Expert: David Silver - 4/10/2006

Question
Thanks for your input, David. For a plebian like me, whose only contact with Leicas has been my first 35mm (a Leica IIIa with f2 Summar, and a hard-to-find 50mm f1.9 Hexanon), and my precious M4P with 3 lenses, touching a Ia was a spiritual experience. You can see my Leica in an ad I did about 22 years ago, with a collaboration with Leica Canada, at http://www.proclinica.com/id15.html

The serial number of the Ia we found is 23225...which is well below the listing I found in two places for the run of original Hektors. I would love to be proven wrong.

I was surprised to see some guys selling Ia models that were factory upgraded to coupled rangefinder models (II?). Are they correct/honest? I find that the equivalent of Chevvy taking back a straight 6 and dropping in a V8.

I really value your input, David.  

Answer
Hi again,

Ah, regarding those factory upgrades.  Unless the serial number is very low (ie. four digit rather than five, and therefore rather uncommon and much more desirable), a Leica I(A) that has been upgraded to a Leica II or III is properly described and valued as that later model.  The upgrade is actually quite common.  Since the II and III were substantially more expensive than the I(A), Leitz offered the cost effective option of upgrading.  Many people did it!  Such upgrades are perfectly "correct", but the way they are sometimes presented by sellers can be far from "honest"!

Now, about that Hektor.  It's the real deal.  There are no accurate records for the given serial numbers on these, and no proof of the total count.  1300 units is more a guesstimation based on various factors than on hard facts.  Last year, I found a certain rare Nikon lens with the lowest serial number ever recorded for that formula.  Pushed the production and release dates back an entire year.  Blew people away, but there it was!  Your Hektor Leica I(A) has the lowest serial number I've ever seen or heard about, but that was never enough to discount it.  First of all, the camera's serial number places it early in 1930, but that's an allocation date and only means it can't be any EARLIER than that.  The camera could actually have come out of the factory much later in 1930, or even early 1931.  Secondly, the Hektor was introduced in mid 1930 as an alternative interchageable normal lens for the new Leica I(C), so it was certainly available.  Thirdly, there is much debate as to whether the Hektor first appeared off the assembly line as a fixed lens on the Leica I(A) or as that alternative for the Leica I(C).  Personally, since the early Leica I(C) required that all its interchangeable lenses had to be factory matched to whatever camera it was intended to fit (in other words, they had not yet figured out how to standardize the new interchangeable mount), I think the fixed version would have been released first because of the inherent waffling of narrow focus parameters of the faster Hektor formula.  Fourthly, although there are certainly records of the Leica I(A) with Elmar being upgraded for the Hektor, these upgrades were for the interchangeable lens, not fixed.  If somebody wanted a faster lens for their Leica I(A), Leitz upgraded the camera at least to a Leica I(C).  Good bye "hockey stick" infinity lock; hello interchangeability!  Take all this together, and what have you got?  A genuine original Leica I(A) with proper original Hektor lens!

So I went back to look more closely at the pictures.  I now see you have some condition issues.  There's a dent on the lens rim, some brassing along the edges, one particularly bare patch by the rewind knob, but it's still overall much nicer than the one in my collection.  I had suggested a fair market value of $4000 and insurance replacement value of $5000, and perhaps it should now be a bit lower in lieu of these condition issues, but maybe not!  If you lost it next week, and the insurance company came to me regarding your claim (several do!), I think I wouldn't have a problem telling them, yes, $5000 to replace it is about right.

Great item!  Have fun!

Best wishes,

David Silver