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Leica 12.5cm F2.5 lens


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Hi and welcome to the forum and your first post!

 

The lens certainly looks like the standard 12.5cm Hektor lens, in its standard Viso 1 focussing mount, but with some sort of extension tube screwed on, presumably so that closer focussing is possible, without using bellows.

 

There is a ring available to enable the lens head to be attached to the Viso 1 bellows, but this set-up would work without needing them.

 

The lens + focus mount can also be used on a Viso 11 or 111 using the normal OUBIO adaptor, or on a reflex camera with the OUBIO + 12147/14167

 

Susie

Edited by Susie
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The Leica 12.5cm f2.5 lens is a Visoflex I lens. The lens screws to the Visoflex I reflex housing. The housing then mounts to a Leica camera. An adapter OUBIO is used to mount to a Visoflex II or III. This lens is highly regarded.

 

This particular lens has a non-Leica adapter on it. Perhaps it will mount to M42 SLRs. The adapter looks too short for direct mount on a Leica camera, without the Visoflex I reflex housing.

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Yes. that adapter is an oddity... it would be interesting to have a close look at it... but judging from its back cap, it has probably a screw mount at its end... the 42x1 hipotesis is no-nonsense... curios that, apparently, the finishing is well matching with the typical chrome "brilliance" of the Hektor 12,5.

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The Leica 12.5cm f2.5 lens is a Visoflex I lens. The lens screws to the Visoflex I reflex housing. The housing then mounts to a Leica camera. An adapter OUBIO is used to mount to a Visoflex II or III. This lens is highly regarded.

 

This particular lens has a non-Leica adapter on it. Perhaps it will mount to M42 SLRs. The adapter looks too short for direct mount on a Leica camera, without the Visoflex I reflex housing.

 

How much do you think its worth and do you think you can use it on any mirrorless cameras like, m4/3 and nex?

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How much do you think its worth and do you think you can use it on any mirrorless cameras like, m4/3 and nex?

 

Deprived of its strange adapter, this lens has a std 39x1 LTM male screw mount... which means that, with a right set of adapter(s) can be mounted almost on any mirrorless body : not so simple, being a Visoflex lens... :o... for instance, on my Leica M240 I need 2 pieces : OUBIO (LTM to M mount for Viso II/III) and the Novoflex LEM/VIS (there is a single-piece solution... TXBOO.. ;)) : in general, if for a given mirrorless there is a solution to mount a Leica M bayonet lens or a Leica Screw Mount lens, one can find the way to attach correctly the Hektor 12,5, putting together the needed adapters. (BTW, the Hektor 125 has also the lenshead that is unscrewable from the focus unit, which opens the field of Leitz bellows etc...)

 

It is not so rare, so for its value you can get an idea surfing on ebay or specialized dealers' site (Leicashop, Red Dot, Meister etc...) : as any collectible, the price depends a lot on cosmetic condition and completeness of the item (box, hood, caps ... I bought mine for rather few money beacause, though optically excellent, with hood and front cap, lacks the particular back reverse cap that, with the front cap, "boxes" all the lens)

Edited by luigi bertolotti
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  • 4 weeks later...

This Hektor is a fantastic portrait lens when wide open! It will give you some sweet, great negatives.

 

It's VERY sharp when closed two or three stops. Unhapilly it's very heavy, so better than use it closed is to put in action the old 135mm Hektor, IMO.

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This Lens was created on a projector Lens basis may be This one was used back to its original use : a projector lens

 

It is generally accepted by all authors that the Hektor 12.5cm has effectively been developed on basis of tests made with a modified-mount projection lens, and using the same glass. I personally did receive a sample of this projection lens from Walther Benser himself, who told me on that occasion that the relatively rare long-mount Hektor 12.5cm had been developed directly from the modified experimental unit.

Here are two photos of the projection model I had in my Fontenelle Collection.

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Thank you, Pecole !!! The story of the Hektor as based on a projector lens was well known to me, but I NEVER had sought a picture of this "ur" lens...:) ; you quote also as "relatively rare" the long mount version of the Hektor... does it really exist ? I have seen only 2 prototypes depicted by Lager...

Edited by luigi bertolotti
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Thank you, Pecole !!! The story of the Hektor as based on a projector lens was well known to me, but I NEVER had sought a picture of this "ur" lens...:) ; you quote also as "relatively rare" the long mount version of the Hektor... does it really exist ? I have seen only 2 prototypes depicted by Lager...

 

Hi, Luigi ! I frankly don't know if the "long" Hektor 125 ever reached the market, but Benser told me he had used one on a IIIg. Maybe it was one of the prototypes. If I remember good, the only picture I have in my collection - and which I enclose hereunder - comes precisely from Benser.

I also add two shots of one of my "normal" ones, just for the pleasure. I always loved this lens.

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

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