Some test shots with a WWII camera

Last year I picked up a Kodak Retina IIa, part of Kodak’s popular folding camera line up. It’s got a few features like a frame counter and a rangefinder, but it’s simple compared to some of the later ones which have a meter. I don’t really stand by any of these shots as great work but when I developed the photos I was shocked by how sharp some of them were. I think this camera is a so-called ‘type 150’ (I think these ‘types’ were in-house numbers that were never used in period), made between 1939-1941 in Germany (yeah I know). This one is so boring but just look at the detail in the tree and the bricks. The best ones I couldn’t post because they are of family and I usually like to ask for consent and could not be arsed in this case. But there’s one of my little nephew that was taken in a dim restaurant, and it kind of blew me away. You’ll just have to take my word for it. Possibly needs a crop but I like again how well it does against the light. Perhaps this is also Kentmere 400 doing…