My Article On The Leica Summar

[willeica]

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Some success!!

An auction of the Hektor included the filters for both taking and projection:

 

https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/26150618

WestLicht Photographica Auction

 

For completeness I include this link which I had previously:

 

http://zauberklang.ch/filmcolors/timeline-entry/1262/

 

I do note the Hektor does not have the f2.9 mark, but of course that mark is not labelled on the Summar as such and must be related to the correct mounting of the filter rather than the aperture as such.

The auction filter is marked specifically for that lens and the mounting system obviously varied as that was not collapsible.

The correct Summar filters must be an exceedingly rare item.

 

The Hektor originally had a rotating mount. When the non rotating mount was introduced ( to allow the use of the Agfacolor filters?) a raised screw (or pip) was placed on the side at the top near the aperture markings to allow the filter to be mounted correctly. I have a 1933 Hektor with non rotating mount (called a parallel mount HEGRA) which has the raised screw. Unfortunately, I don't have the filters. It would be nice to see the instructions for mounting the filters on the Summar and/or the Hektor.

 

William

[chris_livsey]

The Hektor originally had a rotating mount. When the non rotating mount was introduced ( to allow the use of the Agfacolor filters?)

 

William

 

Yes the lens had to be non rotating, well specifically the filter mount had not to rotate, a bit like a polariser.

The orientation of the colour filters had to match the the orientation of the lenticular film so the precise, non rotating, filter mount was essential to the process.

 

The "pip"is on the Summars but why they have the extra aperture mark may be revealed by those instructions. It could be related to the subsequent projection of the finished image, the same lens was used to "show" the image hence the projection filter with the Hektor.

 

FOOSM Afga-color filter for "taking" lens used with Summar f= 5 cm 1:2 showing red, green & blue banding

FOOPX Agfacolor filter for Summar f= 5 cm 1:2 as a projection lens, showing red, green & blue banding

 

http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/foosm-agfa-color-filter-234-c-5787e7bb45

[chris_livsey]

 There is a reference there to an article in 'Leica News and Technique' on the Agfa process. T

William

 

1935 No7 Page 2 

 

And I was not wrong on collectability:

 

http://www.leicashop.com/vintage_en/leica/leica-accessories/filters/agfacolor-filter-foopx-foosm-f-leica-sku24517-21.html

 

set of two mint filters for Summar for taking and projection, beautiful condition with immaculate maker's boxes, extremely rare, ex Bawendi collection

€3,900

[willeica]

Thanks Chris. Rarity is everything in the collecting business, of course.

 

Jim Lager has a 5 page piece on the Agfacolor system in his Accessories Guide. It contains a lot of detail (too much to show here) and covers a lot of the points you have made. Contact me by PM if you want further details.

 

William

[willeica]

I have shared the following information with Chris Livesy and I am posting it here in case other members are interested.

 

The Jim Lager piece at pages 306 to 310 of his Leica Accessories Book consists of an introductory page with some contemporary pictures from Leica, a two page article dated 7 July 1935 from 'Leica News and Technique' and then two pages of photos of the filters etc. The 1935 article deals  more with the Hektor than the Summar. It stated that Agfacolor required from 15 to 20 times the exposure indicated for a regular film of 18 or 19 degrees Scheiner. It also stated that the lens (Hektor) was always used at its fullest aperture f1.9. In normal sunshine exposures could be made at 1/30th or 1/40th of a second, with perhaps 100th being possible in very brilliant light. There are no similar indications in the 1935 article for the Summar but elsewhere Lager and others have indicated that the f 2.9 is for using the Agfacolor process. I believe that the f2.9 on the Summar performed the same role as the f1.9 on the Hektor

 

The filters were different for both lenses, so different 'filter factors' may have applied, hence the different taking apertures. For the Summar, the FOOSM was for taking and the FOOPX was for projection. There was also a KUEOO filter for taking photos in artificial light. For the Hektor, the FARBA was for taking and the FARPU was for projection. There is no indication for projection apertures, but one must assume that could be easily adjusted with the lens, Summar or Hektor, on the projector. The UDIMO-300 projector was recommended.

 

Lager recounts in his book (published in 1998) that he had yet to inspect a lenticular transparency or to speak to anyone who used this material. It is not surprising that Agfa and Leitz, two German companies, co-operated on this project. During that time Leica tried out many new ideas and was not afraid to discard them when they found that they did not work. The pace of development of Leica cameras, lenses and accessories in the first 10 or 15 years up to WWII was extremely rapid and in many ways it mirrored the development of digital cameras in recent years. I have written an article about a few of those developments here:

 

http://macfilos.com/...ogress?rq=1930s

 

Studying early Leica equipment and techniques is a bit like archaeology. There is a lot more in the Lager piece and the 1935 article, but I believe that the details above cover most of the points that Chris has raised.

 

William