Leica Hektor 7.3cm f/1.9

Leica Hektor 7.3cm f/1.9

The Leica Hektor 7.3cm f/1.9 is an early fast short-telephoto lens introduced by Ernst Leitz in December 1931. Designed for Leica screw-mount cameras, it was intended for theatre photography, indoor portraiture, reportage and other situations involving low light or greater working distances. Its 73mm focal length and f/1.9 aperture made it an important early high-speed lens within the developing Leica system.

The optical construction consists of six elements arranged as three cemented doublets. This compound-triplet formula provided only six air-to-glass surfaces, helping to limit reflections in an era before anti-reflection coating became standard. The lens has a twelve-blade diaphragm, a substantial brass focusing mount and a removable optical head. Most surviving examples focus to approximately 1.5 metres.

The Hektor was manufactured in several mechanically distinct forms. HEKON versions use a conventional rotating focusing mount, while HEGRA versions use a parallel, non-rotating mount developed for the early Agfacolor lenticular process. Early examples could be uncoupled, but most surviving lenses are mechanically coupled to the Leica rangefinder. Finishes include black and nickel, all-black and black with chrome focusing components.

Optical qualities

Rendering

At f/1.9, the Hektor produces very low overall contrast, softly defined fine detail and increasingly blurred detail toward the outer image field. Leitz literature described a slight intentional softness intended to benefit pictorial portraiture. The transition from the focused plane into foreground and background blur is gradual, which contributes to its recognisable early portrait-lens rendering.

Sharpness

Stopping down to f/2.8 improves contrast and the clarity of outlines. Fine detail becomes more visible at smaller apertures, although the lens retains softer edge definition than later short telephoto designs. Optical condition can substantially affect the results obtained from surviving examples.

Contrast and color

Most civilian Hektors were originally uncoated. Consequently, they produce lower contrast than later coated Leica lenses, particularly under strong or scattered light. Some lenses were coated during later factory servicing, while a small number of wartime military examples received coating during production.

Flare resistance

Flare sensitivity is high, especially when direct or oblique light reaches the front element. The dedicated FGHOO reversible hood is useful for practical photography and is also an important original accessory for collectors.

Distortion

Published optical analysis reports no readily visible distortion, making the lens suitable for portraits and general short-telephoto photography when its lower contrast and wide-aperture softness are acceptable.

Digital use

Coupled examples can be mounted on Leica M cameras using an appropriate LTM-to-M adapter. Early uncoupled examples cannot provide mechanical rangefinder focusing. No factory six-bit coding exists. A 75mm viewfinder frame provides a useful approximation on compatible Leica M bodies, while Leica screw-mount cameras generally require a suitable external finder.

History

Development and Launch

The Hektor 7.3cm f/1.9 was developed at Leitz during 1931 and is generally associated with optical designer Max Berek. It was first offered for sale in December that year. The lens represented Leitz’s first attempt to combine a relatively long focal length with a large aperture for available-light photography.

Production Evolution

The earliest HEKON lenses used a rotating focusing mount and could lack external serial numbers or rangefinder coupling. Coupled HEKONKUP versions appeared with the introduction of Leica cameras equipped with built-in coupled rangefinders.

The HEGRA parallel mount was introduced during the early 1930s for use with the Agfacolor lenticular process. Its front section remained correctly oriented during focusing, allowing the colored filter lines to stay aligned with the film structure. Later lenses returned to the simpler rotating HEKON construction as lenticular color processes lost importance.

Special Editions/Variants

HEKON identifies the conventional rotating focusing mount. HEKONKUP denotes a rangefinder-coupled form, while HEKONCHROM is associated with later chrome-finished focusing components.

HEGRA, HEGRAKUP and HEGRACHROM identify versions of the parallel, non-rotating focusing construction. These variants are historically connected with the Agfacolor lenticular process and can carry a locating stud for the corresponding filter assembly.

Special Editions/Variants

• HEKON series: HEKON, HEKONKUP and HEKONCHROM rotating-mount versions.
• HEGRA series: HEGRA, HEGRAKUP and HEGRACHROM parallel-mount Agfacolor versions.
• Military version: Rare coated black-and-chrome HEKON lenses with Kriegsmarine markings.
• Unusual finishes: Rare all-black examples and a reported all-chrome HEGRA variant.

Collector Notes

Collectors should first identify whether the lens has a rotating HEKON mount or a parallel HEGRA mount. The finish, focusing-ring width, infrared index, distance scale and rangefinder cam should then be checked against the serial number and period of production.