Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/01/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]John Collier and Alastair Firkin offer a guess that "my" mystery Hektor 4/8.5 cm is really meant to refer to the Summarex 1.5/8.5 cm. It is of course theoretically possible, but I find it hard to believe since only the focus is identical. But the real crux (which I should have mentioned in my first mail) is the price of th lens, less than $100. The Summarex was between three and four times more expensive! Any other ideas? Henrik Williams >Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 18:53:15 -0700 >From: John Collier <jbcollier@shaw.ca> >Subject: Re: [Leica] Mystery Hektor 1:4/8.5 cm >Message-ID: <4576C7A5-2DAC-11D7-B8DF-0050E42E6E0B@shaw.ca> >References: > >As there was a 1.5/85 Summarex (some early ones marked 1.5/90) may be >the catalogue writers made a mistake. > >John Collier > >On Tuesday, January 21, 2003, at 03:28 PM, Henrik Williams wrote: > >> Mystery Hektor 1:4/8.5 cm >> >> Have you ever heard of this Leica lens? I had not until I happened to >> peruse a 1953 photo store catalogue from Wibergs fotografiska AB in >> Stockholm, Sweden. Under the ad for the Leica IIIf there is a select >> list >> of lenses to go with it, and as # 7 on this list: "Hektor 1:4/8,5 cm >> ............................ 464:-"! The last part refers to the price >> in Swedish currency, "kronor" (crowns), the exchange rate at the time of >> which I do not know, but a guess would be 5 kronor to the dollar. >> What on earth is this? I see only two alternatives: >> >> 1. The editor was confused and compiled a ghost lense from various >> misunderstood information. The list does include the "Leitx Summarit >> 1:1,5/5 cm" and the "Summikrom 1:2/5 cm", but on the other hand no >> really glaring mistakes, nor any incredible information in the rest of the >> catalogue. And, where does the price of the lens come from? >> >> 2. There is some basis in real life for this information. At the very >> end of the list, as item # 10, appears the already mentioned "Summikrom >> 1:2/5 cm ............................. 586:-". This is the classic Summicron, introduced this very year. Could the "Hektor 1:4/8,5 cm" be another >> lense, about to be introduced? The data of the lense are highly suspicious: >> What would be the need for a lense so close in specification to the Elmar >> 1:4/9 cm? This latter lens is sold for 290 kronor. However, when the >> collapsible(!) Elmar 1:4/9 cm was sold later its price was 465 kronor >> (according to another, 1956 catalogue), or remarkably close to the >> price of this 1953 mystery lens. Leitz did indeed sometime advertize lenses that were never actually produced for sale, for example the pre-war >> "snap-shot" Elmar 1:4.5/3.5 cm. The collapsible Elmar 1:4/9 cm was introduced in 1954, but only in a bayonet mount. Could there have been plans to sell this lens with a different specification and (also?) in a screw (lens thread) mount? >> I certainly do not know. Leitz did experiment with this lens even >> before the war, but appearantly always under the designation Elmar 9 cm (e.g. James L. Lager. Leica: An Illustrated History. Volume II - Lenses p. >> 131) which certainly speaks against my quess. __________________________________________________________ Henrik Williams Professor i nordiska språk Institutionen för nordiska språk Box 527 751 20 UPPSALA Telefon: 018-471 12 75, 018-46 31 46 (hem), 0733-90 86 30 (mobil) Fax: 018-471 12 72 E-post: henrik.williams@nordiska.uu.se __________________________________________________________ - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html