This stylish folding 35mm rangefinder camera was manufactured from 1957 to 1958. It was available with either a Rodenstock or a Schneider interchangeable 50mm f/2.8 lens. Eastman Kodak apparently only imported Schneider-equipped cameras into the USA, so in the States Retina IIc cameras with the Rodenstock Heligon lens are few and far between. The lens system is the same as that used for the Retina IIIc, and this camera can use the wide range of accessories made by Kodak for the Retina cameras.
Accessories included the wide-angle and telephoto lenses, and accessory finders to suit, a close-up rangefinder and lenses kit, a prism-type splitter for taking stereoscopic pictures, a microscope adapter, copying stand, hoods, filters and a curious ground-glass adapter. The Retina IIc is a very popular model with users. It fits comfortably to the hand, and it is slightly smaller than the IIIc, since the top cover does not have to enclose an exposure meter. The lack of an exposure meter obviously does not bother photographers much, and it is only fair to say, that the tiny meters on the Retina IIIc are unlikely to measure up well against a good-quality hand-held meter if you are shooting slide film. Like all leaf-shutter cameras the shutter action is very quiet, which can come as a surprise to photographers who have grown up with SLR cameras.
Engraving on the top plate: Retina IIC
Lens: Retina Xenon 50mm f/2.8 filter slip-on Aperture: up to f/22 setting: coupled with speeds ring according to Exposure Value system, EV 3-18; manual possible with a lever and scale under the lens
Focus range: 0.8-20m +inf
Focusing: manual helicoids focusing, guess the distance, by a thumb handle beneath the lens-shutter barrel, with distance and DOF scales
Shutter: Synchro-Compur; speeds: 1-1/500 +B setting: ring and scale on the lens-shutter barrel, coupled with apertures according to Exposure Value system
Shutter release: on the top plate w/cable release socket
Cocking lever: also winds the film, short stroke, on the bottom plate
Frame counter: additive type, auto-reset, window on the top plate
Viewfinder: reverse telescopic finder with parallax correction frame
Re-wind lever knob: on the top-plate
Re-wind release: a knob beside the frame counter
Front cover: opens by a small knob on it; closing: press the knobs on the struts, when focus on infinity
Flash PC socket: on the lens-shutter, setting for x and M with a green lever on V X M dial
Cold-shoe
Memory dial: on the rewind knob
Self-timer: set to V on V X M dial
Back cover: hinged, opens by a lever and a small knob beneath the tripod socket
Embossing on front cover Kodak and on the back cover Retina camera
Tripod socket: 1/4″
Strap lugs : 2x
Body: metal; Weight: 584g