Leitz Hektor 200/2.5 slide projection lens as taking lens?

**drew.saunders** · 3-Oct-2010, 22:06

Many years ago I recovered from a dumpster at work an old Leitz slide projector, one that does one slide at a time instead of from a tray, that had a 200/2.5 Hektor lens on it. Having read about people using magic lantern projection lenses for taking, I took it out of its focusing tube and held it up to the front of my Ebony and it covers the whole 4x5 at portrait distances (i.e.: about 6-7 feet or so) with maybe 10mm or so of rise. I may test it at infinity later by pointing it at a street light.

Anyone use one of these as a taking lens for LF? It's, not surprisingly, somewhat huge, about 80mm in diameter at the end that pointed in towards the projector and a bit over 90mm at the end that pointed at the screen. If used to make photos, which end do you point at the film? I presume the end that used to point at the screen goes towards the film and the end that used to point at the slides goes to the subject? Does it matter? I got an image either way and they looked about the same. I think it's only two hunks of glass, one at either end, at least I only see two reflections, but I'm not sure what I'm doing with counting elements.

No clue how I'd get it on the front of the camera or how I'd make exposures, but it could be fun to play with.

Drew

**john wilton** · 3-Oct-2010, 23:15

Give it a shot! I think you'll like it. I use 80/100/120 Hektors on my Nikon D700 for portraits. You'll probably want to use movements to get the best definition on the main subject. They were certainly designed to cover 6x6cm.

You should see 6 bright and one faint. It's 4 elements in three groups, but unlike the Tessar the cemented pair is the middle group.

Front of the lens (screen end) faces the subject.

Luc shutter? Speed Graphic or (ideally, if back focus is long enough) an RB Graflex?