Leica LTM Difference between Hektor black and grey

[rangefindermania]

I am editing my original question, as reading more and more past auctions I start to notice the obvious difference. And the reason I was confused earlier was due to some mislabeling/misinterpretation.

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can someone please kindly tell me how to tell a grey Hektor 135 from a black one?

It sounds quite obvious, but the pictures online are really confusing. Some published here or in major auction site that marked grey look just like a black and vice versa.

The only vague info about serial number is from the wiki, whose serial number range also doesn't match that much according to the lenses I found in mentioned places.

Also, the Hektor 135mm seems to have so many cosmetic variants (besides colors and engraving), I look closely at those listed in collectiblend, almost half of them have very small variants cosmetically (again, besides color and engraving). Anyone has more info about this?

One more thing, what is exactly qualified as a matching lens? In the context of matching lens to a wartime camera, if it matters. Should it be from the same time period? the same year? or should it be earlier? I am asking this, because despite the fact that collectors usually break a pair apart to fetch more money, I found several examples that a wartime camera and lens pair got sold much higher than similar individual ones combined.

Thank you very much.

 

[Rob-F]

I would say the matching lens is one that was available new during the same year(s) as the camera. So it could be of the same year, or the most recent lens as of the year of the camera. (Just my take on it.)

I don't know about the Hektors. I'll see if I can find it in my copy of Lager on my next trip to the basement.

 

[rangefindermania]

Thanks, Rob-F. So if a lens and a camera were both produced during WWII, it should be safe to claim them matching?

 

[rangefindermania]

About Hektor, anyone knows books detailing them would be very helpful as well. Thanks.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Not much is known about the grey Hektor 135mm f/4.5 lenses. They were made during the war for the German army. Truly rare, so you are lucky when you have one.

Erik.

 

[rangefindermania]

Thanks, Erik.

I wish I do. But I do receive my first IIIc K with a black hektor. The camera is dated 1944-ish (needs to double check with my identify leica camera book tonight) and the lens is 1941.