Leica LTM Need some help with lens ID please

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
T

TVphotog

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A friend here at work brought me this lens. He found it in a pawn shop. It looks to me to be an LTM lens that was converted at some point in its life to some sort of bayonet mount. It is any early lens(maybe) I only guess this because some of my earliest Nikon lenses 1961ish and such notate the length in CM like this one. That is all I can gather. Your help would be appreciated. And No, right now it is not for sale:p

Here are some pics to help

Lens in all its glory
lenstotal.jpg




Lens name and length, sorry for the lack of focus these were shot really quick and dirty.
lensname.jpg




Lens serial number, don't know if this will help. It usually does with Nikon and FSU lenses
lenserial.jpg




Lastly, the mount. Not being familiar with the M mount, is this what it is??
Lensmount.jpg



Thanks for the help guys
Ken
 
The M-mount is a screw to M adapter. It will screw off.
This mount will let you use a screw mount Leica lens on the Leica M mount cameras.
 
Cool, I will go try this. I found a place on the internet that dated the lens. Pre-1933 is what it claimed. Does this sound right?
TIA
Ken
 
Okay, the mount does not unscrew. There are 3 screws very close together just foward of the mount. The body of the lens also includes a tripod mount. Could some one have removed the rear of the lens and had it modified so as to only work on M mount cameras?
 
The three screws appear to be connected to a long bar which would accuate the rangefinder cam inside the camera body. It almost appears that the collar between the mount and where I can see the helical inside the lens could be removed. I don't know if that is actually the case or not.
 
TVphotog said:
I do not see hektor anywhere, but I will go look some more.
Click to expand...

Not all early (pre-1933) Hektors were labeled as such..

Take an old rag and wrap it around the mount and twist counterclockwise. It may be tight but should come off. The screws you mentioned in a previous post do not have to be removed..
 
"Elmar 13.5cm f/4.5" is visible in the first image, so I'd doubt that "Hektor" would appear anywhere else.
I'm not sure why there seems to be a serial number on the M-mount. Did Leica ever do this?
Maybe someone super glued the mount to the lens?
 
erikhaugsby said:
"Elmar 13.5cm f/4.5" is visible in the first image.
Click to expand...

I missed that. It is an early Elmar.

erikhaugsby said:
I'm not sure why there seems to be a serial number on the M-mount. Did Leica ever do this?
Click to expand...

That's the part number of the screw to M adapter..

erikhaugsby said:
Maybe someone super glued the mount to the lens?
Click to expand...

Only a dim wit would do that...but the would is full of dim wits...
 
Okay, the mount does unscrew, I just can't do it right now. Also, the F-stops are strange. 4.5; 6.3; 9; 12.5; 18; 25 and 36. Okay, with a little bit of persistance, a really big wrench and a small bit of oil, the mount came off. It is a screwmount lens. Now for the really big question. The iris blades are a bit 'off' Is this a hard fix? Looks like one has 'jumped the track' for lack of a better term.
 
According to my book this lens was introduced in 1931 and had a production run of approx. 5,200 total before the Hektor was introduced.

My personal experience with this lens is it is a bit low in contrast but does a lot better stopped down to f/5.6-8.

I trade mine several years ago for a coated f/4 Elmar which is a far better lens..
 
Need some help with lens ID please

You've Lucked Out...the Cap And The Sm To M-mount Adapter Are Worth Close To $100 Usd...the Lens Is Worth, Depending On Condition, Very Little To Maybe $40-50 Usd...that's Assuming That The Cap And The Adapter Are Made By Leitz And Are In Good Condition...
 
TVphotog said:
Okay, the mount does unscrew, I just can't do it right now. Also, the F-stops are strange. 4.5; 6.3; 9; 12.5; 18; 25 and 36.
Click to expand...

These were pre-war f/stops..

TVphotog said:
Now for the really big question. The iris blades are a bit 'off' Is this a hard fix? Looks like one has 'jumped the track' for lack of a better term.
Click to expand...

The lens head will unscrew from the focus mount. Then unscrew both front and rear elements. Referring to the below photo you will see pins in slots. See if you can find one out of its slot and carefully work it back into the slot. If the pin is broken..the lens is a shelf decoration unless you can find a replacement.

hektor.jpg
 
The cap and the adapter are made by Leitz. The cap even still has the nice leather ring on the inside to hold it on to the lens. The mount is marked 'Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany DBP' with 13.5 cm stamped on the opposite side. The iris blade problem does not look that hard to fix. I may do it tonight and play with the lens some tomorrow
The pins are fine. One had just come out of the slot. I did notice that one of blades appears to be out of alignment. I may try to fix that. I am not sure yet.
Thanks Guys
Ken
 
Last edited:
I have a bad tendance to remove the errant blades, some iris will work happily with reduced blade counts.

Noel
 
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