I own a Leitz lens!

[ntenny]

OK, granted, it's the infamous 135/4.5 Hektor, but I own an actual piece of glass that says Ernst Leitz Wetzlar around the rim. I believe it cost me US$65.

Basically, I just thought it would be good to have a long lens for my evolving LTM kit (a couple of Soviet bodies, Bessa-L, Bessa-R, and a mix of Soviet and Voigtlaender lenses from 21mm to, now, 135mm), and the Hektor was the cheapest game in town. I'm not expecting miracles of it, and I know better than to think I can focus it reliably on the Bessa-R, but it has a "good for portraits" rep, and I've got this kid of whom I need to get a lot of portraits before he gets old enough to object to them.

I don't really have a point, I guess; I just found myself wanting to crow to an audience that would understand about my status-symbol-that-isn't.

-NT

 

[philosomatographer]

NT, congratulations! Now, of course, the proof will be in the results. Looking forward to seeing some, do you do analogue printing? I firmly believe that the best results are obtained with the old gear in an all-analogue workflow, and perhaps scanning the prints to show here on the web.

 

[Steve Roberts]

I don't really have a point, I guess; I just found myself wanting to crow to an audience that would understand about my status-symbol-that-isn't.

-NT

No need to have a point ! I just took delivery of a Leica III. I don't even particularly like rangefinders - just thought that having been into photography for almost 40 years now it was time I experienced one of Mr Leitz's products to see what all the fuss was about!

Enjoy the new glass,

Steve

 

[Ektagraphic]

Congrats!

 

[Steve Smith]

- just thought that having been into photography for almost 40 years now it was time I experienced one of Mr Leitz's products to see what all the fuss was about!

Hmmmm. Perhaps I need to get one too!


Steve.

 

[ntenny]

NT, congratulations! Now, of course, the proof will be in the results. Looking forward to seeing some, do you do analogue printing?

Not with 35mm---I don't really have enlarger space, so I'm contact-printing from about 6x9 up, and relying on a hybrid workflow for smaller formats.

I keep threatening to turn one of my plate cameras into an enlarger, and my wife keeps raising her eyebrow in That Way, so I think we're at an impasse for the moment...

Today is the smoke-test roll for the Voigtlander 75mm that I got at the same time; I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to do the same with the Hektor.

-NT

 

[Anscojohn]

[
Today is the smoke-test roll
-NT[/QUOTE]



***** What means "smoke-test?"

 

[ntenny]

***** What means "smoke-test?"

It's a joke from electrical engineering originally, I guess. See, the circuit is powered by magic smoke, and if something goes wrong, you can see the smoke leak out and the circuit doesn't work any more!

So a "smoke test" is when you run a first test on something, basically to make sure that all parts function and nothing fails catastrophically---the smoke stays in.

Pretty much everybody I work with is a EE, so I never know what's an industry in-joke and what's allegedly normal...

-NT

 

[Venchka]

With EEs, normal is abnormal. Grinning.

 

[outwest]

I see no reason to apologize for the Hektor. It may surprise you.

 

[Ralph Javins]

Pretty much everybody I work with is a EE, so I never know what's an industry in-joke and what's allegedly normal...

-NT

Nathan! Be kind!

Engineers are people, too, you know. Well, a different kind of people, yes, but still people!

 

[McFortner]

Having been an avionics tech in the Air Force, I fully understand about the properties of the magic smoke. Especially when it's pouring out of a piece of equipment on a fully fueled aircraft....

Michael

 

[tony lockerbie]

I believe that Max Berek named the lens after his dog, I hope that the lens doesn't prove to be like it's namesake!