Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/09/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Max Berek designed both these lenses. He had two dogs, Hektor and Rex. It is difficult to think poorly of a man who would name his lenses after his dogs, though Mark Twain would probably have differed. Bluntly put, the 1.9/7.3cm Hektor was simply an early lens which was never terribly popular and which was not perceived as being all that good optically. It was retired immediately the War ended as new and better lenses were becoming available, particularly the 1.5/8.5cm Summarex. The Summarex was a Wartime lens originally developed for surveillance purposes. Again, it was an adequate, though not sterling, performer which never made much of a dent in the market and which sold poorly. It was expensive to make and expensive in price. The 2/90 Summicron -- based on new optical glasses -- was a vastly superior lens in all regards. Once the Summicron was in regular production, the Summarex was allowed to fade from the scene. Marc Marc James Small Cha Robh Bas Fir, Gun Ghras Fir! FAX: +540/343-7315