Jump to content

M8 + Visoflex II + Hektor 135/4.5


Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Thought I would report on my adventures with this set up, was on sale at local store & I decided to try it, also it would allow me to use on telescope & microscope. With some web searching I found that the VF II must have a VF III pentaprism as it fits without problems to my M8. The initial test pictures were not at all convincing, low contrast and focussing was totally off. As it was not working smoothly (mirror was not moving freely), I decided to give it a CLA myself. Mostly just using IPA and a cotton swab. The lens (head) itself was good, the coating seems to be perfectly intact only some minor marks of use on the barrel. Similarly the viewfinder and Visoflex, mainly cleaning - I would put it in mint- range. I applied some IPA and lubricant to some obvious locations and mirror works fine now. After further digging around on the web I concluded that the only possible focus problem cause could be with the focusing screen, this fixes to the top of the mirror box with some shims for positioning and 4 easy screws, flipping the matte glass over was simple enough and focusing is fine now.

 

I am not sure if I should upload all my trial pictures here, so see Flickr album if you are interested: https://flic.kr/s/aHskWBvkZA

A select few are below (of the set up using Huawei P9 = Leica lens => allowed ;)

 

All in all I must say I am rather impressed, the VF II is rock solid and nicely engineered, the total weight on M8 is 1540 grams so long shutter speeds are doable hand-held about 1/30 is OK, 1/15 is hit & miss (mass = stability obviously). The Hektor lens (1958) has somewhat of a reputation I gathered (named after Berek's dog, appropriately some suggest) but I am convinced, I am quite pleased with the sharpness & CA, nothing very horrible, I love the 19 blade diafraghm is as round as it will ever get and thus gives a nice bokeh. Overall character of the lens is quite pleasing, nice warm and fuzzy feel to it :)

 

Questions I still have:

1 - the matte glass is plastic and has a Fresnel like lens on the top side, I expect the original screen is made from frosted glass, can anyone point me in the right direction for a suitable improvement there? There are multiple options I believe.

2 - the Hektor lens as such is fine but the diaphragm is dry, is that something I can do myself? Otherwise I guess Wil van Maanen can apply some fairy dust but at 'only' 260 euro all in (plus 16471J extender). I do not feel inclined to spend too much more (.... yeah, no comment) + I enjoy the tinkering.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

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

Edited by SJP
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Aha... :) ...it's pleasant to see that someone still starts nowadays the Visoflex experience... and with M8, like it or not, is a USEFUL device... of course accepting its limitations ; as a person who used Visoflexes for lot of years with film, and for 5 years on M8, with lenses from 50 to 800, I think to have something to say :

 

- Not to be blunt about your choice... but Visoflex III is definitely better than II : the capability to mount/dismount without removing the prism  not only makes quickier the usage... it prevents gradual dirty on the matte screen. Also, the mirror operation is finer... though the "instant return" is not a facility to over-value.

 

- The standard screen is matte glass (on which I "wrote" the cropped frame of M8 by a thin pencil... ;) ) : I don't know if is easy to find another (Van Manen maybe has ?) ; i distinctly remember that years ago , your well known compatriot Jaapv wrote that the interchangable screens of a Leica Reflex (don't remember which model, sorry) can be mounted (adapted with slight filing , maybe...) to the Viso II/III. Probably those screens can be found around

 

- A good Hektor is a good 135, as you did note... the diaphragm is in a position such that I think that a do-it-yourself access is better to be avoided.. also my Hektor has "dry" blades, and operating the diaphragm is un-smooth ... and it was so even when I bought it something like 32/33 years ago : used it for >15 years (now is "on the shelf") and never had any real issue : mechanics is simple and  good, blades are clean though "ungreased at all"

 

- In general, your setup is "intriguing" (lenshead+OTSRO+OTZFO... oh those old codes... ;) ) , but let me say that there are easier ways to use 135 on M8... straight RF lens with external VF is better in Handling (for the crop of M8, I'd reccomend the Leitz folding VF... there are also "180mm" VF around)...and the goggled 135 2,8 is the best for framing... so... find at least a Telyt 200 :D  (and a bellows for macro) , which give you (and your Visoflex... they HAVE soul)  the proud to be used where it's really the indispensable device.

 

btw... about your phone... I got a Huawei P10-Summarit 10 days ago... my first Android device... M8+Visoflex+bellows+adapter+lenshead+tripod is easier to operate... (but don't have flash...)

Edited by luigi bertolotti
  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

Every now and then someone offers a Visoflex grtound glass for sale on the well known sites. I would advice you to try that first, since there is a problem with the thickness and the exact measurements of the Leica reflex ground glasses. I was lucky that some years ago another forum member sold me a new Visoflex groundglass.

Lex

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Dear Luigi, many thanks for your encouragement. I appreciate that the Visoflex III has its advantages, in fact the shop had two of those on sale as well, however it was a package deal and the VF III's were considerably more expensive in combination with a 90mm lens that I did not see the benefits of. I already have a Tele Elmarit 90 "fat" which I do not use so much. My primary use of the Visoflex I think will be for macro photography or indeed with a telescope, point taken that if I bump into a 200mm lens that will be interesting. Thanks also for pointing out the minor fact that I need to mark the M8 framelines on the 'glass' screen, another interesting project ;) I am sure I will have to learn all the confusing codes OTZFO etc. by heart so as to become member of the inner circle. Your comments on better 135mm solutions I agree with except that the times I tried one I did not like the complications of rangefinder focusing much. I nearly got a 135mm f3.4 apo-telyt-m on one occasion but decided against it, a choice I may regret someday. Anyway having one of those does not solve my macro desires while the Visoflex II does give me multiple options there and for stationary objects the 'speed' of operation hardly is a factor. Note, the diaphragm operation is reasonably smooth I will keep an eye on it, my worries are over for the moment.

 

Also, Lex many thanks for the advice, I will dig into this further, presumably there are technical datasheets for the required dimensions & thickness? Also Google is my friend, like here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-LEICA-M-VISOFLEX-II-AND-III-GLASS-FOCUSING-FOCUS-SCREEN-/111404735399. If I see this I think I can handle trying to make one myself if I know the thickness, making the glass matt is not particularly difficult and grinding to size is very simple.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello Stephen.

 

If 1 day you come across a 135mm F4 Elmar, either screw mount or bayonet mount,: You might consider using it to replace your Hektor lens head since the screw threads & other parameters on their removable lens heads are the same. And the 135mm F4 Elmar is a better lens. Both close up & at longer distances.

 

42mm X 0.75mm is the thread on both lens heads.

 

The removable lens head for the 135mm, F4 Tele-Elmar is different.

 

33mm X 1mm

 

The Tele-Elmar will fit directly into the 16464 that you have there. You can get the Tele-Elmar lens head to focus even closer by adding a 16471 which will also fit between the 16472 that your Hektor lens head is in & the 16464 that the 16472 is connected to.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Edited by Michael Geschlecht
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I am always happy to see the Visoflex used and promoted. The concept continues to be practical and useful. I am sorry that newer lenses do not have removable lens heads. It seems to me that the most useful lenses for the Visoflex are the 135mm Tele-Elmar and the 90mm (3 element) Elmar, both of which are outstanding lenses, even today. Plus, add the bellows II and the whole thing is as useful and flexible as it gets.

 

I think I prefer the Visoflex II – mainly because the eyepiece in the 90º prism can be easily adjusted to my eyes – while the taller III prism requires diopter lenses, which are very hard to find. The instant return feature of the III is no big advantage, IMO.

 

The whole business looks a little large and old fashioned, but it works superbly, and is not seriously bigger that many of the rhino-sized DSLRs currently on the market.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

.... My primary use of the Visoflex I think will be for macro photography or indeed with a telescope,...

In this case, a really good add-on could be the vertical 5x "chimney" finder (code 16461) :

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

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

 

for macro with bellows on tripod is the best way to have a comfortable viewpoint, and is also more luminous than the prism : in fact, I keep my one permanently on the VisoII. it frees you from the hassle of dismounting the prism to Mount the Viso on body (it's slim and rotates with no interference on the M body). Not difficult to find one, I think,,,, I got mine 20 years ago about, with box and at a decent cost.

I haven't experience with astrophoto , but think it can be good for this purpose, too.

Edited by luigi bertolotti
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

The Chimney finders show up rather often on the big auction site. I keep a Viso III and a Viso II handy, as I have a LTM body mount on one and an M mount on the other. I also keep both an older right angle and chimney mount because of the diopter adjustment.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

@Michael G, thank you, yes in fact I got the 16471 extension ring together with the rest of the stuff. Is the 16472 Hektor tube the same as on a regular Hektor M-mount lens or how does that work? Not that I like the appearance of a Hektor lens much I must admit, no sudden urge to add that. The front lens cap of the TE 90 as well as IR filter & hood are interchangeable with the Hektor which is nice. I might see if I can get a silver front lens-cap for the Hektor head sometime, curiously that was not part of the set.

 

Also, I appreciate all the comments about the right angle 5x viewfinder, of course on a microscope with photo-tube and binocular eyepieces I can just focus using the microscope once I have calibrated the camera & visoflex. On a telescope for astrophotography you normally attach to the ocular eyepiece so then I need to calibrate to infinity which is theory is a once only operation. A clear glass screen in the Visoflex is the obvious choice then so you can check that the object is in view. Do I understand correctly that the vertical 5x "chimney" finder (code 16461) has an adjustable eyepiece?

 

Anyway, bottom line is that I am pleasantly surprised with the Visoflex II and indeed with the Hektor head, despite its poor reputation.

Edited by SJP
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello Stephen,

 

The 16472 accepts the Lens head of the 135mm, F4.5 Hektor or of the135mm, F4 Elmar after it is separated from the focusing mount. Bayonet or screw mount. The 16472 & lens head goes into the 16464 for focus from Infinity to 1 meter on the Visoflex II or III.

 

The 16471 goes between the 16472 & the 16464 on the Visoflex II or III to focus from 1 meter to 0.7 meters. You can add more 16471's to get to 1 : 1.

 

The lens head from the 135mm, F4 Tele-Elmar fits the 16464 directly in order to focus from Infinity to 1 meter.

 

The extension tube 16471 fits between the Tele-Elmar lens head & the 16464 to give the same closer focus that takes place when the 16471 is placed between the 16472 with the appropriate 135mm, F4.5 Hektor or 135mm, F4 Elmar lens head attached & the 16464.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Edited by Michael Geschlecht
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

. Do I understand correctly that the vertical 5x "chimney" finder (code 16461) has an adjustable eyepiece?

 

Yes, adjustable a lot... and with a very comfortable eyepiece... is a fine device, trust me.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

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

Edited by luigi bertolotti
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...