Grey Toad Retina

Well, I bought another Kodak Retina II, and after the usual overhaul I decided it needed new leather. I decided to go hog wild this time and I ordered two Australian Cane Toad skins. I'd always wanted to do that, but last time I tried it I ran out of leather before I could do the whole camera. I have never seen another one done like this and so this is a one-of-a-kind. It works perfectly well and it has a Schneider Xenon lens, abut which I just can't say enough good things. It is one of the best lenses money can buy and, because it is vintage, you can get it cheap. Whether they are great buys just depends on your ability to get these things up and working. I can do it, so it works for me. Anyway, this comes from the days when you had to know what you were doing to take photos. There were no automatic settings.  There is no meter and there is only manual exposure in these cameras. On the other hand, focusing with a rangefinder is about as precise as it is possible to be, and there is no doubt whatsoever about what the camera is focused upon. Of course, there's the added pleasure of making Retina fans mad as hornets to see it in toad leather.