Giuliobigazzi Posted June 24, 2023 Share #1  Posted June 24, 2023 Advertisement (gone after registration) Can anyone tell me what is going on with this lens? Hektor 196188 with the aperture scale ring reversed and engraved top and bottom, aperture coincides with this going from right wide open to right, the opposite way. Engraved nr. Instead of no. and aluminium ltm ring instead of brass. also present is the thread start locator arrow on the side and coated. All points to the lens being reworked but  I don’t understand the reasoning behind it 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/378746-strange-hektor-135/?do=findComment&comment=4800860'>More sharing options...
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luigi bertolotti Posted June 25, 2023 Share #2 Â Posted June 25, 2023 (edited) Curios... looks like the head had been reversed and remounted... but this would need several reworks... I wonder if it was simply an error from the engravers, and the lens was anyway assembled and delivered to some insider people (adding the white lines for ease of stop setting) I have not such an old Hektor and don't know if the f/stops are on a separate ring, then assembled on the head (which could make more possibile such an error) or onto a single lathed component. The "new" ltm ring can be a later maintenance work. Â Edited June 25, 2023 by luigi bertolotti Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giuliobigazzi Posted June 25, 2023 Author Share #3  Posted June 25, 2023 This would make sense, but for the aperture mechanism. If the ring was engraved upside down and then turned over and new marks added, the markings would be back to front in relation to the iris? On other hektors the 4.5 mark is on the left and on this is on the right. It’s like the actual aperture mechanism is assembled in reverse, and because of this the ring is reversed to make it right. But is it possible to assemble iris back to front like this? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
romanus53 Posted June 25, 2023 Share #4 Â Posted June 25, 2023 From the general shape the tube looks like an early version like the Elmar 4.5/13,5 cm lens. Leitz changeged this but I don't know when and have no Hektor near this number. The Hektor was also popular amongst cine-users and as it has been coated (after WWII) it looks like a custom modification made for someone who was used to operate the aperture-rings of his lenses in that direction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerzy Posted June 25, 2023 Share #5 Â Posted June 25, 2023 I have some Elmars and early Hektors, I may check it when back home in few days. Ring with aperture engravings is pushed over the mount and needs to be pulled off when cleaning aperture setting ring (knurled). I do not see a reason why someone would like to modify lens in sich way. But I can imagine following scenario: someone has taken lens apart to clean aperture blades. After cleaning blades have been assembled in wrong, opposite order. Usually this shall not happen, blades are differently shaped on both ends, but aperture will work when assembled in opposite way. Will function but as well in opposite direction. And then you need to mount aperture ring in opposite way. No and Nr question - do not know 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giuliobigazzi Posted June 25, 2023 Author Share #6  Posted June 25, 2023 Thanks Jerzy, the scenario is certainly possible, however it seems strange to me that once assembled wrong, one would go to the trouble of re engraving the ring instead of just redoing it right.. the aperture blades look to be in the correct orientation. I’ve contacted Leica to see if they have any repair notes, because of the ‘nr’ this could have been worked on by the factory at some stage. No. was replaced by nr. In many camera conversions post war 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/378746-strange-hektor-135/?do=findComment&comment=4801387'>More sharing options...
jerzy Posted June 25, 2023 Share #7 Â Posted June 25, 2023 Advertisement (gone after registration) Giulio, no Need to reengrave, it is enough to mount the Ring front-back. I am not at home, cannot post any photos, but have a look on a Hektor from US offered on fleabey. One of the photos shows aperture partially closed, blades have different orientation. I am not aware, if blades orientation was changed during production (Hektor on fleabay is 6xxxxx) but I should have at home an early Hektor, will check it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giuliobigazzi Posted June 25, 2023 Author Share #8 Â Posted June 25, 2023 (edited) Yes it looks like the late hektors have the aperture numbers the same as mine with 4.5 to the left and blades in same direction. Also with nr. Edited June 25, 2023 by Giuliobigazzi Edit Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerzy Posted June 26, 2023 Share #9  Posted June 26, 2023 Giulio, Elmar non-std and early Hektor have the same orientation, like the one on fleabay, opposite to yours. Mechanical construction has been modified later and my 8xxxxx has the same orientation as yours. I never checked when exactely modification happened, must have been between 6xxxxxx and 850xxx 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! In regard to your lens there is one scenario more possible - lens is coated, so it was reworked. If during any rework/repair aperture blades have been replaced than they were of a newer type, different orientation. And then the original aperture scale ring had to be reversed, new ring does not fit older tube. Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! In regard to your lens there is one scenario more possible - lens is coated, so it was reworked. If during any rework/repair aperture blades have been replaced than they were of a newer type, different orientation. And then the original aperture scale ring had to be reversed, new ring does not fit older tube. ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/378746-strange-hektor-135/?do=findComment&comment=4801949'>More sharing options...
Giuliobigazzi Posted June 26, 2023 Author Share #10  Posted June 26, 2023 Thanks Jerzy, yes, this could have been what happened. The main body with the arrow looks like it has been resprayed and the arrow and triangle have not been infilled with white, and part that attaches to the camera replaced with aluminium type, so heavily reworked for some reason. There is still the mystery of the nr. engraving which suggests it’s not the original one.. that, I can’t get my head around Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giuliobigazzi Posted June 26, 2023 Author Share #11  Posted June 26, 2023 Just took the head off and looked inside, there is serial 196186 scratched inside, head is 196188 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/378746-strange-hektor-135/?do=findComment&comment=4802142'>More sharing options...
jerzy Posted June 27, 2023 Share #12  Posted June 27, 2023 (edited) Giulio, I would not pay too much attention to this mismatch, as long as focus is correct.... Could a a simple mistake of the person who assembled the lens in the factory initialy. Either wrongly scratched or mixed head vs focusing mount. They had up to 10 units on assembling table at the same time, mistake could happen. I believe I showed you similar mistake on one of my II, same story - wrong cover taken when assembling. Scratched number on the top plate matches engraved number hidden now under rangefinder. 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 June 27, 2023 by jerzy Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/378746-strange-hektor-135/?do=findComment&comment=4802342'>More sharing options...
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