Seeking Hektor 135 experience

Rich Silfver · 03-13-2006

Looking at buying a Hektor 135 for my SM Leica.
Does anyone here have any personal experience with the un-coated version and maybe even some photo examples to show?

doubs43 · 03-13-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Silfver

Looking at buying a Hektor 135 for my SM Leica.
Does anyone here have any personal experience with the un-coated version and maybe even some photo examples to show?

Rich, here are a couple I've taken recently. The aircraft nose art I took this past Saturday at f/6.3 on Agfa APX-100 developed in Rodinal 1:25. The others were taken at f/4.5 & f/6.3 on Arista EDU Ultra-200 developed in straight D-76. All were taken with an uncoated 1940 Hektor on a Leica IIIa and IIIf BD.

Walker

d30gaijin · 03-13-2006

Rich,

The attached photo was taken with a 1937 vintage 135 Hektor that was sent back for coating after WWII. For this particular photo I used the 135 Hektor lens head on a ZOOAN short focusing mount on a Canon D30 3mp DSLR.

Don

doubs43 · 03-13-2006

Don, beautiful colors and a wonderful "pose". I really like the pastel colors much more than over-saturated and exagerated ones.

My 1940 Hektor has slight haze in it and I need to clean it as soon as I get the "Flexiclamps" to remove the lens mounts. I also have a 1946 factory-coated Hektor that's quite nice but lately I've been using uncoated lenses almost exclusively.

Walker

Rich Silfver · 03-13-2006

Thanks, nice examples.

By the way - coating lenses that were originally sold as uncoated - does it help with anything but keeping the flare down?

d30gaijin · 03-13-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by doubs43

Don, beautiful colors and a wonderful "pose". I really like the pastel colors much more than over-saturated and exagerated ones.

My 1940 Hektor has slight haze in it and I need to clean it as soon as I get the "Flexiclamps" to remove the lens mounts. I also have a 1946 factory-coated Hektor that's quite nice but lately I've been using uncoated lenses almost exclusively.

Hello Walker,

Thank you for the kind words. I have two Hektors, the 1937 vintage above and a 1956 vintage that is currently at DAG for a look see. The 56 vintage never seemed quite as sharp as the 37 vinatge, even though the 56 vinatge is in beautiful condition. When I tried the 56 vintage head on the ZOOAN with the Canon D30 I realized it would not focus at infinity for some reason. So I sent the complete lens and the ZOOAN off to Don Goldberg for checking/adjustment.

Btw, were you competing in the black powder cartridge rifle silhouette match or just shooting the event?

Best regards,

Don

d30gaijin · 03-13-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Silfver

Thanks, nice examples.

By the way - coating lenses that were originally sold as uncoated - does it help with anything but keeping the flare down?

Rich,

In my experience coating improves contrast and color saturation to a degree depending on the lens design (number of air to glass surfaces, number of elements, etc.). It doesn't seem as influential in simple design lenses (such as the Hektor) as it does with complex designs. The Leitz Xenon and Summarit are a good example of a complex lens. The Xenon was essentially an uncoated Summarit. The Summarit I had definitely showed higher contrast and color saturation than the Xenon I had using the same slide film. I never shot B&W with either so won't attempt to speak on that.

Best regards,

Don

Nikon Bob · 03-13-2006

No experience with the uncoated version but I have used a 50's coated version. Seems to do just fine.

Nikon Bob

doubs43 · 03-13-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by d30gaijin

Hello Walker, Thank you for the kind words. I have two Hektors, the 1937 vintage above and a 1956 vintage that is currently at DAG for a look see. The 56 vintage never seemed quite as sharp as the 37 vinatge, even though the 56 vinatge is in beautiful condition. When I tried the 56 vintage head on the ZOOAN with the Canon D30 I realized it would not focus at infinity for some reason. So I sent the complete lens and the ZOOAN off to Don Goldberg for checking/adjustment.

Btw, were you competing in the black powder cartridge rifle silhouette match or just shooting the event?

Best regards, Don

Hi Don,

Strange that the '56 Hektor isn't as sharp as the '37. Possibly a RF mismatch? Have you tried swapping the heads between the mounts to see how they compare? Hopefully DAG can sort it all out for you.

As for the silhouette match ("Buffalo Shoot" at our range) I wasn't participating. I used to shoot in it regularly and actually shot the first 40 fired on our range. I haven't done a lot of shooting at all in the past few years. Casting/sizing/lubing & seating the gas-check on the bullets and then cleaning, sizing, belling and priming the cases (.45-70) just takes too much time. I also used a duplex load of 3 grains of WW-231 and 57 grains of 8700 so I had to drop the 231 and carefully check each case to make sure I hadn't dropped a douple load of 231........ all time consumming. It's interesting that more than a dozen years after I developed that load, many of the shooters are still using it.

Obviously our club has modified the NRA rules to suit our situation. We average 15 - 20 shooters or more each month but NRA rules would kill the match as many couldn't comply....... or wouldn't as they'd consider it too much trouble.

I sometimes look at my 1875 C. Sharps rifle and think I should give it a workout again but just never seem to find the time.

I've been "shooting" the match for about a year now in color and B&W. It's my pet project and when I have what I want I'll put together a slide show on CD and let the guys see what I've been up to.

Walker

doubs43 · 03-13-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikon Bob

No experience with the uncoated version but I have used a 50's coated version. Seems to do just fine. Nikon Bob

Bob, I like that photograph for the large number of colors in it and the subtle way the Hektor captured many of them. If it comes across that good on my computer, it must be stunning in a print.

Walker

laptoprob · 03-13-2006

Walker, Don's head mounted viavia on a DSLR didn't focus properly at infinity. Something wrong with his head I guess.

LENShead, that is!

laptoprob · 03-13-2006

What kind of Holland park is that, Bob?

Rob.

Nikon Bob · 03-13-2006

Walker

Thanks, it does make a decent print. Too bad the Konica Impressa 50 print film is no longer available as I think that had something to do with it also.

Rob

It is part of a small park near me called The Friendship Gardens and various countries are represented by monuments put up by groups/associations of people from those countries that now live here. Interesting little place.

Nikon Bob

doubs43 · 03-13-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by laptoprob

Walker, Don's head mounted viavia on a DSLR didn't focus properly at infinity. Something wrong with his head I guess. LENShead, that is!

That's funny, Rob!

I also wanted to tell you that there were approximately 5200 of the early Elmar 135mm lenses made so having two of them is kind of special.

Walker

d30gaijin · 03-13-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by doubs43

That's funny, Rob!

I also wanted to tell you that there were approximately 5200 of the early Elmar 135mm lenses made so having two of them is kind of special.

Walker

URGH! Tell me about it. I had one, a very nice Elmar 135 no haze, no fungus, paint only lightly worn and sold it because the Hektor was a bit better optically. That was quite a few years ago when I bought old Leica stuff because that's all I could afford in Leica and didn't know much at all about its rarity.

Oh well, when I run out of things to keep me busy I can always start kicking myself in the a** for some really stupid deals I've made.

d30gaijin · 03-13-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by laptoprob

Walker, Don's head mounted viavia on a DSLR didn't focus properly at infinity. Something wrong with his head I guess.

LENShead, that is!

Ah yes but when I run into the uppity crowd with their Canon 20D or Nikon D70 my old D30 and Hektor always get a comment. "What lens is that?" they ask. I smile and say it's 1937 meets 2001. When I further explain all they can come up with is, "Why?" And you should know the answer to that one... because I could.

laptoprob · 03-13-2006

Don, you want a first generation Elmar 13,5cm lens?
Black, brassed, uncoupled, in the classifieds.

cheers, Rob.

d30gaijin · 03-13-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by laptoprob

Don, you want a first generation Elmar 13,5cm lens?
Black, brassed, uncoupled, in the classifieds.

cheers, Rob.

Rob,

I saw that one but would really prefer a coupled model since my range estimation ability is nil.

Best,

Don