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.

Contemporary Leitz guidance particularly recommended it for theatre work and indoor portraiture. Its focal length allowed subjects to be recorded at a larger scale than with a standard 50mm lens when the photographer could not approach closely. It remained an important high-speed Leica lens until faster and more highly corrected designs became available.

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.

Nickel focusing components were gradually replaced by chrome parts. Infrared index marks appeared on later barrels, and both metre and feet distance scales were produced. Collector references generally date the model from 1931 to 1942, although surviving serial-allocation records largely end with batches produced in 1941.

Published general specifications frequently give a weight of 460 g. Detailed collector references document approximately 475 g, 491 g, 493 g and 500 g for particular mechanical versions. Because the weight varies with the focusing mount and barrel type, no single value safely represents every Hektor 7.3cm version.

Early lenses use A42 slip-on filters. Some fronts have parallel grooves that resemble a thread but cannot accept an E39 filter. Later examples were produced with a functional E39 internal filter thread while retaining compatibility with appropriate external accessories.

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.

All-black examples are uncommon. A fully chrome HEGRA has also been reported, but collector research has not established whether it represented a small special-order series or an individual factory conversion.

Exceptionally rare coated military HEKON lenses were supplied for the German Kriegsmarine. Documented examples carry military eagle and naval inventory engravings. Leitz Auction records serial number 538242 as a black-and-chrome military lens delivered to Berlin in January 1941.

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.

Early externally unnumbered lenses and unusual all-black examples require careful authentication. Repainting, replacement nickel or chrome components, converted focusing mounts and later-applied coatings can complicate identification. The lens head and focusing mount should also be checked to ensure they are correctly matched.

The three cemented optical groups should be inspected for separation, haze, fungus, scratches and cleaning marks. Bubbles in the early optical glass are documented and do not automatically indicate damage. Rangefinder calibration is particularly important because the shallow depth of field at f/1.9 makes focusing errors readily visible.

Original accessories include the FGHOO reversible hood, ORXDO front cap and dedicated or universal Leica finders such as the SAIOO, VIDOM and VIOOH. The ORXDO cap fits over the reversed hood rather than directly onto the lens front, a detail that can cause apparently correct caps to seem oversized when the hood is missing.

Sources

• Leica Wiki, Hektor f=7.3 cm 1:1.9
• Summichronica, Leica Screw Mount Lenses 73mm
• Erwin Puts, Leica Lens Compendium
• Leica Guide, Historic Leica Camera and Lens Reference
• Leitz Photographica Auction, Hektor 1.9/7.3cm HEKON Kriegsmarine

Special editions

• 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.