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Specification

Source of data

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Manufacturer description #1

At full aperture a special lens for portraits, sports and press photography, forensic photography, night pictures and theatre subjects; at smaller apertures an excellent landscape lens, capable of universal use. Focusing mount with rectilinear motion, therefore equally suitable for colour photography by the Agfacolor process.

Manufacturer description #2

HEKTOR 73mm focus, f:1.9 (HEKON) - Here is the speediest lens of the series. It is most useful for portrait and aerial photography, besides serving in the capacity of a real speed lens. Its additional focal length is a desirable combination with its speed.

HEKTOR 73mm focus, f:1.9 (HEGRA) - Same as the previous HEKTOR lens, but adapted especially for use with the natural color photography filters. This lens is mounted in a special micrometer spiral mount which permits it to be focused without turning the entire lens system.

Manufacturer description #3

Owing to its great light transmitting capacity, the Leitz-Hektor lens F/1.9, 7.3 cm. is of particular importance for the Press photographer and where a longer focus for greater distances is desirable. At full aperture attention must be paid to correct setting, in order to remain within the depth of field. As the lens is stopped down, the image gains rapidly in sharpness, so that it is also suitable for landscape photography.

At full aperture it is an ideal lens for portraits, as the long focal length and large aperture result in a neutral background, an effect which is often desirable in portraiture.

Manufacturer description #4

From the LEICA photography magazine (1961, No. 3):

The year 1931 saw the birth of speed lens for the Leica which was important news then and whose maximum aperture is still respectable despite 30 years of progress in optics. It was the 73mm Hektor f/1.9, designed by Professor Max Berek who had also designed the very first lenses intended specifically for the Leica.

Leica photographers of the day were limited to "fast" films whose speed was about 23° Scheiner. This corresponds to about 16 in the ASA system, or about equal to today's slowest high-resolution films. So you can see why this new superspeed lens was warmly welcomed.

Besides speed, the 73mm Hektor offered an image size nearly 50% larger than that produced by the standard 50mm lens. This combination of speed and large image made it particularly suited to theatre photography and informal portraiture under existing light.

Despite limitations imposed on high-aperture lenses by the optical glasses of the '30's, the 73mm Hektor was described as producing "an extraordinarily sharp image, even at its fullest aperture. The effect wide open is a pleasing softness over the entire picture area, which is not at all detrimental, particularly in portrait and landscape photography. As the lens is stopped down, the depth of field increases as does also the sharpness."

Other short telephoto prime lenses in the Leica SM system

Lenses with similar focal length