Most IIIS around seem to have the Xenar, which is excellent. I once shot a Retina Reflex with the Xenon, which is probably better. Maybe you can find one in a Reflex, I believe Xenons were mostly fitted to Reflex models.
All said, if you are not a 35mm enthusiast maybe it is better to pass. Retinas are addictive.
The Retina IIIS
Re: The Retina IIIS
Of course, I've owned one of these.
There is a string that connects the aperture to the shutter speed ring and also to the meter. It's very complex, and after it breaks, you have a meter that's no longer connected to the shutter speed or aperture rings.
The lenses for this are quite good, and I always enjoyed shooting with this. It has a very bright viewfinder, which is similar and possibly identical to what was used in the folding IIC/IIIC models. The standard lens was either a f/2.8 Xenar or a f/1.9 Xenon. These were true interchangeable lenses and not simply interchangeable front elements.
It's a very heavy camera and probably was the peak of the Retina series, although some says the folding postwar IIa model was the peak of the series due to its size.
There is a string that connects the aperture to the shutter speed ring and also to the meter. It's very complex, and after it breaks, you have a meter that's no longer connected to the shutter speed or aperture rings.
The lenses for this are quite good, and I always enjoyed shooting with this. It has a very bright viewfinder, which is similar and possibly identical to what was used in the folding IIC/IIIC models. The standard lens was either a f/2.8 Xenar or a f/1.9 Xenon. These were true interchangeable lenses and not simply interchangeable front elements.
It's a very heavy camera and probably was the peak of the Retina series, although some says the folding postwar IIa model was the peak of the series due to its size.
-Mike Elek
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