M8 and Hektor 135 mm f/4.5

[jimleicam3]

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My Dad just gave me his Hektor 135 mm that he purchased in the early 1960's. Has anyone used this lens with the M8 or any other M camera? Thanks, Jim

[kdemas]

I have, works just fine. It is a low contrast lens, which is actually kinda helpful with digital. As with all 135s on the M8 framing is kind of tricky as there is no 135 frame. It is roughly the size of the center split image focusing area.

 

Enjoy

 

Kent

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[lecycliste]

I've had and used a 135mm f/4.5 Hektor since 1968. My grandfather bought it, a 35mm f/3.5 Summaron, 50mm f/1.5 Summarit and a double-stroke M3 in Heidelberg in 1954.

 

The 135mm Hektor lens design is from the 1930s - Berek era. It worked OK with Grandpa's M3, my M6 TTL and M7. I haven't tried it on the M8.

 

It's a bit soft compared to my 135mm f/3.4 APO-Telyt. I keep the Hektor as backup, and because it's one of the only things I have that was Grandpa's. It's worth less than $100 now.

[andit]

Hi Jim,

 

I don't have the Hector 135, but the Tele-Elmar. The Hector will work fine with the M8 - a number of forum members have posted images taken with this lens. It is a fine lens and can produce some amazing images. Obviously it won't be as sharp as the brand new APO-Telyt (in the same way as a non ASPH 35mm is not as sharp as the new ASPH design) but it will give you great results.

 

As mentioned above the M8 does not have frame lines for 135. This is actually not a problem. I use the rangefinder patch as a framing guide - the actual coverage is about twice the size of the patch (other members say that the 90mm frame lines also work well with 135 (the frame lines on the standard M8 are notoriously inaccurate). Focus can be a bit difficult - the depth of field is extremely small. Some members use a 1.15x magnifier, others a 1.25x and others no magnifier to assist in focus.

 

Enjoy your lens and post some images for us to admire.

 

Andreas

[andit]

Check out this link for the quality of the Hektor 135.

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/nature-wildlife/35582-passionate-bumble-bee.html

 

Andreas

[patackroyd]

Jim

I have a 1948 Hektor which I used for a number of years on an M6, with film it gives a painterly effect with landscape which on the right subject is great. I have just moved to the M8 and with just a few test shots it works fine, as said not as sharp as modern lenses but still very useable. I have been thinking of updating with a more modern lense in this focal length but I will keep the Hektor because it gives results which as special to that lense.

Pat

[LeonardT]

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My Dad just gave me his Hektor 135 mm that he purchased in the early 1960's. Has anyone used this lens with the M8 or any other M camera? Thanks, Jim

 

Hello Jim,

 

Here is a photo I just took for you to look at. It was taken wide open at f4.5 at about 6 feet using the SF24. This screw mount lens was made in 1956 and is in nearly pristine condition.

If you need to put a UV/IR filter on the lens Leica made adapters for A36 slip on lenses. I made a custom UV/IR filter for my Summitar and use a A36 to Summitar filter adapter.

 

Len

 

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[grober]

A clean, M-mount Hektor would be a fine addition to your M8 kit (although I don't have one now.)

 

The 135mm Hektor was the first tele lens I bought as a college student in Chicago in the mid-1960s for my first brace of two, double-stroke M3s. Sadly, all that early Leica kit is long gone but I had the opportunity to borrow a Hektor and shoot some harbor pictures on my M7 a few years ago in Victoria, BC, Canada. Those shots amazed me as to the capabilities of this still-usable tele lens.

 

-g

[luigi bertolotti]

It was spring 2007... I had my brand new M8 and wanted to test my old 135s (I've them all... from an Elmar 4,5 of 1930 to Elmarit 2,8); so here are 3 shots same day same subject - 1st with Hektor ('50s), 2nd with Elmar (f4, of course... '60s), 3rd with Tele Elmar ('70s); all not wide open (8 or 11, can't remember); no surprise, the youngest wins... but Hektor is pleasant ayway.

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Hektor

 

Elmar

 

Tele Elmar

[4season]

Funny you should mention this lens, because just last night I used it to photograph the planet Venus, and wow, is the Hektor ever NOT apochromatic: Quite a blue halo around that planet! Nevertheless, I find the lens useful from time to time.