Yeah, I'm liking the Konica Hexar AF

Great thread. Thanks for all the top info. Had my HEX AF for a while now, and just ordered a verdigris goat skin from Cameraleather - won't look quite as funky as Roland's cobraskin, but I will post the result.
 
if i may add three things:
1. I have dragged my hexar af last summer in red volcano crater and in miniature rainforests (with rain) and on sandy beaches with very fine sand. (see a few examples below. Alert: holiday snaps.) Although i do take care of my gear, exposure to the elements was unavoidable.
Nothing seemed to harm this "point and shoot".
2. I bought it about a year ago with a battery installed. I got three spare batteries from the original owner. One of the batteries is expired in 2005. I asked him about it. He said he used it for quite some time, and always carried a few spare batteries "just in case" but he never had to change them. That's why the first one he bought already expired.
I still use the one that was inside, when i bought it.
3. Something to be aware of: If you shoot through glass/window, the AF will focus on the window (or not focus at all, if you are too close to the window). Normally one should not shoot through window of course, but situation might ask for such an action; in that case, you must use manual focus.
 

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Great info Pherdinand

Great info Pherdinand

Fortunately, there is the one touch infinity focus thing. I think that sometimes focusing on the glass can work out well. If you have the Leica M book, there is a photo of people behind the glass, where the focus is on the glass with rain, I think the lens is an example of the 75/1.4 lux.


Pherdinand said:
if i may add three things:
1. I have dragged my hexar af last summer in red volcano crater and in miniature rainforests (with rain) and on sandy beaches with very fine sand. (see a few examples below. Alert: holiday snaps.) Although i do take care of my gear, exposure to the elements was unavoidable.
Nothing seemed to harm this "point and shoot".
2. I bought it about a year ago with a battery installed. I got three spare batteries from the original owner. One of the batteries is expired in 2005. I asked him about it. He said he used it for quite some time, and always carried a few spare batteries "just in case" but he never had to change them. That's why the first one he bought already expired.
I still use the one that was inside, when i bought it.
3. Something to be aware of: If you shoot through glass/window, the AF will focus on the window (or not focus at all, if you are too close to the window). Normally one should not shoot through window of course, but situation might ask for such an action; in that case, you must use manual focus.
Click to expand...
 
How would you compare the Hexar AF with other high-end fixed lens cameras?
In particular, I am thinking of the Contax T2 and the Fuji Natura Black.

Camera: Lens:
Hexar AF 35mm/2.0
Zeiss T2 38mm/2.8
Natura 24mm/1.9


Other fixed lens cameras with first class lenses include:

Olympus XA
Konica S2 (or S3)
Rollei 35SE (or similar model)
Nikon 35TE

If you were to take two such cameras with you to an important trip on which a small camera is better suited, which would you choose and why?

This thread reminded me of the excellent Hexar AF camera, but is it the'best"?
 
Hi Raid

Hi Raid

I have never tried the others (didn't you once have a Natura)? but the 2.8 would be too slow for indoors low light where you need every bit of f2 with 800 film and 1/8th handheld, and I think the Natura doesn't always open up to 1.9 easily, possibly giving less control than the other P&S options.

raid said:
How would you compare the Hexar AF with other high-end fixed lens cameras?
In particular, I am thinking of the Contax T2 and the Fuji Natura Black.

Camera: Lens:
Hexar AF 35mm/2.0
Zeiss T2 38mm/2.8
Natura 24mm/1.9


Other fixed lens cameras with first class lenses include:

Olympus XA
Konica S2 (or S3)
Rollei 35SE (or similar model)
Nikon 35TE

If you were to take two such cameras with you to an important trip on which a small camera is better suited, which would you choose and why?

This thread reminded me of the excellent Hexar AF camera, but is it the'best"?
Click to expand...
 
Hi Ted,

The Natura is a difficult camera to control. It seems to have its own mind. Its only advantage is the 24mm lens when I need a wide angle lens in a small package.
 
vrgard said:
Mike, I have not yet used the flash with the Hexar AF. Care to share any of your tips or experiences?

-Randy
Click to expand...

The Hexar AF flash has given me the best flash pictures of any camera
I used. It doesn't look like a flash was used at all.

-Francis
 
The Hexar is as hard to define as the term "best". Many have tried, but their personal strings seem to be of different length if you'll pardon my obtuseness.

I have a few high end "point and shoot" compacts, and the Hex AF is neither compact or just a p & s.

For me it's as much about a particular mood and knowledge that the potential is there because of the excellent IQ and flexibility of these various cameras.

E.g.

favourites:
Hex AF - super quiet, great fast lens f2, overrides, thinking required for best results, but can be p&s
Nikon 35ti - funky-tech, easy, relatively compact, matrix metering, great lens, aperture priority,annoying flash cancel.
Ricoh GR1s - great wide lens f2.8 (my fav FOV), compact, aperture priority, filters, good flash cancel.
Oly XA - retro-funk, very good lens, very compact clamshell, aperture priority, quiet, design masterpiece.
Oly XA4 - very good wide lens, good close focus (.4m), zone focus, quiet.
Rollei 35s - lovely sonnar 2.8, funky-retro, solid heft, manual so thinking again
Ricoh GRD - most used these days - easy digital, wide (21mm) and standard (40mm) accessory lenses

More P&S style:
Yashica t4 - great T* zeiss lens, compact
Oly mju II great lens, tiny, weatherproof, clamshell, cheap take anywhere but top results
Fuji Tiarra - great 28mm fujinon super ebc, tiny jewel, annoying (cancelable)flash preference on mine.
 
farce said:
The Hexar AF flash has given me the best flash pictures of any camera
I used. It doesn't look like a flash was used at all.

-Francis
Click to expand...

Francis, I'm still working with my Hexar AF to get good flash results. I'm sure it's just my lack of knowledge/experience with this particular camera. So, it would be helpful if you could share what settings you typically use with your Hexar AF and flash.

Thanks,
Randy
 
Hi Randy,
I usually use 400 speed film, haven't used this outdoors that much.
for indoor flash I use the P mode but set the aperture at 5.6 or 8.
I think this sort of guides the camera to use this aperture if possible
and my flash pictures come out great. much better than the flash
pictures using contax g2/tla200. I would put the following from best to worst.

1. hexar af - hk14 flash - P mode and 5.6 aperture
2. nikon n70 with d lens and sb28 on ttl.
3. cl on f8 with nikon sb-e flash on auto
4. contax g2 with tla200 on ttl.
5. other p/s like yashica t4/leica mini 3 etc.

-Francis
 
Hi Rav, that makes sense, i sort of had a vague idea of that.
I noticed I have my minimum set to 1/60 on my hexar.
maybe that's why I don't see the ghosting you refer to.

-Francis
 
Someone at PN wrote this about the Hexar AF and using flash:

"I have a Hexar AF Silver and I think this is an outstanding camera that I would not miss. The pictures are fantastic and it is a joy to use. Knowing it will let you take pictures in a lot of situations. No doubt - it is a fantastic camera. ... BUT, this camera has a weak point. If you use the flash in P-mode just in situations where there is enough ambient light, then it will first expose the film with the ambient light, e.g. f/2.0 and 1/30 sec. if that is the slowest speed set by you*. Then it changes the aperture to match the GN/distance, and if the flash is the dedicated HX-14 then the GN is 14 and if the distance is short, then the aperture has to change from f/2.0 to e.g. f/16 if the distance is 0.9 meter. When the aperture has changed then the flash will fire. However, changing the aperture from f/2.0 to f/16 takes a little time, and in this period of time the subject could have moved. That way the pictures looks quite "strange" if the motiv is in movement. See picture attached. I first wondered why some of my pictures with flash in P-mode looked strange, then realized the reason, and did some testshots which confirmed my explanation above. Now I mainly use the Hexar AF with the Nikon SB-30 flash outside in either A- mode or manual mode, and the Sunpak 383 (bounce flash) inside and the Hexar in manual mode and letting the autothyristor on the flashs decide the flash- output. This also has a few more benefits. My kids and wife did complain about the heavy flash emited by the HX-14 in P-mode, because it will fire with full power in every shot. Too hard for their eyes. Using the flash in automode actually lets me work with reduced flash output which is not so annoying to my kids, and the flash is ready for a new shot much faster. *) If you still want to use the P-mode when shooting flash, then set the slowest speed to 1/60 sec, which is the higest speed you can define for that "lowest accptable speed" in P-mode (Keep pressing the "select" and you can set the speed between 1/4 sec to 1/60 sec). If there is too litle ambient light to expose the film with f/2.0 and 1/30 sec, then it will work fine. The problems only occure when the ambient light is sufficient for exposure of the film with the f/2.0 and there is a need to change the aperture before the flash will fire. Hexar AF entusiasts will not like what they see on the attached picture, nor did I like it, but I have done several controlled tests and it all confirms the problem. Use A-mode or M-mode when shooting with flash and keep on loving this wonderfull piece of camera. I do."
 
"How would you compare the Hexar AF with other high-end fixed lens cameras?"

Oh hey, how can this list leave off the Leica Minilux? Such a fantastic camera.
 
A few newbie questions....

What would be a good price for one?

What is the maximum shutter speed?

Does it focus on the center of the fov?

Does it AF well enough for f2 to be realistic?

Thanks,
 
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