4.5/135 Hektor

[F16SUNSHINE]

I got two Leitz Hektors this week in M39 mount.
Both from the same seller and for $60 including shipping.
Condition is average cosmetics but good.
No fungus/haze/scratches, clean blades, and smooth focus.
Does anybody want to have one? I only will keep one.
This is a low priced lens so it is not a super bargain but still pretty good price.
Please send me PM if interested and please be a RF user.
Cost is half plus shipping. Probably $5 US and, I can use Flat rate envelope for EU so about $13 (or more if you want better security from a box).

The front lens cell is removable on these lenses so you can play around with them on a bellows and DSLR as well.

Cheers
Andy

[Orio]

I am interested, Andy.
What focal lenght?

[F16SUNSHINE]

Ooop sorry about that
It is a 4.5/135 and reserved for you unless you tell me otherwise.

[Orio]

OK great

[F16SUNSHINE]

With the Bess T you may have the best camera after Koji's M6 for focusing this Focal accurately.

[Orio]

Yes Bessie's rangefinder is incredible precise and you can really focus selectively!

[Orio]

From the book "Identity Cards of Leica lenses" by Ghester Sartorius:

Hektor 135mm f/4.5

Produced between 1933 (!) and 1960
Serial numbers from 156.000 approx. to 1.730.000 approx.
Early copies are black. Since 1950 produced in chrome with Vulcan strip
Aperture: until 1947 f/4.5 6.3 9 12.5 18 36
after 1947: f/4.5 5.6 8 11 16 22 32
Four lenses in three groups (Tessar clone)
weight: 555 g the black version, 440 g the chrome version

What follows is Leica's own description of this lens in a catalogue of 1936:

[Katastrofo]

Orio, you probably won't want this lens, then. I'd wait for the Achilles model
which I'm sure will outperform the Hektor.

Congrats, Andy and Orio, lets see some pics when you get going with these!

Bill

[Orio]

[F16SUNSHINE]

I'm keeping the old black one and sending you the later silver model.
The black seems to have a need for Helicoid cleaning and has a rough patina and brassing (I dig that).
I just noticed your Viewfinder post in marketplace.
It's funny I think viewfinder searches are oing to become quite popular around here

[Orio]

Thanks Andy

Damn there was all the stuff in the world at the fair... I forgot to search for viewfinders

[koji]

[rick_oleson]

I have that lens, it's very nice and terribly underrated/underpriced.... I don't understand why.

Shoe-mount viewfinders are a problem at 135mm, at least if you have a motley collection of cameras like I do: unless the finder is a perfect fit in the shoe, a very small amount of looseness can make the finder very inaccurate. I shot a whole roll with a fake Imarect finder in a Contax and found that I had missed the target by half the frame width! Since then, I just leave the finder at home and use the RF spot in the viewfinder as an aiming point. I don't know exactly where the edges of the frame are, but at least now I know where the CENTER is.

[F16SUNSHINE]

That's a good one.
Actually it is what I do with the 90 rokkor also.
I have a couple extra Yashica electro finders.
I'm thinking of making some custom masks for one of them.
It won't be as good as a nice finder but could suffice for as often as I put a long lens on the RF.
Which I expect will be quite seldom.

[rick_oleson]

I've made tele finder masks for my Contaxes: http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-26.html
It's easy if the shoe is accessible from the front, as it is in the Contax II and IIa.... if the shoe opens only to the rear, it gets a little more complicated. In addition to aiming straight, these are much quicker in use than a separate viewfinder.