Kodak Retinette type 022 (1954-1958)

Kodak Retinette type 022 (1954-1958)

#426

This photo is from the copy I own

History and technical features 

The Kodak Retinette is a series of 35mm viewfinder cameras made in Germany by Kodak AG. They were a budget version of the Retina series, without rangefinders. The "B" models had light meters. The models are difficult to tell apart from a distance, but identifying features include EV numbers above the lens, flash sync slot on lens or body, and distance markings in feet (for UK) or meters (continental Europe). Some models also have a button next to the shutter release that enables double-exposures to be made. Pressing it allows the shutter to be cocked when winding on, without the film moving to the next frame.

Source: camerapedia

All Retinettes have a body serial number.

On Typs 147, 160, 012 and early 017 cameras (including French versions of Typ 017) the serial number is located inside the back door adjacent to the film pressure plate.
The remaining Retinette cameras have the body serial number engraved on the top housing.

Source: camerapedia


Specifications

Kodak Retinette (type 022)

Manufactured from 1954 to 1958. This model was the first of the rigid front Retinettes. Fitted with a Schneider Reomar 45mm f/3.5 lens in a Compur-Rapid shutter. There are a few variations of this model about, I have three different ones. Early ones have the flash socket on the shutter body rather than the front plate. A model was also made for the French market with an Angenieux lens in a Kodak shutter.

Body edges
The body edges at top and bottom of camera main casting are finished in black paint/lacquer in early examples and covered with thin chromed brass pressings in later examples.

Front panel
Earliest examples have a simple rectangular grey finished casting with f/stops engraved at top with no flash synch terminal on panel, the second type has a similar casting with a notch on right side for V,X lever, flash terminal on right and black arrow index mark for f/stops, third type is a rectangular chrome plated pressing with a " V" shape to front section and with with similar features to second type.

Shutter housing
The shutter housing itself changes from predominantly black to chrome.

Rewind knob style
Earliest type, flat dial, printing on top( reading anti-clockwise) Infrared/Kodachrome Daylight/Kodachrome-A/Plus X I Super XX

Intermediate type, flat dial, printing on top (reading anti-clockwise) Kadachr.D/Kodachr.F/Ektachr.D/Ektachr.F/Pan X/Plus X/Tri X

Late type, sloping dial, printing on top (reading anti-clockwise)as above.

Flash synch
First type on shutter body, later type on front panel

Rear door
Early type, cast one piece back door, late type two-piece pressing with riveted construction

Frame counter
Early type, chrome top piece slightly smaller diameter and completely round, late type larger diameter with a section of the rim notched on inboard side to allow easy setting.

Source: retinarescue

Kodak Retinette type 22 Description

The Kodak Retinette type 22 is a ‘little sister’ to the Kodak Retina cameras which Kodak made from the mid 1930s up until the late 1960s.

Initially the Retinette series followed the same folding, bellows design that the majority of the Retina cameras had, but this model, the type 22, was the first Retinette to move to a solid body single piece design – a move which later the Retina cameras followed.

The Retinette series were aimed at people who wanted a good camera which was reliable and would take good pictures, but wanted to pay a bit less than the top flight cameras of the day. I guess you could call them a ‘good snapshot’ camera. This model has a good range of shutter speeds for a camera of its vintage and, in common with many of its cousins in the Kodak stable, a very good lens.

Exposure system
Kodak Retinette Type 22 35mm camera - Side view showing flash sync
Side view showing flash sync and EV markings

The exposure system on the Retinette type 22 is based on the EV system, which was a popular option in the mid 1950s. It works on the premise that once you know the amount of light required for the film you are using, you can achieve it with several combinations of aperture and shutter speed. For example if the correct exposure is 1/250 sec at f/8 you can also get the same exposure by setting the speed one stop down and the aperture one stop up i.e. 1/500 sec at f/5.6.

This theory was used to calculate an EV or Exposure Value number and the EV number was engraved on the camera shutter. A light meter was used to measure the light which was a simple number and the camera set to this number. Then the aperture and shutter were locked together and could be rotated by the photographer to get the artistic effect they were after; faster speed to freeze action, wider aperture to blur the background or smaller aperture to keep everything in focus.

It’s a good system and continues to this day with Program Shift which is the modern invocation of the theory.

Film Advance
In common with many cameras in the Kodak range, the film advance is fitted to the bottom of the camera rather than the top. This is quite convenient in use but in my experience of fixing a couple of the Kodak series, it makes the camera more complex and more difficult to repair when it goes wrong.

The frame counter is on the top of the camera above the film advance lever. It’s a count down unit and doesn’t automatically reset so the photographer needed to set the counter to the number of exposures of the film loaded into the camera. When the film advance is used, the counter then shows the number of exposures remaining.

Other features.
There is a film type reminder fitted to the top of the film rewind shaft, a flash sync socket mounted on the front panel and, in common with many of the Retina and Retinette series, an unlock button on the top panel for occassions when you want to change the film mid-roll. This button disengages the film lock allowing the film advance to wind the camera on without cocking the shutter therefore allowing you to advance a film to a point mid-roll.

Kodak Retinette type 22 Specifications
35mm viewfinder camera
Compur rapid shutter
Shutter speeds 1 sec to 1/500 sec + bulb
Schneider – Kreuznach Reomar 45mm f/3.5 lens
Aperture f/3.5 to f/16
Film release button to allow mid-roll film changing
Approx 10 sec Self timer
Flash sync socket
Cold accessory shoe
Film Type reminder on rewind crank
Bottom mounted film advance
Auto frame counter
EV exposure control
Tripod mount
Back door release on base of camera
Manual focus with distance engraved in feet

Source: simonhawketts.co.uk


Download The Retinnete Guide


Model

Serial number 865343


Reference sites

camerapedia

kodak.3106.net

retinarescue

simonhawketts.co.uk


Manual

English manual


Film


Pictures taken with this machine


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