help, hexar AF questions

[weetsie]

hi first post 😎

i have been looking for a 35mm to take high quality photos when i go traveling, i understand you can take better photos with a range finder because on an SLR the distance between glass and film is larger because of the mirror box and this decreases quality. can anyone explain this any better?

i have been looking at the hexar AF because i want something that is fast, sharp and can auto focus.

why i think it will be good for me:

-small, small enough to take traveling
-fast prime (i use a 35mm 2.0 on my DSLR 90% of the time)
-auto focus, i want to walk around and take quick snapshots but also manually set up some shots so the manual control is why i decided against the 35ti.
- leica sharp glass? can someone confirm this?

i went into a camera shop today and asked if they sell them. they told me they do get them in but they dont recommend them because they are more of a collectors camera than anything else and the 1/250 max speed makes it unusable in strong daylight. all in all a not practical camera.

but what is stopping me from stopping down to say F/8? or even F/22 if i need to?

and finally do you think this is a good camera for me, someone who is not intrested in cameras just good photos? thanks

 

[fixbones]

Hi Weetsie.

The Konica Hexar AF is a great camera. I think it is very much a collectors camera (just because its kinda hard to come by) and also a really great camera.

I gave up digital photography earlier this year and the Hexar AF was the first film camera i bought.

To answer your questions:
- It is not that small. Almost the same size as ay other RF (Leica, ZI) and certainly not pocketable.
- The lens is legendary. It'll be hard to find anybody that would deny that. Sharp, great color and contrast with a nice bokeh. You will not be disappointed!!
- Autofocus is fast and accurate. I know that you can manually set the focus but i have never tried that. I'm very happy with the autofocus.
- The metering is spot on.
- The max shutter speed of 1/250 is the only drawback imho. Having said that, it can be easily fixed with an ND4 filter or stoppng down. Image is definitely tack sharp at f16/18. Not sure if i've gone f22 before.
- One more thing, when the silent mode is activated....... IT IS EERILY SILENT!!!. I can barely hear the film advancing even with the camera pressed against my face. It is that silent.

Hope it helps =D

 

[fixbones]

Some images

Some images

Shot hand held at night at f2 with Kodak 400UC

f16 with Reala

Shot in an art gallery. It was quiet and the guy had no idea i was snapping away. Shot around f5.6 with Tri-X

 

[weetsie]

by small i mean not an SLR, i have seen it next to the M6 then 35ti and then saw both of them in a camera shop today and im fine with the size.


thanks for fast replies, you have given me me enough confidence to bid on one on ebay ending in... 2 minutes better type quick

its the black version with date back, the last 4 ones to go went for over $430 + postage and none of them had date back.

i think i will try $430 considering it has flash, and cases.. argh i better place a bid before i miss it

 

[weetsie]

yay $404 go me!

 

[fixbones]

Well congrats!!!
Post pictures soon =D

 

[weetsie]

thanks

thinking of making a dark room, apparently you can develop your own b+w photos for $100

 

[mfunnell]

You don't even need a darkroom to develop the negatives - a changing bag, developing tank, chemicals and a few bits'n'pieces does the trick nicely. You'd need a darkroom, enlarger etc. for wet printing. Personally, I develop my own B&W (in the laundry), scan the results and print digitally but many others prefer the results from wet printing and the process itself.

...Mike

 

[johnny9fingers]

Yes, It's not quite as complicated to develop your own film as some make it out to be, just takes a bit of practice to get it down. But the satisfaction and results of processing your own film can be wonderful....

 

[fixbones]

mfunnell - what do you scan with. Coolscan? Epson flatbeds?

 

[weetsie]

i have another question, does the date thingy appear on the actual photo on the hexar AF kinda disappointing if it does.

 

[flip]

I can't see where else the date would go. On the upside, you don't have to use the date. Enjoy. It's a hell of a lens.

 

[weetsie]

oh ok 🙁

i thought it might appear on the margins of the film like alot of SLR's

 

[daniel~]

Once activated, it'd print on bottom right of the photo.
The good news is, Hexar's date imprinting uses a font size much smaller than average. Konica team obviously sees into detail.
Anyway if you don't want it in your photo, just press the mode button till it shows "-- -- --", and there'll be no date anywhere.

 

[teo]

"you can take better photos with a range finder because on an SLR the distance between glass and film is larger because of the mirror box and this decreases quality"

sorry, but this is totally bullsh*t

However, congrats for the Hexar, I have one too, the stealth mode is awesome.

 

[daniel~]

Agree. Silent mode is awesome. Some say it doesn't make a lot of difference. The truth is, it does.

By the way, since you're new to Hexar, do check the way you hold it, because one can accidentally block the sensor.

 

[weetsie]

arghh postage was $50 then i got slammed with import tax + VAT + handling fee adding another $100.

did not see that coming.

 

[GoneSavage]

"you can take better photos with a range finder because on an SLR the distance between glass and film is larger because of the mirror box and this decreases quality"

sorry, but this is totally bullsh*t

When I first picked up my hexar, I was shocked at the quality of images it produced, especially wide open. I have yet to see a fast wide angle SLR lens that can match the performance of my Hexar on film, including pentax's 31mm 1.8 Limited which is very well regarded and sells for over $1200 where I live. I also find the hexar to perform outstandingly well at speeds as slow as 1/8th of a second; a feat I have yet to accomplish with an SLR.

I can't say for certain if these improvements are due to the hexar's vibration-less shutter or the shorter distance from lens to film, but it seems a likely conclusion 😀

 

[januaryman]

arghh postage was $50 then i got slammed with import tax + VAT + handling fee adding another $100.

did not see that coming.

KEH is the solution to that problem. AND they will accept returns with no hassles. Just bought a "like new" Hexar AF with flash, cap and strap for about what you paid... the confidence in dealing with a reputable camera dealer outweighs the "deal" you may get in ebay. (With certain exceptions, such as Canon dealer jiri_e and a few nice Russian FSU photo equipment dealers.) That said, good luck with your camera, hope you enjoy yours as much as I intend to enjoy mine! 😀

 

[giellaleafapmu]

arghh postage was $50 then i got slammed with import tax + VAT + handling fee adding another $100.

did not see that coming.

Whatever it was you will have hard time to find a 35mm f2 lens which match the quality of Hexar's, unless you go to the really top of Leica products so you can think you got a great lens at a good price and they gave to you also a camera attached to it!

By the way, the film to lens distance thing is indeed nonsense and others have explained how to desactivate the data function. Maybe there is one more thing which is worth telling you. At some point almost with probability one you will get some problem with the shutter button getting erratic, that can be fixed, in fact it can be fixed even at home with a bit of patience and some DIY skills. I hoped to find the link to the articles about how to fix that but I couldn't, maybe you will have more success with search engines...

You bought a great camera, I have one and to beat the quality I get from that I have to go to MF or large format.

GLF