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Kodak Retina 117 35mm Film camera - one of the very last made according to SN

$ 145.19

Availability: 100 in stock

Description

This made in Germany Kodak Retina 117 is in great condition, shutter is working well, times are not 100% accurate at the slower speeds.
It is one of only less than 10 known which has serial number within the 118 serial number range, so it's a bit of a rarity.
The 117 was the first camera to ever use the 35mm film cartridge, the most successful film format by far in history.
B and T are both working well.
The lens is clean and clear, and uncoated. This is a pre-war camera from 1935 so coating was not yet available. Uncoated lenses are great for black and white images.
The case is in great shape, but the leather is pushing 90 years now, so I would not trust the strap to support the camera.
This camera has not been film tested but I don't see anything that would cause any issues. I bought it to use, but, I never got around to using it and I realize I just have too many cameras around.
A note from David Jentz on this very camera, the author of the "Retina Collector's Guide":
You possess a late production Kodak Retina Nr. 117 S/N 489139 which has Xenar f:3,5 F=5cm 725057 which was engraved on Early February 1935. The serial number series were pre-assigned to certain Retina models and stamped into back doors in a sequential manner prior to other finish work on the doors such as painting. You are quite correct that the serial number 489139 belongs to the first production group of the Nr. 118 Retina cameras....but we have now discovered Nr. 118 cameras with late Nr. 117 Retina serial numbers and about 5 Nr. 117 cameras that have their serial number from the first production serial number batch of the Nr. 118 Retina. In other words, You probably have a camera from the very end of Nr. 117 production based on the lens engraving date and the back door being form the first Nr. 118 batch. Nothing in the factory is done in perfect numeric order... so... it is no surprise to me that a very late Nr. 117 Retina will acquire the attributes of an early Nr. 118 camera and vice versa ! That back door is very typical of a Nr. 118 camera as is the rivet on the center of the A-R lever on the wind knob.
I would be very proud to have this Nr. 117 Retina in my collection... it is a wonderful illustrative piece of history of production changes.