Kodak Retinette 1B

[gray1720]

I seem to attract these - this is the third I've had, offered as a freebie, so I took it.

Yet another Retinette 1B 037 by gray1720, on Flickr

I've just sorted out the shutter - classic Retinette issue, oil migrates into the shutter blades and jams them, this one was like the Torrey Canyon, it was bad! Much cleaning later, the shutter works, I've a case that will fit and doesn't have a knackered strap (the strap lugs tend to tear off the cases for these, and the camera has no lugs, which is a PITA).

I've not set the focus properly yet, I need to find a pair of cable releases of the right sort to fit this and the Edixa reflex, and annoyingly the light meter coupling isn't right - I can take photos without it working, but I'd like to get it right if I can. Ho hum. The Retina group I'm in on Arsebook includes Chris Sherlock in its members, so I might get a few hints if I'm lucky...

[John Farrell]

I find the shutters on this type of camera frustrating - I no longer have the patience to dismantle them. Luckily, the shutters in the last two (Yashica 35 and Cita III) worked without having to dive into them.

[gray1720]

A very sensible move, John - at one point with this one, last night, I managed to catapult all 5 shutter blades across the room to land in five different places!