Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/01/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Well there was a 1950's 85/2.5 Hektor projection lens but $100 would be an outrageous price. John Collier On Thursday, January 23, 2003, at 07:14 AM, Nick Roberts wrote: > Sounds like a projection lens, rather than a camera > lens to me. > > Nick > > --- Henrik Williams <henrik.williams@nordiska.uu.se> > wrote: >> 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 > > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. > http://mailplus.yahoo.com > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html