Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/01/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Leica projector lens. Stephen Henrik Williams 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 - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html