Medium Format Leica!

[Robert Rose <RJR@usip.com>]

Boy, I bet I got everyone's attention with that subject!

Last week  Juan F. Sanz Cervera asked about large format lenses that might give the "Leica" look, and Marc James Small (I think) suggested that he try using a Leica lens.

So, with my 1958 Hector 135mm/f4.5 I tried an experiment.  This is totally unscientific!

I photographed a flower using a 135mm Rodenstock Sironar-N (not the most current APO version) on 120 TMax 100, developed in Xtol, using a 6x9 back on a Technika IV.

Then I took the Sironar off the lens board, unscrewed the Hector, and held it in position on the lens board.  (Hey, this was just a Saturday afternoon goof-off project.)  While holding a lens cap over the front of the Hector, I pulled the dark shade on the 6x9 back, then (while holding the lens with the left hand) removed the lens cap with the right, one-thousand one, and put back the cap.

I printed the two negatives (same roll of TMax) and guess what?  They are VERY similar!

Yes, there are some differences, but in part because I used f/32 on the Hector and f/45 on the Sironar, and perhaps in part because the Hector was "hand held."   

Conclusions:
1.  The Hector will cover 6x9 with ease, and 4x5 also, but I didn't try any movements.
2.  The Hector offers no obvious benefit over the Sironar-N.
3.  Comparing the cost of a Hector, plus some way of arranging a shutter, plus the pain of rigging the combination, to the cost of a clean used Sironar-N already in a Copal Shutter makes this no contest.  If you have a Hector gathering dust and an available shutter, and some machining tools, go for it; otherwise stick with a large format lens.

If anyone would like to see the results, e-mail me your snail mail address and I will send out two postcards.  See if you can pick the Leica!

Bob Rose