Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Monkey D Dragon" data-source="post: 31162238" data-attributes="member: 587008">USD - LKR rates + tax බැලුවම ඔය price හරි වගේHigh-end luxury Camera<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The "Luxury" Cost: At $168, this was a high-end purchase. For context, the average monthly rent in the US in 1950 was roughly $42. This camera cost nearly four months of rent for the average family.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Production Years (1951–1954): The Retina IIa was only produced until about 1954, when it was replaced by the Retina IIc and IIIc. If you saw one being sold in the late 50s or 60s, it was likely used or "new old stock" at a reduced price. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Lens Variations: The $168 price typically applied to the standard model equipped with the highly regarded Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon 50mm f/2.0 lens and the Synchro-Compur shutter.</li> </ul>Why it was expensive: Unlike many Kodak cameras made for the mass market (like the Brownie), the Retina series was manufactured in Stuttgart, Germany, by Kodak AG. It was a precision instrument built to compete with high-end German rangefinders like Leica and Contax.Based on historical camera databases and collector guides, here is the specific original pricing for the Kodak Retina IIa (Type 016) and how its value shifted through the 1950s and 60s.<h4>Original Retail Price (Early 1950s)</h4>When introduced in the US market around 1951, the Kodak Retina IIa list price was exactly:1<h3>$168.502</h3>(Equivalent to ~$2,000 in today’s money)This price generally included the premium Schneider-Kreuznach Retina-Xenon 50mm f/2.0 lens.Sources & Reference Points:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Karen Nakamura's Photoethnography: Explicitly lists the retail price as $168.50 in 1951.3 </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Original Catalogs: In 1951-1952, this was priced competitively against other German rangefinders. For comparison, a basic Kodak Pony 135 cost only about $35, meaning the Retina IIa was nearly 5x more expensive than the consumer-grade option.</li> </ul><hr /><h4>Price in the Late 50s & 60s</h4>Since production of the Retina IIa ended in 1954 (replaced by the Retina IIc and IIIc), you would not have found it "new" on store shelves in the late 50s or 60s unless it was old stock.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Mid-to-Late 1950s (Clearance/Used): Once the newer Retina IIc and IIIc models arrived in 1954 (which sold for ~$139.50 and ~$185 respectively), the price of a new-old-stock IIa would have dropped to roughly $100–$120 to clear inventory.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">1960s (Used Market): By the 1960s, the Retina IIa was strictly a used item. In 1960s photography magazine classifieds (e.g., Popular Photography), used Retina IIa cameras often sold for $40 – $60, depending on condition.</li> </ul><h4>Summary of Value Over Time</h4> <table style='width: 100%'><tr><td>Year</td><td>Condition</td><td>Approx. Price</td><td>Context</td></tr><tr><td>1951-1953</td><td>New (Retail)</td><td>$168.50</td><td>High-end luxury compact.</td></tr><tr><td>1955-1957</td><td>Clearance / Lightly Used</td><td>~$80 - $110</td><td>Displaced by the newer "c" and "C" series.</td></tr><tr><td>1960s</td><td>Used</td><td>~$40 - $60</td><td>Affordable secondhand German optics.</td></tr></table><hr />+ this is a high end luxury Camera</blockquote>

Verification: Nawa warak dahaya keeyada? (Namaya wadi kireema dahaya)

Top Bottom