk, and the aperture setting numbers appear at the bottom of the shutter. The example below is from later production. It has chrome trims at the top and bottom of the body casting. The edges either side of front "door" are in a black finish, it lacks the 'dot' on the film advance lever, and has aperture setting numbers visible at the top of the shutter. The Retina Ib type 018 was replaced in 1957 by the Retina IB type 019-I, with its built-in uncoupled exposure meter, and later still by the Retina IB type 019-II in 1958, which added a bright-line finder to the specifications.
Retina Ib instruction manual on Mike Butkus' excellent website. Get your Retina repaired Back to the Retina camera list