FEBRUARY 2024 – The Justizpalast in Munich, Germany, on a sunny day. Photo © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
As you may know by now, I purchased a used Kodak Retinette 1B (Typ 045) – the camera I grew up with when I was a teenager in the 1970s. The camera was in very good condition – looking, feeling, and sounding good – but I did not know whether it actually worked. (You can read more about my journey with that camera in Gear Talk #8.)
So, did it work OK then? Oh yes! After six decades, the camera still works like a charm and as advertised! I shot a first film, and all 38 pictures of my film were well exposed and sufficiently sharp. Okay, one shot was out-of-focus due to a stupid mistake by myself. I forgot to adjust the focus prior to the shot. (Oh my.) But this cannot be attributed to a malfunction of the camera.
Here is a shot of the Justice Palace in Munich, near the famous Karlsplatz (Stachus), on a sunny day. The camera mastered this well.
My verdict by now: IF you want to explore analog photography of the 1960s, a Kodak Retinette 1B (Typ 045) is a good camera choice. It’s affordable, robust, and reliable. You just need to have a bit of luck to get a decent model that works OK. Or you opt to buy from a reliable dealer who has checked the camera thoroughly. This may be more expensive, of course, but you’ll get a body that will continue to work for decades!
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date & Time | 09-FEB-2024 |
| Location | Munich, Germany |
| Camera | Kodak Retinette 1B (Typ 045) |
| Film | Agfaphoto APX 100 |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | JPEG, 16 bits/pixel, grayscale |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 6786 x 4414 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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