Rangefinders

[Barefoot]

My first camera was a rangefinder. Let me correct myself: The first camera I was allowed to use at will and without adult supervision, was a rangefinder. A Canonet QL17, to be specific. I was all of twelve years old at the time. I eventually inherited it and still have it, in fact. I just haven't seen it in some time. It's put away somewhere along with an Argus C3 and that's just as well, I suppose.

At least that was what I thought before I ran across a Kodak Retina llc at a flea market back in November. The old camera was made in 1954 and is cosmetically mint in condition. But, the shutter wouldn’t fire and there was no leather case. I gave them $25 and brought it home with the intention of shelving it with some of the other junk.

I did a quick search and discovered some interesting facts about the Retina line. A very high quality German made camera from Nagel Camerawerks that Kodak had bought in 1931. Retinas were the first to use the 135mm film cartridge that we know today. It was when I read that they were an interchangeable(sorta) lens rangefinder that I removed the front lens element and put a tiny amount of pressure on the blades of the diaphragm with the point of a toothpick. Click!

The shutter's been firing every time I pull the trigger ever since. I've been getting some pretty good results using a light meter app. Unfortunately, I now find myself on a rangefinder kick. Checking craigslist at least twice a day for all the cities within a four hour drive and always watching at least three or four ebay listings. When I've run a few rolls through the old Voitlander Vitessa A from 1952 that I drove to Greenville for a few weeks ago, I'll post one or two here. In the meantime, here's one from the Retina llc. My grandson, Keagan.